Of Blood And Royal Bones

Chapter 21: Tiny Blue Spirit

Kassia walked to the edge of the lake that Jurgen had escaped to shortly following his and Adem's bloody skirmish. She stopped at the water's edge and watched as he rinsed his marked skin of dried blood and caked on dirt from the previous weeks in the dungeons, standing waist deep as the water rippled out around him. Adem seemed to not have favored strikes to the face as much as Jurgen did. That, or Jurgen had been much more successful in blocking his face. But either way Adem had used Jurgen's torso as a canvas– the art a display of dark bruises tattered all across his chest and abdominals. Between these bruises were burn marks and lacerations long forgotten about from the layer of blood and dirt that coated him.

Once he had finished scrubbing away the evidence of their time in the dungeons, he turned and hesitated at the sight of Kassia standing there watching him.

"So, it's turned to stones with you and Adem? One brutal altercation and all is dealt with?"

His countenance conceded her point as he turned his gaze to the water, then back up at her as he said, "All to stones now. I wager we might even make decent friends now that he's learned that I don't take insults to you lightly. Did he speak with you?"

She nodded. "He did."

"Good."

"Did– um–" she pointed a shaky finger at his body, "do those hurt?"

He spared a glance down at his own bruised and marked figure. "What, the bruises or the work of the demons? The demons' work hurts, sure, but the bruises have a strange effect in making me feel alive."

Kassia rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms. "Truly?"

His eyebrows flickered up as he elaborated, "It's been far too long since I've found such an equal match as Adem. At first it was my intention to inflict as much harm to him as humanly possible, but then I truly began to enjoy myself. I think secretly he did as well." He smiled at the thought.

Kassia couldn't keep her gaze from trailing back down his battered body, her eyes uncontrollably filling with tears. He focused a concerned look on her as he instructed her gently, "Do not waste your sorrows on what was done to me. I've made it out alive because of you and that is all that matters." She nodded and blinked the tears away. For a moment they were silent, staring back at each other with longing looks and then Jurgen spoke through the silence. "Kass, I really wish to speak with you." He took a step towards shore and she held up a hand to stop him. As the water sank lower on his waist, long veins were revealed that snaked down the v-shaped muscles beneath his naval and below the waterline, no doubt providing blood to his–

"Are you decent?" She blurted as she receded a step.

He stopped mid stride and furrowed his brow. "You mean am I bathing in my trousers? No, Kass, I am not."

"Then, perhaps you should wait," she advised, her hand still raised in front of her as she stumbled further up the shore of the lake, "perhaps until I've cleared the– um, until I've cleared the area."

Jurgen did nothing to hide the smile that tugged at his lips as a result of her behavior. "Kass, it's really not a significant matter whether I am covered–"

"No, I think it is quite." She argued, turning her head in fear that he'd step further out of the water. "I'm just– I'll just be with the group." She stammered as she headed back into the clearing to meet the others.

When they all decided they were ready to move– and when Jurgen had returned with his pants on once more– they continued on through the autumn woods towards the bordering land, whatever land that may be.

"Walk with me, Ziam." She demanded as the group paired off so as to more suitably trek through the thick woods. To her relief, he did not contradict or refuse her. This left Adem to hold the Ancient weapon out at his side as he walked beside Heidra, and Jurgen to match stride with Edith in the front.