Rikku walked quickly into the forest trying not to look back at the girl she left behind, still blushing. ‘Why am I feeling like this?!' Thought Rikku desperately. She covered her chest in embarrassment. Then she remembered her arm, and it reminded her of her mission.
‘OK, all I have to do is convince her I'm good, get the stone, and, in the meantime get answers about that damned king,' though Rikku. But, even though she had this mission before she meet this Evlen Angel called Auronaha, it didn't seem like a good plan. She felt the mission she was given was crumbling in her fingers, and it was all because of her ‘feelings'.
‘Of course, I could just take the stone,' thought Rikku, but she remembered the last time she tired, even though she didn't want to. If she took the stone with her non-demonic arm, the power that flowed thought Auronaha would be sucked out of her, and maybe her ability to weld magic.
‘Why would I care about what could happen to her?' thought Rikku madly, as she roughly kicked a stone off the path. ‘Because,' she countered herself, ‘she's beginning pulled into the same trap you were."
Rikku always remembered being a loner and was always by herself, but she didn't mind it. The thought of being to close to someone made her feel uncomfortable and it made her feel weak. But for some reason, Auronaha's company was an exception. It made her feel whole and not so much as a monster.
‘NO!' Thought Rikku both mad at herself, but sad at the same time, ‘It would hurt her too much,' she finished, thinking about Auronaha.
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Only After Rikku had been gone for a few minutes, did Auronaha stop staring in the forest after her. She closed her eyes and shook her head trying to clear it. ‘That was awkward,' but for some reason, she felt it wasn't as awkward. Even though Rikku was on the Horgde side, Auronaha felt a different aura surrounding her. Ever since she was little, Auronah had a special talent for reading a person's aura. Most of the people living in the Trinity kingdom had dull auras and acted all somewhat the same: preppy and always trying to help themselves and trying to make themselves look better. Everyone seemed to follow everyone else.
Auronaha hated when many of the nobles tried to hook up their children with one of her step-siblings. There were also times where the sons had asked her for her hand in marriage, but she avoided their requests and always said that she was busy with something else. The thought of marriage scared her and made her want to run away from that kind of life. Auronaha sighed remembering wanting to live a normal life outside the palace, like she did with her mother before the king married her. She started to take off her dress and stopped at her wings. She closed her eyes, then her wings started to glow as they dissolved into her back. This was a trick she learned form one of her old textbooks. When she was little, she realized that wet wings were uncomfortable and took a long time to dry. With her wings out of the way, her dress slid off her slim body.
The pond was cold to her skin and she shivered. The coldness of the water really woke her to the day. Auronaha walked deeper into the lake, but stopped before her whole body was immersed. She cupped her hands under the water's surface and splashed her face and hair. She felt weird bathing without soap and wanted to be quick about cleaning because she didn't like the feeling of mud between her toes.
"Are you almost done?" she heard Rikku yell nervously some distance away.
"Umm... Hold on," Auronaha said quickly as she used a spell to quickly dry herself. Then she reached for her dress and hurriedly put it on.
"Umm... Yeah," answered Auronaha walking back to the fire pit.
Rikku appeared out of the forest from the way she came. When she looked back up at Auronaha, she almost fell in shock.
"Wh.. what happened to your wings?" Rikku almost yelled, pointing at Auornaha.
Auornah slightly giggled at her companion's surprise,
"I used magic to hide them, that's all," then Auronaha jokingly questioned, "Why, you don't believe I'm a real Elven Angel?"
"No, that's not it," said Rikku rubbing the back of her head, embarrassed, "Something just looked different, that's all."
There was another awkward silence, then Rikku said, "I saw a road up ahead that I recognized, so we should get going."
Auronaha followed Rikku through the woods and was relieved when she saw the path. The sun was high and the road was empty, but they stayed to the side of the road to stay ion the shade.
"So," said Auonaha, "Why do you need to ask this guy about the king? I know some stuff about the king." Auornaha said feeling somewhat forgotten.
"Its more than just the king," Rikku said trying to make Auornaha feel better. But Auronaha cocked her head to the side in confusion. Rikku sighed and started to explain.
"I still don't know what's going on with you and the stone. Why did he give it to you?" she paused, then continued, "He's planning something. I can't think of any other reason."
"Well, I was the only one who was able to use the stone so..."
"but why did he send you to battle with only a small troop and your step-brother? You didn't even have armor."
Auronaha was about to defend herself, but realized Rikku was right. The king sent her with only one-day notice. She remembered later that night a servant was looking around in her room.
When Rikku saw that Auronaha was distressed about the news she said, "Don't worry," trying to comfort Auronaha, "Something must have went wrong with his plan. Be glad you're still alive".
They walked in silence until they reached the town that Rikku scouted ahead for and looked for a place to eat. Only when they sat down, ignoring the stares of the other people, did Auronaha talk again.
Why do you know so much about the king and the Trinity," she asked boldly.
Rikku stopped eating for a coupled seconds, then started again.
"Personal experience." Was all she answered. Auronaha was unsatisfied with the answer she was given, but the hunger in her stomach told her otherwise. They both ate in silence, but after they were just about done, Auronaha got the feeling she was being watched. She turned around to see some rough looking men drinking, some form of alcohol Auornaha guessed, peering at her. It always gave her the shivers when men or boys looked at her like that.
"I'll be right back," said Rikku, standing up. Auronaha watched her leave to pay for the meal and suddenly felt very exposed. She was about to get up and grab her staff when it suddenly fell.
"Oh, so sorry, li'le girl," said a slurred, drunk voice. Auronaha turned her head to see the two men that were looking at her right behind her. She went to pick up her staff but the man moved in front of her and picked it up.
"The rod's nice," came the other man, then her eyed Auronaha greedily, "But me thinks she more of a look'n."
"Yeah," the first man agreed, "Not too'many elf-selves come around here. It's nice to eye a purty face."
"Hey, it's me, or these some long ears?" asked the second man to no one in particular as he touched Auronaha's long Elven Angel ears. She stunk back at his rough hands and her fear began to grow.
"Well I'll b'damned," declared the man in front of her. He stepped towards her and she instantly steeped back, bumping into the man behind her. He grabbed her and stepped back towards the kitchen. Auonraha wanted to scream out, but the man had his sweetly hand over her mouth.
"What else do we've have?" the first man grinned seeing the stone on Auronaha's headdress. "This look'n even more pricey than that staff's." He reached out and grabbed at the stone, but it suddenly glowed and Auornaha could hear him scream out in pain. When the light faded both men had fallen on the floor. The man who grabbed at the stone was clutching his burnt hand and the other man had his hand over his burnt face.
"I'm gon'a kill ya, ya bitch!" the man with his hand over his face drew his sword and lunged at Auornaha.