Droplets On Heliotropes [Wanderer x Reader]

VIII

The slight fizzle of Electro energy was still in the air, as well as some purple sparks, randomly appearing in the area. The moisture everywhere made it easy for the electricity to get around, to linger on, even though the attack was already over. The rain was heavy. Nothings else moved, nothing else made any sound. There were only the hard raindrops hitting the ground and the two bodies, and the slight fizzling.

The man held onto the woman, with equal long blond hair as him, who was lying in his arms with closed eyes and a half-open mouth, caused by her head hanging backwards in the man's grasp. Her clothes, once as white as his, were drenched in blood and mud, its original colour hard to even make out.

Seemingly in denial, the man shook her and called her name continuously.

"Illiyah! Illiyah!"

She did not respond, only her head rolled slightly from one side to the other, as a result of the continuous shaking.

"Illiyah!"

The man cried, his tears mixing with the rain running down his face, but he didn't relent. She was everything he had in this world, after all. So he continued shaking her and calling out her name, again and again, until he was hoarse. Until she was too cold and stiff for him to be able to delude himself any longer.

❊

There were many temple ruins in the area, but it was easy to find out which one was your destination, without even needing to follow the tracks any longer. The same strange blue light emerged from one of them as you had seen before. Apparently, Illium was not afraid to be found anymore. As if his goal was already reached and his preparations already finished.

Or as if he wanted to be found.

The ruin he hid in was still at least an hour of walking distance away. Looking up into the sky that was already darkening, you came to a decision.

"Let's camp in one of these ruins for one more night," you told Wanderer. "Attacking in the dark with the disadvantage of not knowing the location would be pretty stupid."

"I can't believe just how poor you mortal's eyesight is," he grumbled, not even trying to hide his mocking. You sighed.

He closed his eyes and listened for a moment. "There is water nearby, somewhere," he told you.

"Really?" you exclaimed in relief. "Can you find out where?"

"Of course I can," Wanderer responded with his usual arrogance soaking through. You actually came to like it a bit, though. Also, you wouldn't complain about it one bit, of he actually managed to locate some water for you to wash and rehydrate yourself, the last few days of wandering through the desert - fully concentrated to not lose the tracks - certainly took their toll on you.

He took the lead and you followed him through the ruins, through the remnants of King Deshret's civilization.

The place he sought out was amazing. Deep inside a tunnel he found a huge space that had once probably belonged to a bath house. Though there was sand everywhere, the location was still mostly untouched. After lighting the torches on the wall (most of them actually still intact) you could see your surroundings better. There were possibilities to sit and lie everywhere, small tables and even a bar, all carved out of stone and decorated with expensive gold and silver metals. None of the fabrics that had once existed here had survived, though you could still imagine how beautiful this room had once been. And throughout all the structures, a small river flowed, with several pools.