healingbonds (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
healingbonds) wrote2020-08-05 06:01 pm
healingbonds) wrote2020-08-05 06:01 pm
Entry tags:
Prelude to the Festival and Pride | Chapter 5
Chapter 4 << | index | >> Chapter 6
Akira: (C... Cold...... I can’t breathe. I’m going to die......)
But my meaning doesn’t get through to Mithra.
Mithra: Oh, that’s good then...... I wonder where Oz went. It’d be great if he could stop this blizzard soon.
Oh right, I haven’t eaten breakfast. Have you?
Akira: (I... I’m going to pass out......)
Mithra: ......Somehow you’re not very talkative today. At least reply to me.
Mithra pulls my head up with apparent boredom and peers into my face.
His eyes widen with surprise as I gasp and shiver uncontrollably.
Mithra: ......Huh? Are you almost dead?
Mithra hurriedly pries open my mouth and throws in magic sugar.
Sweetness spreads through my mouth, pulling me back from the edge of my fading consciousness. Then, Mithra presses on my chest and chants a spell.
Mithra: << Arthim >>
My heart pounds, and my blood starts to circulate calmly again. Little by little, heat returns to my body, and it becomes easier to breathe.
Mithra holds me and pats my back; he grumbles, in a voice weakened with bewilderment and irritation.
Mithra: ......What a pain.......
I almost burst out laughing at his remark — even while on the brink of fainting.
I look at Mithra close-up, my eyelids half-closed. Mithra — usually insolent and fearless — knits his brows together, looking shaken.
He might be worried about me in his own way. That makes me happy.
Mithra: Oh dear...... What should I do next......? I can try turning him upside down and shaking him......
Akira: (......Please don’t......)
(Thunder)
Bradley: Sage......!
At Bradley’s voice, I lift my half-closed eyelids. The white snow obscures my vision like static, but I can see the figure of a tall man.
(Gunshots)
Bradley points his rifle towards the sky and fires. As he does, the blizzard subsides as if avoiding the area around him.
Finally, I manage to draw a breath. As soon as I sigh in relief, Bradley grabs my face.
He squishes my cheeks together, twisting my mouth to one side.
Bradley: Sage! You all right!?
Akira: (He’s worried about me, but the way he handles people is really rough......)
I try to say "I’m all right", but my voice won’t come out. My eyelashes are so frozen that I can’t even open my eyes.
Bradley seems to think I’ve fainted. I can feel his hair brushing near my mouth.
Bradley: ......Still breathing. He seems to have lost consciousness, but......
Mithra: I was surprised.
Bradley: You think that’ll get you off the hook!? What were you going to do if you killed the Sage!?
Mithra: I had no intention of killing him. I just thought I’d carry him along with me. Before Oz could snatch him away.
Bradley: Oz won’t snatch the the Sage away. It’s not like he knows about our plan.
Akira: (Plan......?)
Bradley: You’re going to stand out all the more if you act weird. Just be normal. Act normally.
Mithra: Weren’t we going to kidnap the Sage?
Akira: (Kidnap?)
Bradley: That won’t be until before sunset, right? You can just take your eyes off the Sage until then.
Mithra: But I’m concerned...... It’ll be the end for us if Oz steals him. I don’t trust you guys either.
Bradley: Look who’s talking: the same goes for both of us. Anyway, don’t pay any more attention to the Sage than you have to.
I listen to their conversation, my heart racing. Somehow, I feel like they’re talking about something really dangerous.
Akira: (What do they mean by kidnapping the Sage? Is that me? I...... Am I going to get kidnapped......?)
(Isn’t this really bad......?)
Then, I hear a new voice.
(Rustle)
Owen: The blizzard calmed down.
It’s Owen. I could’ve opened my eyes to confirm, but I continue to pretend I’ve fainted.
Owen: The wind stopped, and blue skies are starting to peek through. Seems like Oz’s magic is working.
Bradley: Are you for real? That’s insane...... How does he even do something like that?
Owen: The spirits, the mysterious principles, even the forces that establish the order of the world — everything bends to Oz.
Bradley: Well, I guess that’s no surprise. He’s been devouring mana stones and reigning over them for two thousand years. They’ve gotten into the habit of obeying him.
Mithra: That ends tonight. Let’s seal away that nuisance of a man.
Akira: (Huh?)
(Seal Oz away......?)
Mithra: Hm~m. This feels good. I almost feel like treating the < Great Catastrophe > to a meal; it gave Oz that bizarre injury, after all.
Akira: (They’re planning to wait until night falls, and seal Oz away while he can’t use magic.)
(What should I do? I have to tell someone......)
Owen: ......Oh?
Suddenly, the tone of Owen’s voice drops.
Out of nowhere, something touches my cheek. It’s hard, cold, and sharp — it feels like a fingernail.
Someone is peering at me at a close distance — so close that they’re almost touching the tips of my eyelashes.
A voice whispers into my ear.
Owen: ......You’re awake, aren’t you, Sir Sage.
Akira: (Eeeeek......)
My heart starts beating wildly, and I break out into cold sweat. I desperately keep up the pretense of being asleep.
Mithra: Are you awake? I’m glad that you regained consciousness.
Bradley: This is bad, you idiot. We’re in trouble if he heard us talking just now. Owen, test him out.
Owen: Okay. Which do you prefer: the painful method, or the painless method?
Something that feels like fingernails lightly claw at the tip of my nose.
Owen: Hey, Sir Sage...... I’m asking you a question. Your pinky finger, ears, or tongue: which one would you prefer?
Akira: (Eeeeek......!)
Chapter 4 << | index | >> Chapter 6
Akira: (C... Cold...... I can’t breathe. I’m going to die......)
But my meaning doesn’t get through to Mithra.
Mithra: Oh, that’s good then...... I wonder where Oz went. It’d be great if he could stop this blizzard soon.
Oh right, I haven’t eaten breakfast. Have you?
Akira: (I... I’m going to pass out......)
Mithra: ......Somehow you’re not very talkative today. At least reply to me.
Mithra pulls my head up with apparent boredom and peers into my face.
His eyes widen with surprise as I gasp and shiver uncontrollably.
Mithra: ......Huh? Are you almost dead?
Mithra hurriedly pries open my mouth and throws in magic sugar.
Sweetness spreads through my mouth, pulling me back from the edge of my fading consciousness. Then, Mithra presses on my chest and chants a spell.
Mithra: << Arthim >>
My heart pounds, and my blood starts to circulate calmly again. Little by little, heat returns to my body, and it becomes easier to breathe.
Mithra holds me and pats my back; he grumbles, in a voice weakened with bewilderment and irritation.
Mithra: ......What a pain.......
I almost burst out laughing at his remark — even while on the brink of fainting.
I look at Mithra close-up, my eyelids half-closed. Mithra — usually insolent and fearless — knits his brows together, looking shaken.
He might be worried about me in his own way. That makes me happy.
Mithra: Oh dear...... What should I do next......? I can try turning him upside down and shaking him......
Akira: (......Please don’t......)
(Thunder)
Bradley: Sage......!
At Bradley’s voice, I lift my half-closed eyelids. The white snow obscures my vision like static, but I can see the figure of a tall man.
(Gunshots)
Bradley points his rifle towards the sky and fires. As he does, the blizzard subsides as if avoiding the area around him.
Finally, I manage to draw a breath. As soon as I sigh in relief, Bradley grabs my face.
He squishes my cheeks together, twisting my mouth to one side.
Bradley: Sage! You all right!?
Akira: (He’s worried about me, but the way he handles people is really rough......)
I try to say "I’m all right", but my voice won’t come out. My eyelashes are so frozen that I can’t even open my eyes.
Bradley seems to think I’ve fainted. I can feel his hair brushing near my mouth.
Bradley: ......Still breathing. He seems to have lost consciousness, but......
Mithra: I was surprised.
Bradley: You think that’ll get you off the hook!? What were you going to do if you killed the Sage!?
Mithra: I had no intention of killing him. I just thought I’d carry him along with me. Before Oz could snatch him away.
Bradley: Oz won’t snatch the the Sage away. It’s not like he knows about our plan.
Akira: (Plan......?)
Bradley: You’re going to stand out all the more if you act weird. Just be normal. Act normally.
Mithra: Weren’t we going to kidnap the Sage?
Akira: (Kidnap?)
Bradley: That won’t be until before sunset, right? You can just take your eyes off the Sage until then.
Mithra: But I’m concerned...... It’ll be the end for us if Oz steals him. I don’t trust you guys either.
Bradley: Look who’s talking: the same goes for both of us. Anyway, don’t pay any more attention to the Sage than you have to.
I listen to their conversation, my heart racing. Somehow, I feel like they’re talking about something really dangerous.
Akira: (What do they mean by kidnapping the Sage? Is that me? I...... Am I going to get kidnapped......?)
(Isn’t this really bad......?)
Then, I hear a new voice.
(Rustle)
Owen: The blizzard calmed down.
It’s Owen. I could’ve opened my eyes to confirm, but I continue to pretend I’ve fainted.
Owen: The wind stopped, and blue skies are starting to peek through. Seems like Oz’s magic is working.
Bradley: Are you for real? That’s insane...... How does he even do something like that?
Owen: The spirits, the mysterious principles, even the forces that establish the order of the world — everything bends to Oz.
Bradley: Well, I guess that’s no surprise. He’s been devouring mana stones and reigning over them for two thousand years. They’ve gotten into the habit of obeying him.
Mithra: That ends tonight. Let’s seal away that nuisance of a man.
Akira: (Huh?)
(Seal Oz away......?)
Mithra: Hm~m. This feels good. I almost feel like treating the < Great Catastrophe > to a meal; it gave Oz that bizarre injury, after all.
Akira: (They’re planning to wait until night falls, and seal Oz away while he can’t use magic.)
(What should I do? I have to tell someone......)
Owen: ......Oh?
Suddenly, the tone of Owen’s voice drops.
Out of nowhere, something touches my cheek. It’s hard, cold, and sharp — it feels like a fingernail.
Someone is peering at me at a close distance — so close that they’re almost touching the tips of my eyelashes.
A voice whispers into my ear.
Owen: ......You’re awake, aren’t you, Sir Sage.
Akira: (Eeeeek......)
My heart starts beating wildly, and I break out into cold sweat. I desperately keep up the pretense of being asleep.
Mithra: Are you awake? I’m glad that you regained consciousness.
Bradley: This is bad, you idiot. We’re in trouble if he heard us talking just now. Owen, test him out.
Owen: Okay. Which do you prefer: the painful method, or the painless method?
Something that feels like fingernails lightly claw at the tip of my nose.
Owen: Hey, Sir Sage...... I’m asking you a question. Your pinky finger, ears, or tongue: which one would you prefer?
Akira: (Eeeeek......!)
Chapter 4 << | index | >> Chapter 6