Private Tales A Witness

[Odessa Urahil]

“Ah, yes. Uther.” She gave him a sharp nod as he pilfered through the man’s belongings. Waste not, want not she supposed, holding one hand out for her share. As if she were in any position to be making demands.

“I do…recall him.” Unfortunately. She shook her head suddenly. Why the fuck was she feeling any sort of sympathy toward Lothar after what she had just seen him do?

Thankfully just as she had started down her path of self loathing, she found herself diving towards the ground and clutching the grass it as it shook. “Gods.” She whispered. “At least say something before you do…that… again.”

She shot an angry look at Lothar, taking note that he lost the scowl and instead looked exhausted. Still, she didn’t help him move the body into the pit. She only pulled herself into a sitting position to watch and listen to his suggestion.

“I, yes, I suppose we should complete it.” She agreed, and continued. “I think you should rest. At least a little while. We can continue on at sunrise.” She worried that if she straight up told him that he looked like a wreck, he may add her name to his list. “Don’t worry. I’ll stay up and keep watch.” It wasn’t like she’d be able to sleep after witnessing any of this.

 

[Lothar]

"I'm not used to it." He excused quietly, and then motioned to the pit in warning.

A few seconds passed, another pulse ran through the eye in his palm. The earth once against shifted, filling the pit in almost an instant and leaving Torren's body to be buried far beneath the ground. Lothar stared at it for a moment, frowning.

Hesitation flickered through him as Odessa offered him a night rest.

The rune on her neck meant that she had to help him, but Rune Magic was often rather fickle. There was no binding that meant Odessa couldn't bring him harm, though if he ended up dead she very well couldn't fulfill her promise either.

Magic was not always as exact as he would have liked. A feeling that he was sure many sorcerers shared at one point or another.

After a few more seconds he nodded his head, standing up finally but clearly struggling to do so.

"I'll rest." He said in quiet agreement. Truth was, Lothar couldn't have made it much longer if he'd tried. Taking a victims powers was always more difficult than he thought, and Torren had been strong. He did need to sleep.

Lothar said, rubbing at his face. "We can continue on in the morning."

As had been planned originally.

 

[Odessa Urahil]

Blindly obedient was not an apt description of her nature, but Odessa was incredibly naive and perhaps didn’t consider the conditions that accompanied her newfound partnership. There was an automatic understanding that anything she did against Lothar’s wishes would have consequences. If she hurt him or even so much as disobeyed him, she had no idea of what could happen.

She wouldn’t dare try. Not tonight, at least.

She nodded in response, watching his struggle to make his way over to their sleeping bags. Sure, she wouldn’t hurt him. But she wouldn’t go out of her way to carry him to bed. Not when she was suddenly feeling extra salty about losing her precious sleep to him.

Asshole.

Fortunately, to Odessa’s knowledge, the rest of the night was rather uneventful. No more murders, no more fearing for her life. The only disturbance was the cold breeze that hit every so often, a reminder that she could no longer retrieve her blanket to cover herself with as Lothar slept soundly underneath it.

Her other option was Torrin’s blanket, but it was coated in his dried blood. She chose to freeze.

“Pst.” Odessa stood only a few minutes after the sun began rising and made her way beside Lothar, nudging his shoulder with her shoe. Yes, it was still unbearably early considering how little sleep he was allowed, but given the reputation of their location it would be better to get it done early and while there was plenty of light.

“Wake up. Come on.”

 

[Lothar]

Lothar rubbed at his face as Odessa stirred him to the waking world.

Every part of him ached with pain as he regained consciousness. Every muscle in his body throbbing with pain, every tendon feeling as though it had been stretched and was now rebounding back. A dull throb covered the whole of him, and Odessa would notice Lotahr wince as he slowly pulled himself out of the makeshift bed.

"Ugh." A groan escaped the Initiate as he dragged himself up.

He knew where the pain was coming from of course; his magic.

What he had stolen had a price, one that was becoming more and more clear with each passing day. The Archon's magic was taking it's hold, digging deeper into him like roots. With every eye that he took, it seemed to weigh on him.

The why of it he didn't yet know.

Half stumbling, Lothar finally made it to his feet. To Odessa he would look haggard, as though he had fought an entire battle and not slept a wink. A strange sunken darkness hanging around his eyes as he peered around. "I'm ready."

He told her, his appearance to the contrary as he threaded a hand through his hair.

Despite the way he looked though, Lothar quickly leaned down, beginning to pack up the bed and the rest of their things so they could set on the road once more.

 

[Odessa Urahil]

With a brow raised, crossed arms, and a foot tapping impatiently, Odessa watched Lothar as he struggled to rise from the bed. “Groan all you want, if you don’t hurry the fuck up I will leave without you.” She scowled one last time before turning to pack up the rest of the things as he bumbled about.

Surprise, surprise! Odessa had finished the job before he had even steadied himself on two feet.

I’m ready.

She looked at him, then at his unpacked belongings, then back at him. “You look like shit.” She commented in a deadpan voice despite finding it kind of funny. No, she wouldn’t bully him for how awful he looked like her brother would, but she would give him shit. Just a bit of friendly not-wanting-to-die-yet banter.

“Oh. Torin’s horse…” She seemed to suddenly remember that there were only two of them and three horses now. Nothing to worry about. While Lothar finished his packing, Odessa strolled over to the large animal and stroked its side before untying it and pricking her own skin to cause enough pain to spook the thing and send it hurdling in one direction.

She returned and scooped up whatever Lothar hadn’t gotten to yet. “Are you actually ready this time?” She wouldn't take anything other than yes as a correct answer as she loaded the last of their things up and hopped on her horse. As impatient as she was, she didn't seem like she was in too much of a rush as she took of at a leisurely pace, heading back toward the path that they had strayed from last night.

 

[Lothar]

His teeth ground together as Odessa berated him, wanting to rebuke her, but the truth was he knew that she was right.

Lothar looked like shit because he felt like shit. His entire body ached, and it wasn't going to get better for a few days. It had been foolish to take Torrin's eye now, if he'd killed Odessa and taken her eye it would have resulted with him as a rolling whelp in a ditch somewhere.

Biting back bile, Lothar finally answered his companion. "I'm ready."

He grunted, ignoring her taunts and stowing his in the saddlebags of his horse.

With an almost painful lethargy, Lothar dragged himself onto his mount. His head turning for a brief moment as he watched Torrin's mount quickly gallop away into the wilderness, the only remnant of their former companion flouncing away in a matter of seconds.

Good riddance. He thought to himself as his eyes turned away from the horse and over the freshly made grave.

Seconds later, Odessa pulled herself expertly into the saddle and the two set off down the road. Their journey was quiet, at least for a time, until the two of them spotted smoke slowly rising in the difference. A column of acrid black flowing through the sky, far larger than any chimney could produce.