Malion: Royal Blood

Revelations

"What is he doing here?" Elliott spat.

"Look, he wanted to speak with you. He doesn't want to leave things on such bad terms." I explained, gesturing at Kaylum.

"You stabbed me then insulted me and have no doubt come her to jab at me again while I am vulnerable. Leave." He growled at Kaylum.

"Listen, Elliott. I am not the best at social interactions... when you lunged at me, I did what I thought was necessary. It was self defence. I deeply apologize for my uncalled for actions." He explained in a more than hushed tone, kneeling beside Elliott's cot with his head down.

"In my culture, this is not a sign of forgiveness, but I assume, that since you know very little about Aslantian and Osrocan cultures, that this is a part of Beneath Wanderer culture then." He sighed, struggling to sit up. He groaned as he lifed the sheet, only to find his torso bound once again.

"Why is the would open again? You attacked me weeks ago." He growled at Kaylum, who stared at Elliott with horror in his deep blue eyes.

"Decoda, may I interrupt this conflict to ask you something important?" Barbara asked me quietly. I nodded and told her I would meet her on deck shortly. I stepped into Elliott's room and helped Kaylum up.

"Elliott, I need you to listen very closely to Kaylum while I'm gone. I need to do something and I expect you to restrain your urges. Don't rip his throat out." I told him, stern eyes looking into his. He hesitantly and reluctantly nodded.

"Thank you, both of you." I said softly before leaving and joining Barbara on the deck, remembering that the two were hopefully still alive below me, not that Elliott was capable of hurting Kaylum in his current state anyway.

"Decoda, I need something important to lessen Elliott's... state..." she grumbled.

"What state?" I asked, slightly narrowing my eyes at her.

"He's been remotely cursed. That woman that he's been talking about - Abby, was it? - he suspects that she's done something to him. I need a specific plant that only grows atop Gerloss Mountain. Her curse needs to be neutralized quickly, so I need you to go now." The Experienced Doctor explained. I nodded.

"Make sure Elliott doesn't strangle Kaylum while I'm gone. I'm gonna go find Alex." I said and rushed off the deck. And back into the hull of the ship and into Elliott's room to find Kaylum hunched in the stool next to an unconscious Elliott.

"Can you watch over him while I'm gone?" I asked softly. He looked up at me with bewhildered eyes.

"What? Why? Where are you going?" He asked, a tone of horror lacing his voice. I explained to Kaylum what I was setting off to do and left him slightly more relieved as I hurried out of the ship and into the forest. Once under the cover of the canopy, I realised how hot my skin was in comparison to the shady air around me. I huffed, running heated fingers along my sweat laced forehead. The trees started to swim and swirl as I made my way towards Nathaniel's cottage. There was an uncomfortable dull pain just below my shoulderblades. Where my wings acting up again?

Regardless of how my wings were doing, I headed for the cottage with swirling vision. As soon as I got to the base of the small mountain, the blur vanished from my gaze and I made my way up stably. I walked into the cottage and headed up the ladder, only to find Alex's sachel next to the spot she usually slept. It looked fuller than usual. The thought of her leaving to Sanmar crossed my mind. That's a cross country journey... it would take her a few months at most. Just as I knelt fown and reached a hand towards her bag, I heard the rungs of the ladder creak.

"Decoda?" I heard Alex's voice as she approached me, "You doing ok?" She asked. I looked at her and smiled sadly.

"You're leaving to Sanmar soon, aren't you...?" I asked, my eyes flicked to the ground. She furrowed her eyebrows and stepped backwards.

"How did you know?" She asked breathlessly.

"Kaylum told me. I know what you want to do, and it's ok. I... I came looking for you because I need your help with something. Barbara asked me to find her a flower of some type up on Gerloss Mountain. Do you know where that is?" I asked. Her gaze softened.

"We'll talk about this later, ok? Gerloss is to the southeast, past the cottage. I assume she means the peak?" She asked. I nodded. She smiled and took two of the compartments out of her satchel, they were small bags in and of themselves.

"Those can stay here." She said, gesturing to those she set aside, "I need the rest of the space for these flowers." She chuckled.

We left a few minutes later and traveled for about two hours before we found ourselves at the rockey base of the mountain. It took us another eternity to get to the summit that curved, teetering over the ocean and the crashing waves far below. It was a lot farther than a 150 meter drop. The tiny patch of flowers grew on the edge where stone already fell into the ocean.

"I don't think it's a good idea to get those." I said. Alex eyed the curving stone and chuckled.

"I'll be fine, Princess. Watch, I'll get those flowers and we'll be on our way back." She said, sheathing her sword. As she made her way carefully crouching on the edge, she reached down in an awkward position.

"See? All good!" She reassured me with a glance in my direction, "I'll get these flowers and- W-Ah!" A short yelp escaped her as she slipped off the edge with a fist full of flowers. I shrieked her name and dove off after her. I grabbed her, hugging her close to me.

"What the hell are you doing, Decoda! We're going to die!" She shrieked.

"Come on, come on!" I chanted, willing my wings into existance. Fire surrounded me and I opened my wings, appearing almost stationary in mid air only about 20 meters from the water. Before I could move them, a horrid shot of pain ripped through my wing as I fealt it tear. I shrieked and whirled around as my wings deteriorated and hit the water first. A stabbing pain in my back hit me first, then another one in the back of my head, causing my vision to black out.