Mage X Orc Chapter 9: Wilderness

After the third night in the Green Nickolas was ready to tear his ears off.

The moment the dim rays of sun stopped peering through the upper canopy the once quiet forest erupted with sound. Birds flapped, bugs buzzed, furry things screamed. All of it new to the human Mage, protected in a small hollow chamber in the side of a great tree high above the forest floor.

His first night was misery. The stress of the day crashed down on him in a single blow once he shut his eyes. It left him clutching his lover's side for comfort, wrapping his dirty robe around himself as he tried in vain to sleep. A state far from the sensual promises he had previously made. Every sudden noise, or unexpected creak of the Giant they hid within woke him fully. Even when he felt his lids grow heavy, his body demanding rest coupling with the magical strain from earlier, he could barely shut them for a heartbeat before a noise would send them flying back open.

Morning saw him blearily staring at the snoring body of Necun, eyes bloodshot, mind too tired for envy.

He still kicked the sleeping orc awake.

Just not out of envy.

That's what he told himself.

The day that followed largely consisted of him clutching his wife's broad shoulders like a child while she leapt and swung through the Green with ease. Nickolas was rarely jealous of women. He had no desire to emulate the Knights and their auras. However, seeing how easily Necun swung through the greenery. The speed at which she navigated the Green's terrain. How her precise movements catapulted her through the air without fear or hesitation. It sparked a twinge of jealousy Nickolas hadn't known he possessed.

This was quickly tamped down when he remembered his wife was unable to manipulate even the simplest of runes, and he returned to mildly pitying all women everywhere.

He wondered if he could form a rune series that could let him leap like she did so casually.

Preferably without breaking his spine.

His second night in the Green had been marginally less tortuous. Necun had selected a place higher up on a tree, stretching out in the open on a flat part of a giant branch. He had quietly noted the trees seemed taller here. Taller than he had expected, and those expectations continued to grow. She had replied with a look he couldn't quite decipher, but at that point he was half delirious from lack of sleep.

That night, in the open air, latched to his lover's warm side, he finally found sleep.

A few bells later he was woken by a sprinkling of rain, and proceeded to curse every ancestor he could name.

Necun hadn't even woken to his horror, nor did he dare wake her up. He needed her rested to travel the next day. The last thing he wanted was to be stuck another night in the open because she didn't get enough sleep to travel through the day.

Instead he snuggled up extra close in the hopes she could shield him from the rain. This failed, as he merely got the excess water running off the women's armor in rivulets, soaking his robes further. The one thing that prevented him from lighting a fire rune right there, and damning the consequences, was that the water was warm, nearly hot to the touch. Combined with Necun's warm aura he could almost pretend it was a bath, which he desperately needed.

Necun's sheepish apology that morning hadn't helped. Drying his clothes out with water manipulation runes had slightly, but his mood was still soured for the rest of the day.

Furthermore his exhaustion was starting to slow them down. At the beginning of their journey together he clung to the Hunter's back easily enough, needing to rest his arms less than a dozen times that day. On day three he needed to rest after every third jump. His hands were swollen, just at the edge of bleeding in places where he scraped against rough parts of her armor. On his chest his robes had chaffed against the movement, leaving him miserable.

He had tried to keep silent about most of it. Pretending his arms were simply tired, or that the lack of sleep meant he needed breaks to focus.

That was halfway true in any case.

Necun had discovered the state of his arms when they stopped to eat a bite of meat before sleeping, and she saw his skin in the dying light. The orc hadn't said a word, her eyes merely widening as she grasped Nickolas's wrists.

As he stood there, discomfort growing, the orc woman had examined his skin, following the marks up his arms. Eventually she had stripped off the top of his robe, just to see the extent. Her only reaction was to bear her teeth, and release a few harsh breaths. Then she had let him re-dress, and they crawled into the small hollow she had found for the night without a word.

Laying beside his lover, Nickolas wondered if he had made a mistake. Then he decided it hardly mattered at the moment so long as he could get even an wink of sleep.

Insects started screaming in the branches around them a heartbeat later.

He wanted to burn everything for a league around.

------------------------------

Stupid stupid stupid. Necun raved in her mind. How could I have been so stupid. He's not a wounded Hunter. He has no aura. The first few jumps were fine, but...

Necun's hand clenched hard. Blood welled under her nails

He has such pretty soft skin, and I've been treating him like a sack of grain. she thought. He's out here in the cold, and the rain. It's his first time without a roof, and now he doesn't even have a blanket to sleep on. He's miserable, and I shot my mouth off about showing him beauty like a fool.

On the first day Necun had enjoyed traveling alone with her bond. Having the Mage ride on her back was a surprisingly intimate sensation as she flew through the beauty of the untamed Green. She knew he wouldn't see the Green in quite the same way, but she hoped he would at least glimpse it's beauty.

Now she was lying awake, eyes shut to avoid worrying her bond, trying to drown her thoughts in the buzzing of the insects around her.

Nickolas jabbed her in the side with an elbow. Necun let out a steady breath, shuffling slightly to the side to give him more room. The next jab felt less incidental.

"Necun." her bond whispered. "Neeeecuuuuun."

She rolled on her side, eyes cracking open.

"We shouldn't talk." she whispered back, staring at the adorable face of her bond. "Not safe."

"Every insect for a league is screaming it's tiny head off." Nickolas retorted. "I highly doubt any beast can pick us out."

"There are differences." the Hunter replied. "Some of the bigger beasts don't even hear the little noises."

Her throat was raspy from days without use, and her heart wasn't in the response.

Getting killed by a night beast doesn't sound terrible right now. Necun thought dramatically. At least I could do my job without hurting Nickolas.

"Well let's make this brief then." Nickolas said. "How far are we from meeting up with the caravan?"

Necun paused while she measured in her head.

"Not sure." she eventually admitted. "We're either headed for the fourth campsite or the sixth."

"You don't know?" he asked. "Shouldn't you know that?"

"It's complicated." Necun responded carefully. "Finding the path again is hopeless. I've been using aura markers to guide us back to a campsite. I know it's past the first few, no point in going to those if we'll just be marching behind the caravan. So I aimed ahead and took a straight path. It shouldn't be the fifth, the terrains all wrong for that. So it's the fourth or sixth."

"How many more days then?" Nikcolas asked, sounding fragile.

For the first time Necun noted just how red his eyes were.

"I-tomorrow." she said hurriedly. "I can carry you so you're skin won't. Well."

Her bond sagged in relief, and it set in just how exhausted he must have been.

"Thank you Necun, I...I appreciate what you're doing for me." he said, shutting his eyes and pulling closer. "I know it's not easy being away from your squad."

"Don't worry about it." Necun responded reflexively. "Getting lost is half of a Hunter's job. Remember we lost a whole pod at the start of all this. I'm just....you're hurt because of me. And-"

Necun was silenced by Nickolas's finger on her lips. For a moment her thoughts came to a crashing halt as she listened for the threat Nickolas had detected. Then she realized his bloodshot eyes were more amused than panicked.

"Shush." he whispered. "We'll discuss it when we're safe. Just get up back."

He leaned forward, and his parched lips met hers.

"I trust you." Nickolas said, before rolling over.

Necun stared at his back for longer than she wanted to admit before falling asleep.

----------------------------

In the end Nickolas clutched Necun's back the same as the previous days. Necun had looked unhappy about it, the truth was he wasn't thrilled about it either, but he couldn't come up with a reasonable alternative. His skin was rubbed raw again, and he hoped they were headed for the sixth campsite so he would have time to cover it up before the others caught up with them.

However, weighing that against sleeping in a cart with a change of clothes, and food that wasn't nuts or berries Necun picked up as they traveled, it was worth the discomfort. The one bit of luck was that he could mimic the effect of a spring stone well enough to keep them both clean. Another bit of luck was that he managed to conceal his blush while he washed off her muscular body with summoned water. The refreshing almost bath combined with getting close to a full nights sleep had improved his mood significantly.

Despite the discomfort of his situation he was starting to understand what Necun meant by the beauty of the Green. Beyond the trees that grew so high that his mind struggled to process them the softly lit forest was a wealth of sights. Gone were the sparse ferns, and clumps of bushes amongst the tangled roots. Instead vast patches of green and brown tangled together in swathes, broken up only by even thicker roots intruding. Nickolas couldn't even spot a patch of bare earth, and mused how the carts were able to travel at all in these conditions.

They must use the roots themselves like a road. he realized suddenly while resting on a branch. They're thick enough, and the wheels on the cart could get enough traction. Moving from root to root would be the main problem, but you could travel for over a league before changing. With how they cut new parts for the carts I wouldn't be surprised if they even built temporary bridges between roots as they went.

With his curiosity peaked, his mind fell into ideas for using runes, or artifacts to improve the process. He understood now why they didn't enchant the carts themselves. With dangers like the swarm on the prowl they had to be considered disposable. Artifacts were the obvious solution, carried by the caravan staff, and used when needed.

The issue was with size. For a stable artifact made from a tool small enough to carry the effect couldn't be that large. Carrying carts on a solid platform of wind wouldn't do. Neither would lightening the carts to a significant degree. Affecting the root beneath the wheels might be easier. A tool to strip the bark, and mold the wood to be a flatter surface would be doable, but using it constantly would be cost prohibitive. A waste when the orcs seemed to favor blazing a new trail with each caravan.

He began to rub his sore arms, the puzzle distracting him as he rested up for the final leg of their trip.

I'll have to watch them closer when we rejoin the caravan. he decided. Determine their needs, watch how their usual method works for them. Figure out what to replace, and what to improve on. It's always tricky introducing something new, but if it helps them move faster I'm sure I can find someone interested. The real question is how easy will it be to craft an artifact with orcish tools. Metal will be in short supply, but if I can work out those charms I might find an interesting solution. They talked about them like they were personal, not general use, but it's not like the orc's don't have artifacts. Yet they buy spring stones from us. The difference in spells again?

Though it seemed so long ago the discussion with the orcish Mages troubled Nickolas.

They acted like my magic was novel. he considered. Or maybe rare? It doesn't make sense we've been tithing for decades they should have a basic grasp on what a Mage can do even if they don't have any human War Mages. Yet I haven't seen any indication they're using our runes for anything at all. Are they keeping the tithe men from practicing? Or are they not sharing for some reason?

He sighed, dangling his feet over the edge of the branch. Below the greenery rustled in the slight breeze. A swarm of insects lazily rose from a bush before drifting off into the wind.

It smells of politics. Nickolas concluded. Or maybe a cultural divide that I don't understand. It doesn't help that the first spell I cast in front of the others ended badly. Hard to judge the broader implications. Maybe when we're back I can try to use a spell on the next giant serpent that wanders past, see how they react. Hopefully that doesn't summon a second even bigger serpent somehow. That Matriarch was ridiculous. It didn't have eyes that I could see yet it could track us as we swung through the air faster than wind. All because I was the one who cast the fire it was bearing down on. Absurd.

Necun placed a hand on his shoulder, he pulled it up to his cheek for a moment before standing. His wife looked anxious, but that was a constant state after she discovered his chaffed skin. Not being able to talk was bothering him more than he thought possible. Now that his mind was clear there were so many things he wanted to ask, or share. Instead he kept his mouth shut to appease his wife's paranoia.

Learning the orc's sign language took it's place on a growing list of tasks to tackle once they reached the city. Until then he was stuck with his own thoughts, and growing list of discomforts. They were making terrible time, but Necun had seemed confident. At least Nickolas assumed. She hadn't been cutting his breaks shorter than usual in any case.

Latching onto her back they took off through the branches once again.

And ran straight into a spiked tendril.

Necun's axe was out in a flash, sinking into the leathery flesh of the creature. In response it curled, nearly impaling them from behind. What saved them was a twisting maneuver from Necun, using the leverage from the axe to push them both below the tendril as it snapped closed.

Nickolas's chest tightened in fear as they dropped towards the forest floor. Throughout his body magic flowed, and he constructed the strongest wind rune he could recall, pushing it forward as they fell.

His wife's aura was blazing around them both, hot against his skin even as the rune clicked into place. The air hit them like a solid object, slowing their drop in the blink of an eye. Necun flashed a hand signal he didn't recognize, and he hoped it meant keep it up as he increased the magic flowing through his arm, further slowing their fall.

He heard a whistling sound above, but he focused on the task in front of him as they dropped towards the ground. They landed at an odd angle, but slow enough to turn a splatter into a tumble. The root they smashed into seemed as hard as stone, and sent the pair flying apart. Nickolas's fall terminated with a slide into a rather scratchy bush, and for a moment he just lay still, processing what had just occurred. Then he heard the rasp of steel on bone, and scrambled to his feet.

Adrenaline was pumping through his veins as he scanned his surroundings. Necun was engaged nearby, flailing weapons at three spiked tendrils which lashed at her from all sides. The beast's limbs were black as pitch, it's bony spikes sticking out at awkward angles. It was the only thing giving Necun a fighting chance. The limbs couldn't land a proper blow with the points, instead slapping ineffectively at her battered armor with the blunt edges when she failed to dodge. From the angle Nickolas assumed the creature was almost directly above her, yet the tendrils just seemed to rise into the air before growing indistinct, and finally terminating in empty air.

The sight caused his eyes to blur, and he shook off the sensation to focus on his wife's plight. His magic was flowing easily through his body, ready to be used.

But should I? he thought.

The hesitation stopped him cold for fifteen heartbeats.

Then Necun took a hard blow to the side, and grunted in pain.

The War Mage responded with a bolt of lightning.

Lightning magic was always a touchy set of runes. They tended to have a mind of their own, and it was recommended that young War Mages master other attack spells before attempting lightning.

Nickolas loved lightning, and had since his first cast. It sang to him like nothing else.

The bolt sparked from his hand, reaching out to caress the tendril furthest from Necun. In that brief moment between the blink of an eye Nickolas was connected to the beast through a cackling thread of bluish white. Magic flowed, strengthening the connection, in turn increasing the intensity of the lightning. The spell reached it's apex then destabilized moments later, only lasting a few heartbeats in total. It was enough.

The unfortunate tendril curled on itself, smoking and twitching as the aftereffects coursed through it. What few living nerve endings remained finally reacted, carrying the pain to whatever creature was attached. The other limbs curled upon themselves as well, though slower, and withdrew above as the creature recoiled.

Necun retreated, eyes never leaving the tendrils as she pushed off from the root. Nickolas took a moment to admire the Hunter's agility. Backpedaling at speed on rough ground was precisely as difficult as it appeared, yet the orc made it seem effortless. Her boots only lightly touching each foothold as she worked her way back to him.

The creature was still withdrawing, it's electrocuted limb now hanging limp as it pulled away. Nickolas still couldn't spot it's body, if it even had a body to see, but the retreat of the tendrils was steady.

As Necun dropped quietly beside him she flashed Nickolas a series of hand signals which he was unable to follow. The Hunter glanced back briefly before her eyes widened in realization. She reached back and patted him on the shoulder instead, while raising her brow in a suggestive motion.

Nickolas gently patted her gloved hand, and nodded slowly, confirming he was fine. In return Necun flashed a small grin, and snapped her attention back to the tendrils above. There was little to see now. The creature had fully withdrawn, likely seeking easier prey, but both Mage and orc watched their surroundings tensely just in case.

Around them the great Giants creaked. Branches rustled. The wind whistled through a crevasse. All else was silent. As he focused on the sounds around them Nickolas started to feel his heart beat in his chest. The rustle of his robes in the wind.

Is this what the Hunter's do all the time? he wondered. I can't hear a thing from Necun. No wonder they think we're loud.

Deciding to trust Necun's judgment on when to move Nickolas started to slowly comb through his hair. In the tumble clumps of dirt, and several twigs had lodged themselves in his blonde locks. He struggled to to free himself from the dirty menace, yet he kept his movements deliberate to avoid excess noise.

Despite his efforts the slight silky sound of fingers through his hair caused Necun to twitch in agitation. One by one the twigs and small stones that had tangled in his hair clattered to the root strewn ground. Each one caused his wife to flinch, yet she never tried to stop him as she scanned the area. Nickolas also started to search above, his heart had calmed slightly, and the routine of cleaning his hair centered him. No movement was obvious, but that meant little with half invisible beasts on the prowl.

In truth the creature's impressive stealth is what allowed Nickolas to justify cleaning his hair while they waited for the beast's next move. He reasoned that any creature capable of such illusions would creep up on them regardless of any minor noises he made.

Their silent doctrine is impressive. Nickolas thought to himself while running his fingers through a tangle. I can't imagine Molly managing it for days. Or even a competent Knight. Mother would even struggle. Yet for the Hunters it's second nature. Even the caravan workers slipped into it seamlessly. Then again most things in the Green seems to follow those rules during the day. Those infuriating bugs only scream at night. How many predators have hearing that good? The serpent screamed a lot. It didn't care about the noise? Why? This thing must be close to the serpents size, why bother with silence, or stealth? Different hunting methods? Or is it because we're deeper in the Green? Is the Deep Green different?

Nickolas was nearly done with his hair. His gaze focused on the root cluster they had landed on as he considered his questions.

His only warning of the attack was a slight scrape of bone on bark.

The impact hit him square in the spine. He could feel the spike drive through the robes and impact skin. The next thing he knew he was airborne again, tumbling into the great root. He bounced off, air forced out of his lungs in a heavy gasp from the impact. Scrabbling for purchase he barely kept himself from falling, only for his brain to catch up long enough to realize he was only a stride or so above the ground.

Releasing his grip, he dropped to the ground and wheeled around. His eyes found the familiar sight of Necun engaged in combat. The tendrils appeared to have multiplied, a dozen swirled around the orc attempting to strike at her. They met a blazing flurry of steel as his wife lashed out with a weapon in each hand. Her aura was shining bright around her, and her feet were a blur, throwing her body out of a tendrils reach the moment it reared to strike.

Nickolas prepared to cast again, aiming at the cluster of tendrils furthest from his lover.

A blur of motion in the corner of his eye caused him to redirect the spell at the last possible moment.

The bolt was short. Less than a stride in the air. A tendril which was about to strike Nickolas's neck twitched burning as the magic flowed.

The caustic smell sizzled in Nickolas's nostrils as he increased the flow further. At this range it took a full ten heartbeats for the spell to destabilize. The tendril at first seized, and twitched, almost recoiling like the other. By the end of the spell it was steadily drooping down, still flailing as the muscles contracted at random. When the spell finally failed it was hanging limp, slowly drifting towards the soft earth.

Nickolas scrabbled back, a root tripped him, and he ended up sprawling backwards onto his rear. His breath came in heavy pants. Searching the air above him with wild eyes, no new tendrils descended to end his life. His back itched.

Gripping a handful of bark he pulled himself back to his feet, and returned his attention to Necun's fight. The tendrils were closing in, limiting her movements. Nickolas took a steady breath, and pulled upon his magic again. Above each hand runes formed.

"NECUN! DUCK!" he screamed.

His lover complied a heartbeat before he unleashed the storm.

The area was illuminated in white as lightning split the air with a series of harsh cracks. This was no singular bolt, instead a crackling series of paths traced the air between him, and the hanging limbs. Upon contact all twelve tendrils recoiled, their bone spines smashing together for lack of space, tangling the black limbs in a painful dance. Still the magic coursed, shattering after five long heartbeats.

Sweat ran down Nickolas's face. The air smelled of burnt flesh, and crispy air. He twisted his hands, new runes forming quickly as the old faded.

A storm of fire found the twisted tendrils.

Necun had leapt clear the moment the lightning had ended, and was already sprinting for Nickolas, but he paid her no mind as he burned the tendrils until nothing but cooked meat remained. They were drifting to the ground as a single knotted clump, their upper origins still as indistinct as ever. His fire spell finally broke, and he shook off his hands, preparing to cast again.

Necun reached him first, slapping his shoulder twice to gain his attention before turning and offering her back. After a moment of confused silence, punctuated by one of the burning tendrils snapping apart, and crashing to the ground, the Hunter rapidly tapped her shoulder again. Finally understanding what she wanted, Nickolas clamored onto his wife's back, gripping tight as she took off across the forest floor.

All at once the space in front of them was flooded with tendrils snaking out from behind branches and trunks. Necun weaved between them, occasionally lashing out when one grew too close. Soon the sky was blocked out by the wiggling limbs, and the path ahead closed as they surrounded the pair. Nickolas prepped his spells, but was lacking for targets. Necun was rushing through the gathering tendrils so quickly his spells would be of little use if they passed the limb he burned moments later anyway.

The maneuverable space was growing tight, Necun slowed, her axe lashing out more and more often. Finally seeing his chance, Nickolas prepared a storm of lightning to clear their path.

And then, before he could release the magic, they were through.

They broke free into open air, and Necun picked up speed, flying across the ground with each step. Nickolas glanced over his shoulder at the wriggling mass of tendrils growing smaller behind them. The horrid creature gave no sign of chase, and soon they rounded a tree, losing sight of the beast.

They were safe again.

---------------------------

Necun's legs burned as they fled the tangle beast's lair. Running along the ground was always far harder on stamina compared to leaping through the trees, but she couldn't risk gaining height until they were far far away from the creature's domain.

As she pulsed her aura, she felt the flare of the markers in the distance, and corrected her course. Any plan of taking it easy today was dashed. She needed to reach the campsite as soon as possible. Nickolas had taken a blow, one that looked serious. Though he had maintained consciousness, and had hopefully been lucky enough to avoid spinal damage, she still needed to reach safety before checking the full wound. Her mind filled with images of her lover's back flowing with blood, but she focused on the task at hand.

A short time later she felt comfortable enough to leap into the branches above. Necun paused only long enough to squeeze Nickolas's hand, receiving a weak squeeze back that froze her heart. Her aura screeched in worried rage, and she pushed herself to continue, ignoring her body's pains as she raced forward.

The distance melted away as she rushed heedless of her body's protest. All that mattered was speed.

As the light slowly faded she finally detected the campgrounds. She rounded the last corner, shivering as she always did upon seeing the circle of stones that protected the site. They were tall ancient things, many utterly fenced in by greenery, and roots. Yet they held a power to then that settled like a blanket on her shoulders as she passed into their protection.

She shrugged her shoulder, transferring her bond to an arm as she lowered him to the ground. Nickolas appeared in better shape than she feared, his face still flush with color, his eyes still focused. With a slightly shaking hand she flipped him over onto his front to examine the damage.

Only for him to wiggle out of her grip.

Her bond looked at her confused, borderline offended. He tapped his lips as a question.

"Yes." Necun panted out, confusion mixing with concern. "We can speak here."

"I know you're eager darling." he drawled, eyes lidding. "Blood pumping and all that. However I need a bit more foreplay even after that ordeal. Also, I'd like to clean up a bit before we. Well. You know."

"We need to check your wound." Necun responded, confusion spiking. "Your back."

"Oh." her bond said, growing sheepish. "That. I'm fine. It was a good hit, but it mostly just knocked the wind out of me. I will admit getting tossed around wasn't pleasant, but nothing permanent was broken."

"Except maybe my robe." he added after a moment of consideration. "There's probably a hole in it. Hope one of the boys knows how to sew."

Necun gaped at her bond while her brain tried to spit out words.

"What?" Nickolas asked. "You didn't think I was wandering around unprotected did you?"

"How?" Necun blurted out, brain finally catching up. "You're not wearing armor!"

Nickolas snorted out a laugh, then glanced around.

"You're sure we're safe here?" he asked quietly. "No threat of beasties interrupting?"

"As safe as we can be." she replied eyes narrowing. "Why?"

In response he pulled apart the knots keeping his robe together and stripped it off. Necun blushed deeply as her eyes roamed her bond's body. Her hand reached out to stroke his cheek. Nickolas pushed the hand away before turning the robe inside out, and presenting it to the orc.

In the place where Nickolas's shoulder blades would be a pair of runes glowed dimly in the dying light. Between them ran a series of small paths which glittered slightly.

"Runes?" Necun asked, voice soft. "Your robes are enchanted?"

The Hunter fell back, collapsing onto the ground. A wheeze of laughter followed as all the tension she was holding was released.

Of course he has protective measures. she thought. I saw what he's capable of when I climbed his rotting tower. That was enchanted so heavily an insect couldn't twitch a finger without being fried. Why wouldn't he do the same for his clothes? His underclothes would probably melt my hand if I pinched his butt.

As her laughing fit came to an end Necun wiped her face with a hand. Her legs still burned, and she could feel her heart trying to break out of her rib cage. Meanwhile her aura purred in contentment, simply happy they had made it to safety with both her body and mate intact.

Nickolas's face popped up in front of hers.

"Are you alright?" he asked, voice laden with bemusement. "You weren't too worried were you? Maybe we should take this time for me to learn some sign language. That way we won't have to play guessing games the next time I have to be quiet."

"That might be for the best." Necun groaned out, flopping an arm over her eyes. "But it can wait until after I've had a proper sleep. And a chance to get clean. And some food."

"And some quality time with your husband." Nickolas purred.

Any trace of sleepiness vanished as Necun's aura perked up at the words. She slowly lowered her arm.

"By quality time-" Necun began.

"Yes." Nickolas cut her off. "Assuming you can get passed the slight rash. It will take a few days to clear that up. Sorry for not telling you by the way. Also, I'm sorry for bringing this up now. It's a bit of a mood killer."

"That's. I." Necun said before letting out a long breath. "It's fine. Honestly I had forgotten when we were running from that snare beast. Which sounds bad now that I say it."

She released a sound halfway between a chuckle, and choking on water.

"I'm sorry I'm bad at this." she said softly. "Being with you I mean. Half the time I don't know what to do. You deserve someone who's confident, and-"

Nickolas responded with a deep kiss, cutting off her self loathing.

"What? Why?" Necun gasped, pushing her bond back. "I was trying to apologize."

"And you were doing it wrong." Nickolas purred, grin blooming on his face, and lust in his eyes. "Apologies are supposed to be whispered in my ear during pillow talk. How else will I be sure your intentions are honest?"

Once again Necun's mind went blank.

She surrendered to her aura, rolling up on her elbows to pin the giggling Mage to the warm stone, a smile stuck to her face.