Precious Possession (OC x Kollector) - MK11

chapter 33 - swollen

             Kalliste managed to find a boat manageable to travel on seas. Now, she remembered the way to Shang Tsung's island and all feelings about it just felt hollow and hollow. It seemed almost ages ago when she last arrived.

The sea waves slightly felt nauseating for her, but her mind pondered on Kollector who sat empty and bare. He no longer carries his satchel, his little set of arms flung out. Kalliste felt a bit worried about their arrival at their destination. What sort of mission did Mileena even attend to? All questions overcame her but she brushed it all off - the dark sea filled her mind with emptiness.

Kollector's gaze followed the waves as he began to gleam at Kalliste; looking into the mist upon an unknown abyss of the world.

"...You now speak from your tongue?" Kollector asked out from the blue. Kalliste slowly turned her head at him.

"...Yes. I don't know the cause... maybe... when Kotal..." Her words trailed off quietly as her brain was being filled with thoughts and questions. Kollector was uninterested in her little prattle, instead his face went soft as another notion entered his mind.

He gave an uneasy and "sincere" smile but it quickly dropped as he felt uncomfortable holding it on his face. "Kalliste." He called out. She laid her eyes on him and bitterly waited for his comment.

"...Perhaps I should... give my gratitude for you. No other soul would... ever ... —care to free me..." His words stammered, stumbling with uneasiness, he lacked eye contact with Kalliste.

"...Well... I had to know if you were still even alive. ...You're crucial to the Empress."

"Did the empress ask you to come for me...?" Kollector asked. Kalliste scoffed but stopped immediately as she became more delicate with her next answer.

"No. Mileena ordered me not to... I choose to save you because I care for you." Kalliste bit her lip. The intensity of her words made her heat up abruptly. But her heartfelt so soft and it slowly melted into amity. She stopped rowing the boat and crawled her way to Kollector. Kalliste hesitated a bit, her hand slowly planting against his chest; Kollector's vermillion eyes widened with bewilderment and diffident. He raised his chest as he inched a bit further away from her, but he didn't seem to be entirely hostile by this closer interaction.

She began to wrap her arms around her thick neck, her hands collided with his upper side of arms. Kal swore she could feel a bit of resistance in this embrace but his movement slowly fell leisurely. The blood from inside his flesh was warm, heating his skin, and his breath was sharp and curling. Kalliste felt truly content by this clasp. His hands lightly hovered over her waist - without effort but the closeness fell short. Finally, they released touch, and the mellowness in Kal's peculiar eyes gave an endearing feeling in Kollector; a feeling he never felt before.

"Are you feeling alright now...?" Kalliste asked, delicately drifting her eyes elsewhere. No answer came from him as Kollector shifted in front of her, proceeding to row the boat himself.

—-

Upon arrival, there were many boats near the shore, but that didn't interest them. There were piles of dead, torn bodies near the shoreline and a huge pile of insects and bugs, blue blood...? A couple of moving souls began to carry bodies into the deeper forest. As the boat finally reached the shorelines, Kalliste hurriedly stepped onto the sandy grounds.

"Where would the Empress be...?" Kalliste said. Kollector shrugged as they began to hear footsteps shuffling against the sands.

Suddenly a group of Red Dragons came from the trees, wielding their weapons as they violently charge towards them. Kollector managed to swipe a couple of them off their feet, his strength seemed to return. Only a few were defeated as they both continue to venture onto the island.