Welcome back to Lap Of The Gods, everyone. I'm glad everyone enjoyed the chapter. Please remember to COMMENT and VOTE; it means a lot to me. Plus, I like talking to you guys and hearing your opinions. Also, remember to listen to the video; it goes with the chapter. ~XOXO BUTTERBALL~

The song is:  Sparkle by RADWIMPS.

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-Lila-

I let out a sigh of content as I floated along the river on my back. The brisk early morning air brushed gently across my skin, leaving a small yet comfortable chill.

It was enough to soothe the humidity of the night before but not too cold, where it became uncomfortable. Varuun sat crushing a couple of trees underneath him on the river bank to my left as he laid there. His front paws were crossed over one another as he slept in the peaceful silence.

He's been kind of unruly lately, ever since Sorey arrived, but then again, he's never been around others, at least as far as I know. A while after I came here, he appeared and started licking me like a happy pet, excited to see its owner.

As if he knew I was thinking about him, two of his six eyes opened halfway. He lazily glanced over at me before letting out a small huff. A large number of leaves were flung into the air scattering themselves around both Varuun and I.

"Where did you come from, big guy? I mean, you have to have a family, right?" I asked him, smiling. "I mean, everyone does..."

At my own words, I couldn't help but frown as the usual feeling of loneliness seemed to tighten in my chest.

"That's right...everyone has a family," I whispered as I stared up into the dark blue sky.

Varuun sat up slowly; the ground shook slightly as he placed both paws on the ground. He carefully walked closer to the river, the ground trembling each time he took a step. For a moment, I closed my eyes, only for them to shoot open as an enormous splashing sound surrounded me. I was briefly flung into the air, along with most of the river as Varuun entered it.

I felt my stomach drop as the wind whipped around me; before I could even think about moving my wings, I landed on something soft yet firm. It was almost a sort of squishy feeling.

Varuun held me in one of his upturned paws as he stared at me. He sat in the river, the water coming up to his ankles. I let out a soft chuckle as I poked at the soft paw pad beneath me. "I'm okay big guy, although I wish you would've warned me before making a waterfall," I reassured him as he whimpered.

He leaned forward, his wet nose nudging my chest. Even though I tried to nudge him away, he ignored my protest and continued to gently nuzzle me the best he could. I chuckled, "As I said before, big guy, you can eat all the skyfish eggs you want when I leave today."

However, that only made him whimper again. He seemed to frown as his eyes looked at the ground.

"You'll get to see me off, at least. Come on now, let me down so I can get dressed," I told him gently.

Slowly he turned back towards the river bank and carefully lowered his paw to the ground. Once his paw was at least ground level, I leapt off my wings gently fluttering. I toweled off using an old blanket before I began getting dressed.

Then I began rushing back to my home. Last night I'd packed my things right after Sorey said he'd let me come with him. "I'm home!" I called out as I entered the house.

Sorey wasn't inside, but that wasn't surprising. After all, he did say that he'd be ready to leave early today.

As I grabbed the knapsack, I'd placed beside my bed; the ground began to shake as Varuun walked outside the house. The moment I walked outside, he stood there, blocking my path, letting out whimpers as he stared at me.

I frowned up at him. "I'll be okay big guy," I reassured him; however, he continued his whimpering.

He probably won't stay here if I try to leave without him. But he's too big to travel with us...

I smiled up at him as an idea dawned on me. "Hey, big guy, you can come with us, but you can't stay with us," I informed him.

Varuun grinned, his tongue lolling out as he tried to lick me. "No, licking me, I just bathed," I warned him, for once he listened to me.

I found Sorey standing at the edge of Via, staring down into the frozen forest below. As I landed beside him, Varuun growled softly, narrowing his eyes.

I wonder why he dislikes Sorey so much?

"You're bringing your beast?" Sorey asked as he craned his neck to look up at Varuun.

"Since you said it would take us a while to fly across the frozen forest ourselves, I figured that we could just ride Varuun. He could stop before we reach the closest town," I suggested.

"Huh, you're right, that is more convenient. But he looks like he wants to use my body as a toy. Are you sure he'll behave around me?" Sorey asked as he walked a bit closer to Varuun.

I patted one of Varuun's paws gently, which probably felt like a flea touching a lion to him. "Behave, Sorey isn't going to hurt you. In fact, he wouldn't be here if you hadn't snatched him out of the air."

Varuun's eyes swiveled to look at me for a few moments before he slowly laid down on his stomach. I smiled at him giving his arm another gentle pat.

Fluttering my wings, I rose into the air I hovered there until I was level with Varuun's back. I couldn't help but let out a small sound of surprise when I landed on his back.

His fur is so much softer than it looks.

I let out a giggle as I nuzzle a clump of his fur. "What are you doing?" Sorey asked as he also landed on Varuun's back. Sorey's feathery wings folded behind him as he landed next to me.

"I didn't know that Varuun's fur was this soft. It just always looked so scraggly and rough, you know?" I told him. The mass of fur felt like threads of silk in my hands.

Sorey crossed his arms as he watched me. "You're going to get parasites if you keep doing that." He mumbled.

"But Varuun takes baths..."

He just let out a sigh as he opened what appeared to be a map. "The nearest town is the fishing village, Aurora. It's also a trading port, though," he said more to himself than me.

I frowned as I stared off to the side.

I don't think I've heard of them before. At least I can't remember the humans in my old village talking about a village like that.

Slowly I looked over at Sorey. "Hey, I was wondering, does your family worry that you haven't come back in a while?" I asked hesitantly.

Sorey glanced up at me with a scowl on his face. "Not particularly, but then again, my family isn't the caring kind." He told me dismissively.

He walked closer to Varuun's head. "You need to fly south until you get to the Oumua forest." He commanded. However, Varuun just let out a huff, his body shifting slightly beneath my feet.

Sorey rolled his eyes as he turned to me. "Can you please give your mongrel the instructions? Every time I speak to him, it's like he's suddenly deaf."

I let out a little chuckle as I walked up next to Sorey. "You heard him, Varuun, you gotta move," I commanded.

I heard Varuun sighed, then his wings opened, filling the sky above my head for a brief moment each time they flapped. As he flew forward, I stumbled backward, falling on my butt as his body lurched beneath me.

The rushing sound of the wind thundered in my ears, blowing my hair into my face. I shakily climbed to my feet with wide eyes as I walked forward, parting Varuun's hair with my hand. I couldn't help but stare in wide-eyed awe.

The sun was just peeking over the horizon, glinting off of the snow-covered mountains. The light stretched rolling over valleys of dark green grass and golden tealica flowers. It illuminated the dark expanses of forest, turning the leaves a vibrant green. The almost whining calls of the skyfish surrounded us as their purple and red bodies lifted into the air from the forest. Despite not having wings, their serpent-like forms glided gently through the sky, the sun reflecting off of their dark stalk-like eyes, causing them to glow a mixture of bright green and dark red.

I let out a small gasped as I slowly looked around. Next to me, I heard Sorey snicker softly. "You really are just like a child." He chuckled as he looked at me.

I grinned back as excitement surged through my body. "I can't help it. This is my first time seeing something like this. It's breathtaking," I whispered.

Reaching up, I allowed one hand to flow through the air. My tail wagged behind me as I let out a content sigh.

"Spring has always been my favorite season, too," Sorey said as he sat down. There was an oddly gentle smile on his face as he stared up into the sky.

~~~~

It was almost noon when Sorey instructed me to have Varuun land. From his back, I could see a large expanse of the forest, but it eventually cleared, and I could see the light blue water of an ocean harbor with enormous boats sitting at the docks.

"That's the trading and fishing port, Aurora. We can fly there ourselves from here." Sorey informed me as Varuun whimpered.

I patted Varuun's back. "Okay big guy, you gotta go home. You can't come with us anymore." I told him as I flew off his back. Landing in front of Varuun, he knelt and began nuzzling me, his wet nose tickling my skin.

I took a deep breath as my eyes grew warm; I could feel the tears gathering there despite my effort to hold them back. "I promise that I'll come back, big guy. So please wait for me, you were there when I needed you the most, and I would never leave you behind." I reassured him. Varuun licked my cheek with the tip of his tongue.

As I looked into his eyes, I could see that he understood what I meant. He opened his wings, giving one more wide-mouthed grin before he flew away back in the direction we'd come.

"See you later, Varuun!" I called out as I waved; within moments, he had disappeared.

When I turned back toward Sorey, he glanced at me. "That beast is probably older than you are. He'll definitely survive on his own."

I nodded slowly as I wiped a hand across my eyes. "I know, I just...have to get used to him not being here."

"Let's get going; when we're in town, make sure you stay close. Fairies aren't usually seen in this town," He informed me.

~~~

"Oh, wow, this is amazing!" I gasped as I looked around. The town was alive with festivities and color; booths with merchants were set up across the stone pathways drawing attention with their brightly colored paint. Brightly colored ribbons and bouquets of tealica flowers lined the simple town gate.

Shop and home windows were lined with these odd star-shaped white flowers that gave off a gentle glow. The town was filled to the brim with crowds of people, both human and otherwise. I couldn't help but notice the dark-skinned people with bird-like wings on their arms. They walked around barefoot with feathers of every color on their legs. Scales were on their feet, and talons grew in place of toenails giving their feet a hunting bird appearance.

"Those are Icralous. The best way to describe them would be pacifist bird people. But make no mistake, they're haughty, know it all bastards." Sorey told me as he noticed my staring.

I frowned deeply as I closed my eyes for a moment.

Icralous, I've seen them before, but I can't remember where...did one come to my old village for something?

'They're a common race on Adonis, Sorey is half Icralous, but I only recall interacting with them a handful of times...' Marta said softly, her voice echoing in my head.

There you are, were you sleeping, Marta? You've been quiet this whole time?

'I don't exactly sleep but yes, what I was doing was a form of resting,' She told me. I could hear her let out a soft yawn.

"Talking to Marta?" Sorey asked me.

I nodded and grinned at him. "Yeah, she just woke up, but I think she went back to sleep."

He frowned at me as he looked me up and down. "We should really get you different clothes." He muttered.

"What's wrong with my clothes?" I asked as I grabbed the hem of my gown.

"Well, it looks like you woke up from a nap and walked outside without changing your clothing. You stick out," he said bluntly.

I crossed my arms and pouted. "It's a gown. The children in my old village said that most kindred wear things like that."

"Most kindred that live in forests don't exactly believe in clothing either," he informed me.

"Oh," I whispered, letting out a sigh. I reached into my shirt and pulled out a few jewels. Handing it to him, I smiled, "Will this be enough?"

Almost immediately, Sorey's eyes widened, and his hand quickly covered my own. "Fucking hell, you moron, don't go showing stuff like that in public. Are you trying to get robbed?" He grumbled.

"But you asked if I had something, and I showed it to you. Is it that bad?" I asked slowly as I stared at him.

He sighed. "Careless and stupid is more of the words I was looking for. Where did you even get something like this?"

I frowned. "I made it using some rocks and ether. I like making them because they're shiny. The clearer ones also reflect sunlight well enough to start a fire. So if I forget to bring a flint, I still have these."

Disbelief covered Sorey's face as he shot me an incredulous look. "You're a fucking gald dispenser. This is worse than I thought."

"You don't have to be so rude about it," I whispered.

Sorey sighed again as he took the smallest gem from me, tucking it away inside his Kajime. "You'll be fine with just the smallest out of all of them. We'll sell it and get you some clothes."

For a moment, I just stared at him; then, a small smile crossed my face. "You really are a good man. I'm unfamiliar with much of the world. You could have given me any reason and taken them all." I said softly.

Sorey stared at me with an odd look on his face. "Believe whatever you want to believe," he muttered as he began walking away.

"Don't you need to change clothes too?" I asked as I followed him.

Sorey shook his head. "Most demons wear kajimes, it's basically a long, loose robe with wide sleeves, and they're tied with a sash like the one I'm wearing right now. However, they do come in different styles and colors. It's pretty common knowledge that demons wear these."

I let out a soft chuckle. "You're actually the first demon I've ever met. With my previous village being in the middle of nowhere, we didn't exactly get too many villagers, and even then, most were humans," I informed him as we navigated the thick crowds. I made sure to lift my tail so that it wouldn't be trampled.

Sorey eventually stopped in front of a small yet beautifully decorated, colorful little building. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the small wooden sign on the building for a moment. He held the door open as he walked inside with me following close behind.

It appeared to be a female clothing store run by a large portly, almost fat human man with dark hair. A strange, almost comical look of shock crossed his face as his skin paled a few shades when he looked at us. Then his eyes landed on me, and he grinned.

"H-how can I help you both?" He asked, approaching us.

When Sorey looked at the man, he flinched, looking away quickly before his eyes met mine and went wide.

"Yes, help her pick out some comfortable. Something that won't restrict her tail or wings." Sorey informed him.

The man nodded as he eyed me with an odd grin. "And what is your name?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but Sorey spoke for me. "Her name is Aria," he said quickly.

The man nodded. "Aria, please follow me so that I may get your measurements," he informed me.

Why did he tell him my name is Aria? Well, Sorey does travel a lot, so I should just trust his judgment.

As I followed the man, Sorey stayed behind, leaning against a nearby wall with his arms crossed, silently staring out the window.

I had to take off my clothes for the man to measure my waist, the base of my tail, the width of my wings, thighs, and shoulders. "You truly are an amazing Kindred. I don't believe I've ever seen one like you." He said as he measured my wings.

"Thank you," I said cheerfully as I smiled.

"I'll make sure that the magic thread in your clothing won't tamper with your master's brand," he informed me as he stepped back.

"B-brand?" I whispered.

He nodded. "The one on your back, between your wings." He told me.

"Wait, what does it look like?" I asked quickly.

"Hm? Oh, it looks to be in the shape of a star with four diamonds around it in a square formation. It's a very intricate brand; your family must value you highly." He told me.

However, I could only stare down at my feet, a scowl on my face.

Did that appear just now? It wasn't there when I bathed this morning.

"I'll be right back with your clothing. It'll only take a moment or two," he informed me as he left the changing room.

When he returned with a green and white dress, I put it on and stepped out. "You look amazing!" The man exclaimed.

Sorey looked up from where he stood, a small knife in his hand as he filed his claws. "I asked you to get something easy to travel in," he grumbled as he reminded the man.

I turned to the man who stood across from me, slowly looking me up and down. "That's right, can you please get me something else?" I asked.

"Well then, how about this sexier dress here?" He said, immediately holding up a blue skimpy dress that looked like it was made from strips of cloth.

"Did you hear what I said, you dumbass!" Sorey snapped, baring his fangs.

The man gritted his teeth, turning red in the face. "Shut it, you two-horned half breed! I'm giving this lovely young lady my recommendations!"

Sorey's eyes narrowed as he twirled the knife in his hand. If looks could kill, then the shopkeep would've been dead where he stood.

"I can pick out my own clothing!" I exclaimed, trying to calm them down.

At my words, the shopkeep grinned. "Of course, you lovely creature, unlike your master, you have brains." He told me as he walked behind the counter.

M-master?

Sorey let out an irritated huff. I could feel both his and the shopkeeper's eyes on me as I walked around the store. Eventually, I stopped in front of one of the outfits that had caught my eye. It was an open black coat with broad purple accents and big white cuffs and a white undershirt. It was accompanied by a pair of black shorts with a small, white belt.

Taking it off the rack, I walked over to Sorey. "Sorey, I want this one," I informed him with a smile on my face. "I like it because it's sturdy but light. I'll be able to fly in it without too much weight dragging me down." My tail gently thumped against the floor.

"Ah, yes, miss, that's a piece of adventurer's clothing, so when it comes to moving around, you should have no issues." The shopkeep informed me.

Ignoring him, Sorey nodded as he looked it over. "Looks good. Might be a bit big, though."

I grinned at him as I looked at the outfit. "That's fine. If you say that you like it, then I want it."

"If you'd like something to go with it, Miss Aria, might I suggest these lovely boots made from skyfish leather. And these incredibly comfortable socks, they'll feel as though you're walking on air." The shopkeep instantly suggested holding up a pair of soft-looking long pink socks and brown boots.

"I like feeling the dirt and grass under my bare feet. It relaxes me and allows me to be closer to nature," I said softly.

"You're going to get hurt if you keep doing that." Sorey pointed out.

I let out a soft chuckle as I nodded. "Yeah, you're right."

"Of course, I am. Go ahead and get changed." Sorey told me as he put the knife away.

I nodded before taking off the dress, dropping it on the floor. Looking at Sorey and the shopkeep, I saw them looking at me in wide-eyed shock. "What is it? Are my wings tangled again? Is my tail caught on something?" I asked as I turned in small circles, trying to see what they were looking at.

Suddenly Sorey picked me up with incredible ease, wrapping his arms around me and using his body to cover my own. Then I was roughly tossed into the small room where I'd had my measurements taken, landing in a small heap on the floor.

"Ow, Sorey, that hurt!" I groaned, rubbing a hand along my back.

"You need to learn a thing or two, about modesty!" He snapped back before he let out a huff.

The shopkeep let out a small squeal of what sounded like delight, "Praise the Maker, I could die happy now," I heard him sigh.

A few moments later, I stepped out of the room, and Sorey chuckled.

"Much better."

As Sorey paid at the counter using the gem, I'd given him something else caught my eye. It was two dark blue chokers. One had a bird brooch set on its front like a jewel, while the other had a flower brooch on it. It was a copy of those same glowing flowers I'd seen outside.

"Sorey, look at these. They're incredible! Which one do you think looks better?" I asked, holding them both up.

For a moment, he frowned, staring at both chokers before he pointed at the one with the flower emblem. "The one with the malety flower looks alright." He said, taking it from me.

Placing it on the counter, he spoke to the man. "Please add this in too."

"Ah, a new collar. I did notice that she-"

"Did you know that demons eat people when irritated," Sorey said suddenly in a matter of fact tone.

The man shut his mouth, his face turning a few shades lighter.

As we exited the store, I put the choker on, smiling as I palmed the flower emblem. "Sorey, do demons really eat people?" I asked hesitantly.

He shook his head, chuckling as a smirk crossed his face. "No, Egaros definitely do, though. I just wanted him to shut up; he was making me angry."

I let out a soft sigh as I walked next to him. 

It looks like even he can be a bit petty when he wants to.

"Hey, Sorey, what's a maltey flower?" I asked.

"From the sound of your question, I'm gonna guess that you've never seen one." He said.

I shook my head; he pointed to a nearby bouquet of the glowing flowers I'd seen earlier. "They're a special type of flower that takes in ether from the air and traps it inside of them, which causes them to glow white. However, if you take them to a place with a lot of dark ether, they turn black as night and become poisonous. They grow just about everywhere in Adonis and can be any color depending on what type of ether they get from the environment," He explained calmly.

As we walked through the crowd, my attention was drawn to the beach, where people danced around in circles.  I stopped walking as I watched them. They looked like they were having fun large grins covered their faces as they laughed and danced.

'It's okay to join them, Lila. It's a festival, have fun.' Marta reassured me.

Before I knew it, I walked away from Sorey and over to the beach as I was swept up in the dancing.

As I copied the movements, I couldn't help but laugh and giggle. My tail smacked against the warm, almost hot sand in time to the beat as I spun, hopped, and clapped.  People around me smiled, some laughing with joy, their faces slick with sweat and red from the sun. The sand shifting over their bare feet. I noticed a nearby Icralous with dark green feathers and a beak for a nose moving more carefully as his talons had trouble gaining purchase, reducing his dance to something more akin to a shuffle.

Grabbing his hand, I began to dance with him twirling us both in circles, using my wings to keep him slightly above the ground. The Icralous looked at me, the area around his eyes crinkling as he smiled slightly.

They're not turning me away...they're not afraid of me!

I grinned as warmth gathered in my eyes. I jumped as someone tapped me on my shoulder. I turned around to see Sorey standing there, staring at me with a strange look on his face. Almost immediately, the man I was dancing with frowned, a brief look of disgust covering his face as he looked at Sorey. Then he snatched his hands out of mine, dropping to the ground before storming or rather stumbling off in a huff.

Why did he only get upset when he saw Sorey? The shopkeep also called Sorey a two-horned half breed...

"You shouldn't run off; I thought someone had kidnapped you," he grumbled, seemingly unphased by the man's rude actions.

I shook myself, a smile spreading across my face. "This is so much fun! You should try it!" I  suggested holding my hand out to him.

He glanced at my hand and scowled at me as he crossed his arms. "Absolutely not. It was already troublesome dealing with one human. What makes you think I want to deal with a horde of them."

I crossed my arms as I pouted, my cheeks puffing up a bit. "You have to learn to have fun!"

"I'm not dancing with humans," he said the word humans like it was a curse. Turning around, Sorey walked off further down the beach.

Why doesn't he like humans? Did the shopkeeper really upset him that much?

'It may be a good idea to distance yourself from him. He's got a deep black aura around him. If you're not careful, it'll contaminate you too.' Marta warned me.

Really? I don't sense anything. He's probably just upset.

~~~

It was sunset when Sorey approached me again. The festivities and dancing had almost completely died down, so I sat on the shore, staring out at the sea as I absentmindedly rolled a small glass bottle between my fingers. The sun was setting, bathing the water in bright yet soft looking orange tint, as it glittered like jewels. A soothing feeling settled over me despite the familiar ache that had settled in my chest; the light scent of salt and fish wafted into my nose. I had allowed my tail and wings to stretch out the warm sand easing my aching muscles there.

Varuun would've loved to come here; they have his favorite three things. Food, water, and sun.

At the thought, a  small smile crossed my face briefly before I  glanced down at the small bottle I held. Inside the bottle was a small piece of parchment I had written on earlier. Standing up, I gently placed the bottle in the water, acting on a strange, unknown yet very familiar impulse that thrummed through my body as I watched the bottle slowly floated away.

"Sending messages in a bottle?" Sorey asked. "Well, aren't you desperate for friends." He said, standing beside me.

"I...I don't know why I did that; I just felt it was important that I had to do it. I couldn't even read what I wrote down; the letters and words were unrecognizable to me," I whispered. I stared at the bottle as it bobbed in the waves, a strange feeling seemed to press on my chest, making it incredibly hard to breathe, but no matter how much I tried, I couldn't place it.

"Here," Sorey said, holding something out to me. When I looked at it, I saw that it was a white handkerchief. Slowly I reached up, touching the area beneath my eyes with gentle fingers, only for them to come away wet.

"I'm sorry," I whispered as I shakily took the cloth from him.

"You don't even remember why you wanted to send out the bottle. I highly doubt that you even know why you feel sorry." He sighed.

I closed my eyes for a moment as I wiped my face. Turning to the sea once more, I could feel a strange warmth spread through my body. "A...a long time ago, someone told me that sending messages in bottles could grant wishes," I said softly.

"Of course, a child like you would believe that," he sighed. For a moment, Sorey was silent as he stared up at the sky. "Is the tree on that moon the reason you decided to leave?"

I nodded slowly. "It just appeared around the same time Marta told me that I needed to leave Via. She sounded so frightened and urgent about it..."

"No wonder Aurora started its Happy Merchant festival so early; seeing that tree sent them into a panic," Sorey mumbled.

He sighed, turning away. "We should go to the inn. I paid for a room for tonight while you were celebrating with the other fools," he informed me.

The walk to the inn was brief since it was located right across from the shore.

~~~~

I sat on a strange yet familiar shore with cold, silvery-white sand running between my toes as I watched the person in front of me place a small glass bottle in the ocean. "Are you sure that'll even work?" I grumbled, brushing back my white hair.

The person turned to me, but I couldn't make out their face, almost like it was obscured by thick fog. "Would my mistress like to try?" He asked the voice was kind, soft, and extremely familiar. His words caused a surge of warmth to roll over me as though I was being hugged.

"It's a game for mortals. I don't need to try," I huffed as I walked over to him. He gave me a small gentle smile.

I began laughing. "I mean...you already grant all of my wishes, don't you."

However, looking up, I noticed that the person was gone, and the world was dark. Ice unfurled in my chest as I fell to my knees, whimpering. I struggle to claw my way up through the icy ocean of darkness that seemed intent on consuming me.

"Let's say just say you're right, Marta, and the nightmare ends; we wake up side by side. What makes you think that I would let you live? I've really lost my mind..."

The voice was new and yet familiar. It seemed to wrap around my body, crushing my chest and stealing the warmth. I gasped as I struggled to breathe.

I coughed, splattering the pool of darkness around me with glowing white liquid. I trembled as glowing white tears fell onto the dark floor below me and my arms shook. "I'm sorry..." I whispered. "I'm sorry! Please, I didn't, I never wished for this!"

~~~

My eyes snapped open as I coughed softly, an almost sickly sweet taste coating my mouth. Sorey stood over me with a look of mild concern and confusion on his face. He rubbed his fingers together, causing a droplet of glowing white liquid to drip from his fingers.

Slowly I reached up and touched the corners of my mouth. My hand came away covered in the same glowing substance. Sorey let out a hiss as he cleaned his hand before turning to me. "Are you okay? You started whimpering in your sleep," He asked as he sat down at the desk across the room.

I coughed softly, rubbing my throat as the white substance clogged my throat for a brief moment. "W-what happened? We're still in Aurora, right?" I rasped as I glanced at the window. The moonlight shone in, illuminating the room with a silvery light. The room felt abnormally cold, like all the warmth had been sucked out.

"I was writing a few letters when you started whimpering and making strange sounds in your sleep. You also started leaking pure ether out of your nose, eyes, and mouth." He informed me. I wiped a hand across my eyes, but the ether was already evaporating.

"S-Sorey...you're not going to leave me behind, right? If I wake up in the morning, you'll still be here, right?" I whispered before I could stop myself, my voice shaking. The idea of waking up and Sorey not being there made my chest ache even more in the darkness, as fear's ice claws seemed to strangle my throat.

He glanced at me briefly as he shuffled a bundle of papers in his hands. "Of course, I will. We still have a few days of traveling together before we separate. Why do you ask?"

I shuddered, wrapping my arms around myself as I remembered the darkness, the cold isolation that always seemed to wrap around me, digging into my very soul with its awful claws. "I've helped people so many times in the past too many times, but no matter what I do, they always leave me behind. I tried so hard every time, I worked so hard, I healed everyone, but they didn't care in the end; they just threw me away. I just..." I let out a shuddering breath as the ghosts of hurtful memories still out of reach mingled with physical pain, creating a ball of ice in my chest that stole my breath away. "I just want to matter to someone. Anyone."

I sniffled, running a hand across my nose. Sorey was staring at me with a strange look on his face. The look felt incredibly familiar, but at the moment, I couldn't place it. He let out a soft sighed. "You matter to Varuun. I know for a fact that beast would follow you to the ends of Adonis," he told me, which made me nodded as I stared out the window.

For a while, he was silent; the sound of my sniffling and the gentle shuffling of papers were the only sounds in the room. "Truthfully, if it weren't for you, I'd be dead in that beast's belly so..."

For a few moments, I just stared at him with wide eyes, my tail standing straight up as his unsaid words caused a rush of warmth to run through my body, chasing out the previous chill that had threatened to consume me. I smiled gently. "Thank you, Sorey."

However, he just nodded as he turned back to his paperwork. I couldn't help but notice the faint smile on his face.