Lunar Twins (Zeldris x OC) (Escanor x OC)

Part 29

Estarossa raised an eyebrow and pulled his brother aside.

"You're going off-planet?"

"It's a diplomatic mission. If all goes well, we might wind up with a technological advantage that could easily win us the war."

"You're visiting the aliens' planet?"

"Yes. Her species is capable of interplanetary travel. Surely their weapons are just as advanced as the rest of their technology."

"Isn't that cheating?" Estarossa teased.

"Are you asking me that in earnest?"

Estarossa smirked but didn't answer. He clasped Zeldris' forearm and Zeldris returned the gesture.

"Safe travels, brother."
"Good luck."

The other commandments chattered as Zeldris made his way back to the mountain. It was still light out, but he doubted he had anywhere else he needed to be. He picked off a couple of human souls along the way to give himself a small reserve of magic to draw from should he have need of it, and paused near a stream.

Fragrant water lilies dotted the shoreline. Zeldris thought of Mera. Mars had no flowers.

One of the now-statuesque soulless humans had been carrying a large earthenware jug. Zeldris took it from the human's hands and set it down by the shore after filling the bottom with the silty sludge from the bottom of the stream.

With no one around to see him naked, Zeldris stripped down and waded into the cool water. He paused for a moment and let himself relax for once, sinking under the water and lazily paddling around. The sun's rays made a soothing and moving pattern of light when they struck the riverbed. A large pike spotted him, turned tail, and swam away at top speed. He wasn't surprised by the actions of the fish.

Zeldris dove under a patch of water lilies and dug up the roots, the carefully guided the plants to the shore to place them in the jug. He covered the roots with more mud and filled the rest of the jug with water. Since the sun was still up, Zeldris decided to go back into the stream and float. At least then he'd smell clean.