People always seemed to fare better the second time around, at least that was what Alex had theorised. For some unbeknownst reason, not many of his friends were willing to traverse through the realm of shadows again. So when they emerged out of the darkness, a great deal of him wanted to observe his temporary companion's reaction. Instead of retching up her breakfast, she only seemed a bit disoriented, stepping forward towards him and almost losing her balance, her forest green eyes momentarily unfocused. But he couldn't help the big grin that etched itself over his face, tying to control himself as smugness filling him at the fact that his hypothesis had been proven right.
Elyza took in a deep breath, closing her eyes and collecting herself before she continued on with her sentence, "–you dare do that again." She let herself fall to the ground to regain herself, holding her head, trying to blink away the dizziness. Setting down the girl on the bed behind her, he gave her a moment before offering her a hand.
Even as he pulled her to her feet, the questions had already begun, "Where are we?"
Taking a moment to consider lying to her, his mind still doubtful on how far she was willing to go, he sighed as he remarked, "A safehouse, an hour away from the city."
"Okay..." Elyza remarked, still sounding a bit sceptical, her grip tight around his hand, "And what are you supposed to do after you 'rescued' her?"
"First, you're going to help me catch some fish." Alex replied, dragging her outside the shack.
The sun hung high in the sky, the river Fabru lazily flowing through the glade, its pristine water almost clear as air. He took in the smell of the flowing water, letting the sound of it flowing over the rocks let his mind calm, stopping at the edge of the river bank before he reached into his shadow. As his fingers rummaged around in the other dimension, he could feel Elyza's gaze upon him, wondering what he was trying to do, but he was too busy trying to remember where he had stored them. His hand drifted in the cold darkness, searching for a familiar sensation, till he felt two wooden sticks wrapped together with a fine fishing line.
Alex asked his new companion,"You've fished before, yes?" who followed up the question with a nod of affirmation, causing him to grin as he pulled out the two fishing rods, handing one of them to her as he added, "Good, because it's been a long time since I have,"
Plopping himself onto the soft grass, he motioned her to follow his lead, casting his hook into the river, the ripples that followed, disturbing the many beings roaming above the river bed. She did as he did, but remained standing as she cast her line into the water, upstreams to her.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked, her tone a blend of curiosity and intrigue.
"Fishin?" He replied in a tone equalling hers, grinning as he manufactured a fishing hat out of shadows, placing it upon his head, tilted to shield his eyes.
"Waiting," Elyza replied exasperated, as she tried to reel in some sort of eel, "Who even hired you? Who wants to kill the earl and rescue his niece."
"I could tell you, if, let's just say, you were my partner. But since you are unequivocally not, and since my client is someone of a 'higher' social status, I can only divulge that they've chosen to delay their arrival. To ensure they aren't tailed and to eliminate any suspicion, as one would" Alex rattled off, trying to wiggle his hook so that something would be tempted to try to bite it.
The conversation stagnated after his words stopped echoing down the river bank, both of them deciding to enjoy the tranquillity of the river, the music of the water running over the rocks. The critters within the liquid seemed to steer clear of Alex's hook, avoiding it as if it were the plague, annoyingly though, his companion's bait seemed far more enticing to them, a flurry of fish poking at it curiously. But with each passing minute of stillness, Alex's mind yearned for something more, his body mirroring its protests, his fingers tapping against the fishing rods to do something at least. He had got used to the feeling, having to live with it since his childhood, it didn't stop him from despising it.
YOU ARE READING
Into the Depths | Chronicles of Nemo
Fantasy"After you achieved your revenge, after that brief moment of ecstasy at finally doing it, killing the person who caused you so much harm, you felt empty inside. It's as if all the actions you took, all the sacrifices you made, all the people you cut...
