Then, with much reluctance, Orpheus, Magnar, and Ingram left – all three of them unaware of the true reasoning as to why.
Reia, Delora, and Emerie shared a look between them. They all feared their partners’ eventual reactions when they discovered what had happened, but it was Emerie who the others’ gazes lingered on. She wouldn’t be here to make the knowledge of it better for her leaving Duskwalker.
She averted her gaze when Mayumi and Faunus moved closer and fixed their sights on her as well. “I better get changed,” she said to escape.
With a heavy heart, Emerie went to her tent while pulling her hair free to redo it after she ripped some cloth to create a makeshift, crude bow. She removed the blue dress she’d been given and instead donned her Demonslayer uniform. Reia had repaired all the holes in it by patching it with brown material.
The soles of her shoes were worn, but that made them more flexible. Hopefully there weren’t any sharp rocks within Jabez’s castle.
She also fixed the silver diadem tiara to her hair so the blue teardrop would sit in the middle of her forehead. The gem was cold, and it tapped against her skin as she ducked under the tent flap to leave.
Faunus approached from their home with his arms full of weapons, and they both arrived to where the other women waited at the same time.
A sword for Reia, a bow and full quiver for Delora, and a whip and sword for Emerie.
She turned to Mayumi.
“I wanted to thank you for all your hospitality over the last few days. I know it’s a lot for you to stay behind, but I really don’t think I could have survived staying here any longer with this decision.”
“It’s fine,” Mayumi answered with a deflated tone. She scratched at the side of her hair tied back tightly before humour twitched at the corner of her lip. “I doubt after yesterday, you would have lasted much longer. I bet I have to disinfect my tent. How’s your ass? I saw you limping around when you jumped out to pee.”
By the simple fact that Mayumi was trying to hold back laughter, Emerie knew she’d said that simply to rile her up. Whether it was because she liked to tease her friends, or she was trying to lift the sorrow clouding Emerie’s gaze, she didn’t know.
Still, she couldn’t help blushing in embarrassment all the way to her ears. As she fidgeted and brought her eyes to Reia and Delora, she wanted to expire right there and then.
“Oh my god! I was only joking, but you did, didn’t you?” Mayumi bellowed with a laugh, bright humour alight in her eyes. “You took it up the ass!”
Emerie jumped forward and covered her mouth. “Oh my gosh, shut up!”
Delora gave a horrified gasp as Reia’s already pale complexion whitened further.
“What the fuck? You can do that?!” Reia screeched. She patted at her face like she wanted to bring warmth back into it. “How... what...”
Faunus’ chuckle was telling as he folded his arms.
“You didn’t!” Reia gawked at Mayumi before turning to Delora with a flummoxed stare. “Don’t tell me...”
“Gosh, no!” Delora squealed while flinching, as if she’d just been slapped. “I would never.” The poor woman’s face turned just as red as Emerie’s felt. “Although... Magnar has tried. I’m surprised you haven’t.”
“Why the hell would I have tried?! I was a virgin when I met Orpheus!”
Emerie winced. Ouch. She didn’t think she could have taken Ingram if he had been her first.
“He’s just so curious about everything,” Delora grumbled defensively as she rubbed at her arm.
“Can this awkward conversation end?” Emerie squeaked. She turned to Mayumi, utterly mortified. “Why did you even do this?”
Mayumi’s features suddenly went harsh. “Because all of you needed to elevate your anxieties and fears. Now you have to prepare for what’s to come, and I can’t be there to help you all through that. Emerie, you are the most skilled fighter here, and the one we’re truly relying on.”
That sobered them all swiftly, but Mayumi had succeeded in her scheme. Although her heart hurt, it was a little lighter. Everyone else also didn’t look so... depressed.
A human-sized white owl descended from the sky in a flap of feathers, startling them all. Emerie sucked in a breath, hoping the mother of Duskwalkers didn’t just hear all that!
As soon as she landed, Lindiwe transformed into a human. Her hood slid back as a yellow beak receded, then disappeared altogether, revealing the sharp features of her face. Her dark-brown eyes were steely with determination, but not unfeeling towards their plight.
“Are we ready?” Lindiwe asked, brushing at her white dress to push it into place.
All three of them nodded.
Mayumi didn’t come in for a hug, but she did reach her fist out. Emerie stared at it, before hesitantly knocking her own fist against it, unsure if that was what she’d been seeking. With dark-yellow orbs of curiosity, Faunus did the same thing, to which Emerie knocked her knuckles against his far larger ones.
I just gave a fist bump to a Duskwalker. She never thought she’d do that.
“Okay, let’s go,” Emerie commanded with a nod.
Lindiwe turned incorporeal, and muttered, “Weldir, we’re ready.” When she became solid once more, and noticed their gazes, she awkwardly looked away while shrugging her shoulders. “I can’t do portal magic.”
Everyone stepped forward, except for Emerie. She peered around at them, a little lost as to why they’d closed in on a certain spot.
“It’s a soul,” Lindiwe explained. “You can’t see it, as you are only a part of life and not death like everyone else. Weldir has sent it here and intends to rip it in two and use its life force to create a rift to Jabez’s castle.”
“Uh huh,” Emerie said with a nod and bewildered, wide eyes. “Thought he couldn’t use magic on Earth?”
Lindiwe sighed. “He can touch souls here. This one is linked to him, so he is able to manipulate it from Tenebris.”
Emerie winced when a hot white light tore downwards through the air like a lightning strike. It pulled open at the same time, like a wide tear that had chalky black dust floating around the outside.
Lindiwe gestured to it, and said, “Now, we must walk through, but we must do so together. Once someone steps across, it will open the other side and give away our element of surprise if we delay.”
Emerie’s mouth went dry, and she wiped her hands on the material of her pants. So, this is it? She’d step through that portal and leave her life, and Ingram, and everything else behind?
She looked over her shoulder in the direction he’d gone, wishing he’d come back and stop her. Of course he didn’t, but just picturing him made tears well in her eyes.
I’m scared.
I don’t want to do this.
Her jaw clenched until she thought she’d shatter her teeth. Her hands trembled, while her chest ached so terribly she wondered when someone had pushed a searing blade into it.
I want to be with him. This isn’t fair.
“Emerie,” Delora gently called.
“Yeah?” she croaked, turning her head forward to find all eyes on her.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Reia asked, her lips tight and flat with worry.
“No,” she half-laughed, half-cried.