Playing with Fire - Of loss and grief

Chapter Three: Bargaining (Part I)

My first opportunity to talk to Neph was days after that, and by then I had my speech ready in my head. It happened when I was carrying out a mission in the open area of Netherstorm, clearing a section of some mana disturbances that were roaming the place and collecting the mana residue they left. The mana disturbances in that place resembled the mana wyrms I've seen in our lands; serpentine creatures made out of pure mana, that swam in the air as a snake would swim in water, and consumed arcane power and beings made of it, such as ourselves. In a certain light, their head resembled a dragon's head, and even though that could make them look ferocious, they were no real threat. They were more of a nuisance, not worthy of the time of someone important.

I stopped to rest a moment, sitting atop a rock by the road while drinking some water, when I saw Neph approaching. He was riding a golden dragonhawk, and soon enough landed by the road.

I ran to him and threw my arms around his neck, holding him tight to my body.

"Hello, my love," he said, before he kissed me tenderly and showed me that smile that made me remember why I fell for him. My heart sang the song of hope. Neph was an intelligent man, a reasonable man. He would listen to me, above all.

"Hi Neph. What are you doing here?," I asked as I sat by the spot I was resting and indicated him to join me in my meager snack.

"I heard you were appointed to carry out such a demeaning task, and so I decided to check on you. And bring you this," he said as he sat by my side and showed me a box of my favorite sweetrolls he brought me.

"You know that's why I love you, right?," I said as I gave him a light peck on the cheek and grabbed one of the sweets. "So you heard I got grounded?"

"Hard not to," he said as he joined me in my break and started to eat and drink too. "What did you do this time?"

"Nothing. You know how the world is cruelly unfair to me."

"Sure..."

"I just... suggested, in a very direct way, that... Lord Sanguinar was as boring and plain as his butt," I confessed my crime, making him chuckle.

"And I imagine someone heard it and told him," he said, chuckling, yet trying not to.

"There was no need for that. I said it to his face, anyway."

"Yeah, sure. Why bother being gentle and diplomatic?," he said, now laughing openly. "You got lucky you just got scolded with a demeaning task and not truly punished."

"I know. Like I said, he is boring," I answered, laughing too.

The conversation went on through silly subjects, flowing naturally. His laugh made my heart light and hopeful, and so we just stood there for a couple of minutes, enjoying ourselves, eating sweetrolls and drinking water, appreciating the devastated view of a shattered place. The arcane storm raged wildly above us, but at that place it was as natural as summer rain, and so we ignored it. We spotted some mana disturbances roaming at far distance, aimlessly, confused; but at that place they were as natural as rabbits hopping in the field, and so we ignored it. Since when did such unnatural things seem so normal to us? Since when did such chaotic and disturbed appearances seem ordinary?