The Anima [completed]

22.

22.

Some mornings, I would find it difficult to wake. Tucked warmly into layers of sheets, my perfect cocoon was too comfortable to leave hastily. I would sometimes spend an extra hour or so in bed, listening to the waking world around me; the chirping of the small birds, the rustling of the trees, and the meowing of my sisters cat, but would ignore each time something called me from the constraints of my warmth. It was one of my greatest pleasures, a luxury I did not understand until I woke with a stiff neck, a kink in my shoulder, and shivers running down my neck. I had slept outside and was warmed by Beast as I fell to sleep, but I suspected I had slept for many hours alone on the cold dirt. The creature was nowhere in sight as I groggily sat up and observed the still forest around me. There was sound from within the cabin, but I suspected none of the Fae had awoken quiet yet.

From a the singular kitchen window I observed the swishing hair of The Anima, falling like dripping ink off her shoulders. She had finally dressed, but it was in clothes no larger than normal underwear, and the majority of her inky skin was still on full display. She turned from the stove and as if sensing my gaze she stared at my form on the grass. I rose to my feet quickly, somehow feeling like I had been disrespectful by allowing myself the luxury of sleeping in such a beautiful place, even though my body was being punished for it.

When her golden eyes left mine and she continued to work the stove, I rolled my shoulders back, but simply inflamed the tissue further. I hissed and clutched my arm to my body, but it continued to feel like Lucius' spindly fingers had grabbed a hold of the flesh between my collar bone and back and pinched it tight with his fingers. Picturing it did nothing for my morning grumpiness, fuelling my partial anger at being left to sleep in the cold as the Gryphon did God only knows.

I thought about it, then laughed. I didn't know where Beast was, but I could know. I opened my stubborn mind and reached out roughly, not as delicate as I was when I was full of food and focused. I found him quickly, perched upon a high rock more than fifty miles away, ripping apart what was left of an animal, it's shredded remains hard to identify. I accidentally slipped further into his mind, and began to taste blood.

I spat onto the grass and gaged.

"Gross!" I yelled out loud, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

"Mmm, maybe to you. But then maybe you shouldn't be so far into my head little human." The Gryphon grumbled over our bond.

I wasn't mad at his food options, but I was becoming increasingly grumpy about my shoulder. I pushed my pain over to him through our bond and he hissed at me.

"Yeah! Maybe you shouldn't leave me lying on the ground!" I grumbled, but noted how sharing the pain had actually made it lessen. I dropped my arm to my side and noted that I could squeeze my hand without pain.

"Someone's not a morning person." He grumbled back, and then reached out to my shoulder through our bond. It felt as if he was massaging the kink out, even though he neither had hands nor was in a close proximity to my body. I sighed in relief as the pain dissipated to our shared connection.

"I just don't like to wake in pain, that is all." I muttered and began to stretch. I still remained in the dress Alvar had glamoured black. I knew I must ask for a change of costume, becoming increasingly uncomfortable and smelly.

"How did you sleep?" I asked Beast once my temper had calmed.

"Fine. But I am not used to sleeping in large chunks. Four hours twice or three times a day is what I am used to." He replied, still pulling chunks out of the carcass.

"So," I clapped my hands together and began to stretch my arms above my head, "did you hear everything The Anima said last night? About us going to the Shadow Plane?"