The Arcana: Fragments

III: You Can't Go

Muriel x Reader

By the time I stopped running I could barely catch my breath. None of this was supposed to happen, none of this. Asra ran after me once I stormed out of the shop, but despite his calls and pleas for me to stop, I couldn't bring myself to do so. I couldn't stand to see his face, hear his voice, nor be in the same room with him. He had broken me, condemned me, and that was something I just couldn't forgive. I had run all the way till I found myself in the forest, on the other half of the river that had flowed through Vesuvia. The knapsack on my shoulder was soaking wet now, surely all of my belongings were now ruined. I found a slight shelter under a thick canopy of trees, I walked a little further until I came upon a hill that provided an excellent view of the city. The streets were lit with a dim orange hue of firelight, the palace aglow with life. In the back of my mind I remembered a ball was taking place tonight, if I listened close enough, I could hear the beat of the drums. I sighed, tears streaming down my face. I can't stay here. I won't. I remember the village Asra took me to past his sanctuary, I could head there and ask the big beast to take me the rest of the, though if I needed I could stay in Asras cottage for the night. God I can't believe i planned that so quickly, and I can't believe it could work out so smoothly. I really am leaving this place, and what's worse, I really could do it. All cities could use a magicians shop, I could be a helpful addition to the field. Asra taught me enough to be able to aid the citizens around me, it could work. I fall to my knees, overwhelmed.

That's when I hear it, the branches, clicking and snapping under the weight of it. It doesn't take me long to realize what...who it is. It sensed me, it found me. My heart drops to my stomach as I freeze. The goat, the damned goat. Lucio.

"Y/n" it hissed into the night air.

A wave of realization comes over me so smoothly it's smile inducing. No, I was never meant to leave Vesuvia. I died here once, I am meant to die here again. Shrugging my knapsack off my shoulders I gaze out over the city, my eyes glazing over in contempt. I am ready. The sound of it moving closer to me fills my ears. "I can taste you y/n".

To move things along quicker, I pout my lips out and let out a long, high whistle. Behind me I hear Lucio pause as he hears me and shifts direction, making a beeline for my position. "There you areee.."

I smile wider as tears fill my eyes," Here I am".

The brush behind me tears open as I hear Lucio straight behind me, his breathing quick and heavy from running. I feel a single long, black nail stroke down the length of my back as I begin to close my eyes.

The silence in the air breaks to the sound of his arm swinging high into the air, poised to be brought down with extreme force, it makes me gasp, but I hold my position. My hearing fades out as I prepare for what happens next, I'm focusing hard enough to where I hear the beating of drums off in the distance from the palace.

I wait for it to happen, until it doesn't. I wait a few seconds longer, but nothing has happened. Curious, I reach my hand over my shoulders and check for anything, blood, missing limbs, and yet there's nothing. My senses begin coming back to me and I take the chance to look back. And then I see him, Muriel, wrestling Lucio into the ground. I can hardly process what I'm seeing, the moonlight shines brightly so I am able to make out the flying dirt and white fur leaving Lucios body as Muriel rains down punches upon the beast.

I stand up frantically as I watch the two until I finally realize I have a chance to help out as well. Suddenly, Lucio tangles Muriel's cloak into his fist and throws him into the trunk of a nearby tree. It's hard to not hear a crack of bone emanate from Muriel's body as he makes contact. I whimper at the sound and soon fluster with rage. I hurriedly fumble with the belt at my waist and pull out the unimpressive dagger that hangs to my side. I was never meant to use this, it's hardly sharp enough to cause harm, still I agree to try. Making a running start I jump off of an exposed branch into the night air, the moon shines off of the white fur on Lucios back as he's turned away from me, waiting for Muriel to rise. My weight pauses mid air as I bring the blade up over my head, my body begins falling back down as I'm perfectly within target.

Letting out a cry of fear and anger I bring the blade down as hard as I can. My fingertips flush with magic energy as the steel breaks through Lucios fur and skin, his cry fills the air in a shrill howl of pain. He rises to his feet quickly and I slip from the grasp of my blades handle, leaving it impaled into his spine. He runs off, defeated. It takes everything in me to not begin crying again, overcome with emotion.

Coming down from the high of the moment my attention immediately goes to Muriel, who is now standing across from me looking more somber than ever. "You didn't kill him", he states sadly.

I scoff," Gee, my bad, it's not like I didn't just save your ass or anything".

His eyes widened at my tone then went dark with rage," Actually I believe i was the one originally doing that. You should be dead."

"And you should be grateful", I spat back.

He growls something under his breath as I pick up my bag back over my shoulder. "Goodbye Muriel", I say as I begin walking on. "Goodbye?", he asks. Inanna came from out of the darkness in front of me, body held upright and foreboding.

She won't let me leave, I realize.

"Yes, I'm leaving Vesuvia."

"Does Asra know?"

"Asra doesn't own me. I don't need to tell him everything and likewise you shouldn't report everything that concerns me to him like some dog."

Inanna growls low at my comment, teeth barely showing. I back up from her cautiously.

"I never said I was going to tell Asra", he argued.

"But you will, like always. I may not always know you or remember what we were in the past, but I know enough about you to know that anything and everything that concerns me will always find a way back to Asra. And it's all thanks to you."

Muriel looks hurt by my comment, but he quickly recovers.

"You can't go", he says," I won't let you".

"Oh yeah? Try to stop me", I huff as I begin moving again.

To my dismay, I am stopped by an invisible force wall that glows green as I face plant directly into it. I curse Muriel and his protection charms as I stand up, my head hurting.

"I just did".

He comes towards me and lifts me over his shoulder, and despite my punches and kicks, he carries me down the hill and slowly back into the thicket of the forest. I give up after a while and soon we find our way back to his hut. He locks the door behind him as he sets me down.

"I've thought about it", he states. I say nothing, too angry to talk.

"I can't stop you, I tried this time, and it worked. But you'll try again, as I know you will. So, if you're leaving Vesuvia, I guess I'll just have to go with you."

I raise a brow at him," And Asra?" I stand and walk up to him. He takes a small step back, unsure of how to handle me this close to him.

"Guess I'm no longer his dog anymore".

My chest pangs in guilt as I remember my comment. "I'm sorry I called you that. You two are friends..it wasn't my place to say anything. Still, I think I can handle this on my own."

"You probably could. But you have no fighting skills, and you no longer have a blade. Vesuvia can last without me being here, Asra can last without me being here. You, though, you need all the help you can get."

"How are you so sure about all of this? How do I know you aren't just tricking me and as soon as I close my eyes I'll wake up in my bed back at the shop?"

He pauses for a moment, thinking. "Because I...I care about you".

My eyes search through his for any hint of a lie. I find none. "So...you really want to do this? For me? With me?"

He nods and glances over at Inanna who is calmly watching us both from her corner of furs.

I grin and slowly come closer to him before bringing him gently into my arms.

For a moment he just stands there frozen, until he finally bends down lower to reach my frame and gingerly wraps his arms around my waist. I take in his scent of soil and wet rocks and relax at his touch. I feel at ease around him, I feel better about my decision to leave knowing he is going to be by my side now. Things just feel right.

"We leave at dawn?", he asks.

"We leave at dawn".

[05.05.2019]