Polemistés

Lotus & Strawberry Perfume?

Vincent;

7:45

I lay there for what felt like hours. Not knowing what to do, what had just happened? My eyes were shut tight, I physically couldn't open them.
I want to go home. I want to turn back time. How on Earth did my world just crumble in a matter of minutes?

Suddenly a soft smell fills my lungs. A sweet scent of Lotus flowers and Sweet Strawberries. As I feel something soft on my arm, something gentle and warm.. is that a hand? Slowly the pain I once felt in my arm stops and I begin to feel as if I was never stung in the first place.

As my eyes slowly open, they follow the scent of Lotus & Strawberry, leading them to a small figure crouched next to me, do they know I'm awake? I don't think so.
They look me up and down, with slight confusion in their gaze. Wait-wait is that a guy or a girl? I can't really tell.

As I examine the person more closely, I see their wavy, bright golden-honey hair with some strands falling gently upon their face, with the exception of a single lock of gold pulled back by two small hair clips which are united by a silver heart. As my gaze slowly lowers i notice they have freckles perfectly spread all across their face. Some crossing over a button nose, a few others above their right brow.

They're wearing a white buttoned shirt, the sleeves lazily rolled up to their elbows, with a soft pink jumper on top, accompanied by very tight black-waist pants and white heeled ankle boots. Slightly hidden under the collar of their shirt, I can spot a necklace. At the end it dangles what seems to be a crystal, that I've never seen in my life. It's not an emerald but it is electric green, with what I cannot decide is either hazel or pale amber cracks.

My gaze finally drifts to their eyes, an electric blue, almost fake-like even. The piercing colour doesn't seem natural, it doesn't seem as if it belongs to them-

"Dude, are you dead or what?" The figure bursts out, my anticipation for a sweet and soft voice is kind of crushed, as their voice is quite soft, yet slightly aggressive and raspy.
"W-what?" I stutter, finally sitting upright facing the crouched person beside me. A man, that's definitely a man, right?
"How stupid do you have to be to wonder around I Érimo Ton Neckrón by yourself?" He begins, with the most unamused expression I have ever seen. "And how idiotic do you have to be to get bitten by a ámpelos snake?!" He says agitated, face palming.

"A what?" I ask in confusion, He raises his brow at me, as if I just asked him what 2+2 was.
"An ámpelos snake, harmless little things." He says calmly whilst out of no where the creature from before slithers up to him, and begins to crawl around his arm. I jump to my feet in pure terror.
"Be careful-it's venomous!" I yell, as the man sits still the serpent slithers around his body, he doesn't flinch.

I kind of stare at him for a while admiring his inhumane beauty. When reality hits me once again, I remember where I am, why I'm there and sigh, pushing my dark brown hair out of my face and wiping away droplets of sweat.
"Thanks for healing my arm.." I say shyly rubbing the back of my neck. He stares at me for a while, brows furrowed as if he's trying to figure me out, as if I'm some sort of puzzle. He finally closes his eyes and lets out a small laugh, getting to his feet after allowing the snake to slither off his arm. "V-Vincent Bird," I stutter whilst hesitantly offering my hand to shake.

He stares at it for a while, he seems uncomfortable.
"I don't do physical contact." He shrugs. I stare at him for a while, he's around 5'5" maybe even 5'6" so I have to slightly tilt my head down to look at him as I'm 5'8". "Aren't you going to tell me your name?" I laugh awkwardly.
"You never asked for it," The stranger raises his brow. His eyes look around avoiding mine, finally he rolls them and looks directly into my eyes and sighs "I'm Aspen Wildfire," He shrugs.

Odd. He pronounced his last name with such distaste, as if it were an expired sweet he had just spat out. Unfortunately my over thinking is immediately interrupted, as I look into his inhuman-like eyes, He blinks repetitively and the once Electric and Wild Blue eyes turn into a different colour, or shall I say colours.

One eye turns electric green, bright and fierce as the other turns into a mixture of Hazel and pale amber, soft, warm and almost innocent in a way. The heterochromatic (that's what it's called right?) eyes look more natural than the electric blue, they seem right, they fit well. I tilt my head slightly, admiring them-

"Athánatoi have heterochromatic eyes. You'll know when you see them."

"Holy shIT!!" I scream jumping back "Y-You're one of them?!" I yell in anger, disgust even.
Aspen raises his brow at me and crosses his arms, kind of in a 'why are you like this' manner. "An Athánatoi?" He shrugs carelessly. "Yes! One of those-those monsters!" I scream shaking my head. Aspen frowns at me, clearly unamused.

"What makes you think I am a monster?" he shrugs "I healed you, and I haven't eaten you or anything. Relax!"
I take a moment to think.

"Wait-how did you heal my arm?!" I shriek suddenly clutching my left arm. Aspen does the biggest eye roll of the century accompanied by an irritated sigh.

"With my fucking voodoo magic, you little bitch!" He throws his hands in the air in defeat.
He sighs, as he recomposes himself (not really.) I go back to studying him.

In reality, he did have a point. He healed my arm and hasn't harmed me in any way, shape or form, But still-he is an Athánatoi how do I know I can trust an Athánatoi?

"Well since you're asking questions, I have a few myself," he grins mischievously, tilting his head slightly upward, raising his brow. "What's a kid like you doing in The Desert Of The Dead? Clearly not looking for any Athánatoi I suppose."

How do I do explain why I'm here? Hi my name is Vincent Bird and some random dudes just burned down my home aka the only place I've every lived aka my lowkey prison then my friends ditched me to get eaten by a ninja like snake and now I met you, so how's your day?

"Well," I start "I'm from a small village-Polemistés." Aspen gave me a blank stare whilst he clutched the crystal that hung from his neck close to his chest. "I think I've heard of that place, yeah. Small right?"
"Tiny." I nod "it was the Royal Spring Festival just 1 or 2 days ago," (I'm kind of lost as to what day it is, pro tip: don't get bitten by snakes cause it messes you up. Is that a pro tip?) "An army of Athánatoi came and destroyed everything, houses, shops, floats, people-you name it."

Aspen frowned, crossing his arms and taking a moment to think, his green eye looked even brighter than before, angrier even. Whilst his hazel (that's the colour we're going with for now because I'm still not too sure.) eye seemed sadder, the pupil even looked more dilated. It reminded me of the idea of having a little angel and devil on your left and right shoulder. Except they weren't devils and angels they were eyeballs.

"Me and some of my friends decided to try get to the Castle in Íroes and ask the princess for help, since there isn't much connection to Polemistés and the other towns and cities. And the princess didn't attend the parade..." my voice trails off, my friends. Funny how that changed. "Look man"-
"Girl."
"Sorry?"
"I said Girl, and it's girl until I say otherwise," Aspen raised an eyebrow at me. I stared at her blankly, making a mental note to punch myself later for being so stupid. Aspen waved her hand in front of my face snapping me out of thought. "I'm Genderfluid and Trans, not an alien, man. You do know what that is don't you, kid?"
"I do of course-"
"Great then if you have a problem, scram."
"I don't, sorry-"
"Good." Aspen pulled out a small bag I hadn't noticed until now, she pulled out a pair of aviator sunglasses with a rose gold boarder, and put them on before turning to me and smirking.

"You want to go to Íroes to find the princess right? Well congrats bud. You just gained a travel partner."