oppositum [a (maybe) Nikolai Lantsov story] (currently being reviewed)

XIX

three months later

All in all, Nix hadn't eaten for nothing because no field missions had been assigned to them in the last three months. They had mostly spent their time doing paperwork, hanging out and training. Still living together in a small apartment, they had a peaceful roommate. One summer morning, Lýkos woke Nix up with a bang.

"Let me sleep..."
"Wake up, sleepyhead! We're leaving on a mission in two hours!"

Nix opened one eye to see Lýkos' overexcited face.

"A real one?"
"Yes! Come on! Move it!"

She leapt from her bed and prepared herself with lightning speed. They happily packed their things and then joined the person who was accompanying them as they were still a minor. Nix grabbed her hand and shook it energetically, excited as a flea.

"Hello! I'm Nix! I hope this mission will be great!"

The man laughed at her demeanor.

"I am Ein to serve you."

He backed up his words with a wink that only made Lýkos react, and put a protective and slightly possessive arm around Nix's shoulders.

"I am Lýkos, Nix's partner."

Ein laughed and then caught sight of the two isenulfs.

"And these adorable furballs are?"
"Lux and Persephone. But we call her Perse, it's faster."
"First mission given your enthusiasm."
"Perfectly! Finally a real mission!"
"Don't worry Nix, I'm sure you'll shine in this one and then we'll send you everywhere!"

Nix smiled broadly at him, grateful for his words of encouragement.

"Thank you!"
"Let's not wait any longer and get going!"

As they walked to the port to catch a boat, Ein explained in depth what their mission was about.

"A group of young grishas have been spotted near the border. We're going to chase them off our land. Of course, if we can exterminate them, we'd love to."

Lýkos raised an eyebrow.

"So we'll possibly kill them?"
"Yes. Any problem with that, son?"
"No, it makes the mission much more interesting! Our first step towards cleansing the world of these unnatural things!"

Nix remained silent and suppressed the feeling of fear towards her friend that had begun to weigh in her chest and grinned as carnally as her fellow travelers.

"Perfect. I like you kid. Let's not lie, I was tired of being given kids with the fear of killing a thing."
"Sorry for the cowardice of my classmates."

Ein exclaimed and delivered a blow to Lýkos' back.

"You and I are going to get along just fine!"

The conversation was cut off as they had just arrived in front of the boat.

"We're going to spend a couple of days at sea and then we'll walk to the Abominations' hideout."

Lýkos and Nix nodded. They boarded the boat and it left directly.

"I hope nobody gets seasick!"

Unfortunately, after about twenty minutes, Lýkos, while discussing with the captain how to navigate, turned as pale as a dead man and as green as grass and rushed to vomit his breakfast into the sea.
Nix was in the midst of enjoying the scenery and relaxing with Lux and Perse, when she saw her friend drop his guts into the water and rushed to his side.

"Shit! Don't move, I'll bring you a basin and then we'll go down to the cabin so you can lie down!"
"Don't worry, I'm not going to mo-"

He was interrupted by a wave of vomit. Nix hurried to get a large pot and then ran back to Lýkos. Ein was with him, trying to cheer him up.

"Don't worry son. Many people get seasick. It's nothing. I mean, you're just going to puke your life away for three days. But nothing serious for a big drüskelle like you!"

Lýkos smiled an unconvincing smile from the heat on his face. Nix approached them, her pot in her hand.

"Here, the cook wants to lend it to you."
"Really?"
"Well, I guess I left before he answered..."

Lýkos had a fit of laughter that made him stagger, so much vomiting had made him weak. Nix put an arm around his waist and placed one of his arms around her neck.

"Let's go downstairs, you'll feel better lying down with a cold cloth on your head."

She placed her hand gently on his forehead and winced.

"You've got one hell of a fever. It will make you feel better."

Nix made her way into the hold with Lýkos leaning heavily on her and sick as a dog. She awkwardly opened the door of the cabin with her foot and helped Lýkos to lie down in the bed, paused the pan at the foot of the bed and soaked a towel with cold water and put it gently on Lýkos' forehead to lower his body temperature. He relaxed his muscles and calmed his breathing at the cool contact against his skin. Nix pulled up a chair, sat down and removed the few strands of sweaty hair that stuck to Lýkos' face. He opened one eye and smiled at her.

"Thank you for being here for me..."
"Nothing more normal, we are friends and friends take care of each other."

Lýkos grabbed her hand, intertwined their fingers and stayed like that, a big smile on his lips.

"Nix, relax, I can see the wrinkles on your forehead from here. I'm not going to die, and everything is going to be fine on this mission. I will protect you. Because let's not forget that I am your knight in shining armor."

She laughed and stroked his hand with her thumb.

"I'm counting on you my dear!"

After a while he fell asleep cradled by the circular movement of Nix's thumb on his hand and she stayed to watch him to make sure he didn't vomit in his sleep, so that he wouldn't choke and that the cloth stayed fresh and measured his temperature regularly. She observed, for a while, the innocent angelic face that he approached when he was sleeping.

"I hope nothing will separate us in the future... I need you to survive here Lýkos..."

After an hour, Nix was getting sore from sitting still in her chair and decided to go outside and stretch her legs before returning to Lýkos' side. Before leaving the cabin, she made sure to position Lýkos on his side in case he vomited. She left the room and went outside. Nix looked around for Lux and Perse, when she spotted him. Everything seemed to slow down. His foot sank into Lux's abdomen and he was sent flying.

Sorry this chapter is slightly shorter than the others but I have to cut it here because the continuation can't really be separated in two...