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 Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 1:35 pm
Presently Guinevere landed in front of the entrance to the Sanctum. "...Okay." she said, catching her breath. Her wings felt as if they were on fire. The entrance was just a bit ahead though, but Nikolai didn't look like he could walk. She winced. Leaning Nikolai up, she flattened her wings and hefted him onto her back. "Ooof!" Lifting him up, she was glad she was slightly older. As it was he was nearly as big as her. Wobbling, she started trudging towards the Sanctum. Her wings would never forgive her for this, it felt as if they had always hurt. But soon.. Ah! She reached the gate, but just looked at it.
Guinevere had never been to the Sanctum. She realized now that she was a Herald who did not know how to get there. Did she just... Wish it would let her in? She closed her eyes and wished hard, but she still felt like she was in the same place.
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 1:08 pm
The large stone was moss covered and in a state of disrepair; Nikolai hadn't been there since all the Heralds were summoned to the Sanctum and certainly hadn't been in the frame of mind to make it look pretty. With Nikolai in a state of unconsciousness he wasn't exactly able to give any hints to shed some light on the situation.
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 1:21 pm
Guinevere carefully shifted Nikolai and crawled on top of the stone. She pulled some of the moss off it, pouding it with her fists. "Open up." she insisted, frustrated. "Please open up." The stone did not cooperate. She pounded harder, till her fists hurt, her voice rising. "Nikolai needs help! Open up, open up!" She bit her lip and looked at Nikolai. "Hang in there..." She couldn't let him down. "Open sesame! Abracadabra! Alakazam!" She kept pounding at the stone. "Let... me... IN!"
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 3:33 pm
An arm slipped from around Guin's neck and touched the smooth stone. The second it did a blinding light came from the stone, and the pair would find themselves hurled through whatever fabric of space or time it took to wind up in the grassy fields of the Sactum. Surrounded by the ruins, Nikolai lay strewn atop a patch of purple heather-- decidedly a soft landing spot compared to the rocky outcroppings jutting from the earth around them. He seemed to be breathing just fine, but his fever had remained a constant reminder of his physical health.
Groaning quietly, the boy strained to open his eyes as he started to come around. This place was so much warmer that it made him shiver at the change of climate. "Guin...?" He whispered, fearful something had happened to her. His body felt like it was made of lead, and he wouldn't be able to get up to look for where she had ended up.
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 4:18 pm
Guinevere looked up blearily. Nikolai was still on top of her, and she wiggled out from underneath the boy with an "Ow, ow, ow..." Looking around, she frowned. She had heard the Sanctum had changed, though she hadn't seen what it looked like in the first place. There were supposed to be cities here now. Would there be a place with someone who knew what to do? They appeared to be in a grassy area though. She supposed there wasn't going to be much help lurking in the grass.
She heard him call out to her and scrambled to sit facing him, not wanting him to know she had been to any trouble to get him to the Sanctum. She didn't want to worry him. "Yes?" she asked somewhat more perkily than usual, in an effort to convince him everything was fine. She winced at the sound of her voice, and revised her tone to something less sickeningly cheerful. "Er, yes?"
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 6:02 pm
A very weak smile graced Nikolai's face when he saw she was all right, and they were both safe from the winter's harshness in the haven of the Sanctum. Resting his head on the heather Nikolai held that smile even as he closed his eyes and felt a little of his strength start to return. Reaching out, he took hold of Guinevere's hand and held it tightly in gratitude he could not express with words. Now he could recooperate without his guilt weighing on him, no longer having to wonder when Jade would step through the door and sending his mind reeling back into questioning thoughts of his past life. Hair sticking to his sweaty face, Nikolai could begin to feel his fever trying to break while his mind drifted off into peaceful thoughts.
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 6:27 pm
Guinevere made an attempt to smooth out Nikolai's hair while he relaxed. She didn't think anyone had ever made her more worried about them in her entire life, even Aaron since she had really been too young to understand then. She felt a bit affronted at this. Who did Nikolai think he was, making her so concerned about him?
She looked down at him indignantly, but a smile suffused across her face, slow like sunshine. She laid down next to him. She could wait for him to wake up to be indignant and ask him what was going on and whether he knew his way around the Sanctum. She didn't feel she should ask him what he saw. If she needed to know, he would tell her. She had been flying a long way and carrying him for most of it. Bruised and tired, she closed her eyes. A little nap wouldn't hurt for mow, in a safe haven like this.
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 7:24 pm
While he slept Nikolai didn't let go of Guinevere's hand. It was as if he drew strength and comfort from the closeness of his companion even while wrapped in a blanket of dreams. By the time Nikolai's prism-like eyes opened again they were beneath a black veil of stars. Wiping the sweat from his face with his pajama sleeve, Nikolai carefully managed to sit up and took a good look at their surroundings and the sleeping Herald beside him. Smiling at Guinevere, Nikolai didn't know what words there were to thank someone for helping him as she had. Yes, he knew better than anyone that words could hurt, but when it came to using them for this.... he was simply at a loss.
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 7:38 pm
Guinevere's eyes fluttered as Nikolai moved next to her. Slowly, she got up until she was sitting too. She opened her mouth to say something to him, then closed it. The night was too serene for words, she decided. She would rather just sit next to her friend and take a moment to relax, taking comfort in his presence next to her.
This was rare. Guinevere was quite an opinionated young lady, and took opportunities to prove it whenever she got them. But the moment was just so... nice. She didn't want to ruin it.
She also wanted to give Nikolai the chance to talk first. Nikolai was different from her. She felt if she talked too much she'd drown him out.
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 8:10 pm
Bowing his head a moment in embaressment, it seemed Nikolai's warm cheeks turned a shade brighter. Tentatively he released her hand he only just realized he'd still been holding before lifting his eyes up to meet Guin's once again. White hair fell in his eyes, and the glitter of stardust that clung to his hair made the boy's multi-colored eyes shine. Why his heart was pounding when his fever had nearly disappeared? Clearing his throat, Nikolai turned to look beside him at the pretty heather flowers and plucked a few from the ground before holding them timidly before Guin. "I...." The boy's face reddened and he lowered his eyes as he held the flowers out for her to take.
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 8:29 pm
Nikolai's discomfort was contagious. Guinevere felt a blush creep over her cheeks and she took the flowers without looking at him. "...Thanks." she said, and to prove she meant it, she glanced back at him to flash him a smile. She put the flowers in her hair, on the basis that they'd wilt in the pockets of her heavy coat. She looked at her feet for a moment, then looked back at Nikolai. He was still in his pyjamas.
She started to laugh. It was all she could do. She and he had just snuck out of Nikolai's home, gone to a strange and seemingly insignificant place where one of them had had a fit, then the other had flown farther than she had in her life, AND she had been carrying someone at the same time, and now they were in a place no human could go. Nikolai had just nearly DIED. And what was she doing? Putting flowers in her hairs. It was just too ridiculous for words. "I-I'm sorry..." she said finally. "I'm not laughing at you. I-I'm not, I..." She burst out into laughter again. "I'm laughing at this." Guinevere gestured at everything around them. "I think... I think I'm stilll tired." she said, leaning back and looking up at the sky. "It's been a busy day."
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 8:37 pm
When Guin began to bubble over with giggles and laughter Nikolai began to feel mirth dancing in his belly until he too was in a fit of childish giggles. This wasn't a sound even Jade had heard before in such a pure tone of voice. Nodding his head to what she said, Nikolai lifted a hand to wipe a tear from his eye and smile at Guinevere. Trying his best to capture the butterflies in his stomach the boy met Guin's eyes and licked his lips as if to coax out the words. "You saved me... how... how can I thank you?" Such a long sentance for him seemed to take it's toll on the boy's confidence; he quieted quickly after even though he was still smiling for his friend.
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 8:46 pm
Guinevere looked surprised he had said so much, and even more surprised at what it was he HAD said. "You don't need to thank me." she told him. "That's what friends do." She sat crosslegged on the grass, plucking at the green blades. "You really had me worried, you know?" she told him quietly, looking at her hands for a moment. "Are you okay now?" He seemed all right, but she wanted to make sure. She felt they should be looking for a professional. The thought of Nikolai getting harmed made her insides feel funny. Plus Jade would never forgive her.
Come to think of it, Jade would probably never forgive her anyway. But Nikolai had felt he had to do it. She didn't want Nikolai to get in trouble for something that had been so important to him. Maybe if she could convince Jade it was her fault, that she had told Nikolai to come outside with her...
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 9:45 pm
Nodding his head to her question, Nikolai didn't feel like saying much else. The picture frame he'd had before was left back at the old water tower, and with nothing to remind him of 'home' but the clothes on his back he felt more at ease in the ruins. Moving to lean against one of the moss-covered rocks, Nikolai turned to smile for Guinevere.
He didn't understand why, but his heart was still beating quickly in his chest. Maybe his fever wasn't entirely gone yet? But that didn't explain the smile stuck on his face when he looked at Guinevere.
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 9:58 pm
It looked like Nikolai wasn't going to say anything else, but he seemed to be all right. Guinevere left out a sigh of relief. "Kotatsu will wonder where I'm gone." she said somewhat indifferently. Kotatsu often wondered where she'd gone. Guinevere tended to wander around town on her own when she needed a break from the scatterbrained guardian, and the two got along best when they were at an arm's length from each other. Guinevere couldn't stand being reminded that she had been left behind by Aaron and Kotatsu got so nervous when she had to be responsible that she did things like try to cook. And everyone who had tried Kotatsu's cooking never wanted to again. So their strange relationship worked out and despite being lectured on manners and such every now and then, Guinevere had a fairly easygoing lifestyle. Kotatsu would be fine.
Nikolai was still smiling at her, and Guinevere reached out for his hand again. The Sanctum made her feel drowsy, at ease with herself. She felt for once she could forget Aaron and Lady Vincira and the ghosts of her past. As long as Nikolai was here with her and the stars were bright and the night was mild she could relax. She looked up at the stars. Nikolai's sacrifice had had something to do with stars and she wondered if one's sacrifice changed how one saw the world. Did the bloody scissors in her soul give her a sharp tongue? How did they change her? She looked over at Nikolai. He seemed to want to know the same things, to find out about Heralds. Sometimes she could see his point. What did they really KNOW about themselves? "I wonder what we'll find out." she muttered. "About us, I mean." Her fingers traced a pattern on her leg. "I wonder what sort of message I..." she trailed off, thinking about the sort of people she had attracted and the sacrifice she had received.
Maybe she didn't want to know after all.
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