Unpredictable

Chapter 35--- Isolato

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Isolato (noun) 

Meaning: A person who is physically or spiritually isolated from their times or society 

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(Lloyd's POV)

I twiddle my thumbs, sitting on the ground. Dried blood sticks to my gloves. Whenever the blood patches touch, like when I press the pads of my fingers against my palm, some of it crumbles off while other bits stick. Wind makes the Caves of Despair moan behind me and blows up the dust and dirt, sullying my gi further. 

The others wait on the Bounty, almost a mile away. Rosie is with them, asleep and weak, but breathing. Mystake warned us that it might take a while for her to be 100%, ready-to-go again. Apparently, her body has grown to rely on her magic, since it's been with her since her youth, and therefore her actual immune system is puny at best. Until her powers rejuvenate, which could take a week or so, Rose is going to be miserable, basically. 

Rose. 

It feels weird calling her that. I don't want to, almost, now that I know what that means... but roses also mean love, commitment, and passion. At least for humans they do. I'll focus on that. I wonder what 'Alaula' means? 

I wonder what her real name is. In her head, what does she call herself? 

I blow through my teeth and pinch my nose, then blow my cheeks out and clap my hands onto my face so that the air whooshes out of my mouth. 

Mystake... helped. I know Rose is supposed to be with us. I know she's going to strengthen us so that we can defeat the Overlord in the real final battle when it comes. But, she's also the Betrayer who brings Death. Yeah.

I grip the dusty dirt below me. The ground is more rock than soil, mixed with the blood from earlier. I peer up to the clouds above me. My lips are cracked, and I lick them. I don't want to pry. I really, really don't. I want to get to know her on my own, work with her until she trusts me enough to tell me herself. 

But... 

I just... I see things with her. I see  her. Honey skin, diamond eyes, hair was white as the moon, but more importantly, her. I saw the weight, burden, anxiety, fear; but I also saw this overwhelming force— I think it's love— and passion, and goodwill. 

At least, I think that's her. I think that's who she is. I want it to be. 

See— I just have to know. I have  to know if who I'm seeing is who she really is, or if I'm just fooling myself here. Unfortunately, there's only one person that I can think of who might know. 

I stand up, watching as a fast-moving, bright smudge in the sky makes its way down. The others wanted to be with me, but I told them to go back on the Bounty and watch over Rose. She needs to be looked over, which all of us knew already, but with the recent revelations... especially so.

I prepare myself, setting my shoulders back and standing up. I keep my mask off, however.

Katara grows in the sky, like a lit flame, then hovers before me. She takes one look at me, then gazes at the blood all around. Her feet touch the ground, one after the other, two meters or so away from me. Her fiery hair curls around her. She turns her head but looks at me out of the corner of her eye. Her chin raises.

"Alaula got away, didn't she?" 

It's not angry like I thought it would be, nor amused. Her lips, red as the blood she's split, don't smile or frown. Her eyes flick to the ground beneath our feet, then the sky. She already knows the answer, but I nod anyway.