34 Stay Away

Annoyance lingers as my dream quickly fades from memory. I pointlessly try grasping at the remnants in an attempt to recall more, but it slides into obscurity. I sigh, as the reason for my annoyance alludes me. I still remember the sound of a woman's lyrical voice but what she told me remains unknown, my annoyance shifts to reluctant resignation.

I sigh once more. I wake Daric and notice Andri is on guard. Everyone else is still asleep. The sun climbs over the horizon. Shinning its first few rays of the day. When the sunlight reaches the ground around us, I stare in confusion. Scattered are tiny bones of various creatures. Thinking of the night before I cringe. Those weren't twigs we were stepping on. My face screws up.

I look around, /Where did so many bones come from?/

My blood drains when I figure out the tree we're sitting under. An ootress tree, commonly known as the ghost willow; It's a species of carnivorous plants. Light brown trunk with a broad base tapered to a point. At first glance, the multiple branches stretching out appear to lack leaves. However, the bright morning sun hits them at an angle that makes them visible. Thousands of thin translucent leaves each hang a few feet long. As I stare a small bird flew into the leaves. They stick to the bird and coil up like springs causing the poor creature to be further entangled. It fought to break free, but the leaves oozed blue liquid. As a drop falls next to my foot, I scoot closer to the trunk as the liquid sizzles, smokes, and eats through the ground. Daric notices and also snatches his feet back closer to his body in an attempt to avoid the tree acid.

/Aw, come on! Does everything contain some form of acid liquid?/

The tiny bird cries out as it dies slow. Thankfully, this tree is young. The leaves of an adult are thicker reaching to the ground. Making it possible to catch larger prey...like people.

I drag Daric from under the acid dripping leaves. So focused on moving, I didn't see Lark until I trip over him. We go down in a tangle of limbs. Lark's flailing from being woken up unexpectedly doesn't help matters. Somehow, I end up under both of them face to the ground slowly suffocating. I thrash, trying to tell them to get off me. They take the hint, and their weight leaves my back.

"Sorry about that Emma," Lark pulls me off the ground standing me up.

"Sorry," Daric fails to try to withhold a smile.

Spitting dirt from my mouth, I balefully glare at them, causing them to laugh.

Irvin woke during the commotion. His face setting to its new default, disapproving. "Lark, you and me are going to check the perimeter."

"Yes, Commander," Lark snaps up.

"You two crazy kids have fun now, you hear?" I tease.

Lark rolls his eyes but otherwise says nothing as he follows Irvin.

____________________

Irvin and Lark walk a distance before Irvin spins on his heel and watches Lark. Wary, Lark silently stares at Irvin in return.

"Are you aware of the danger you put yourself in by getting close to the Princess?" Irvin demands.

"Yes."

His eyebrow jumps, "That's it?"

"Yes."

"You know what, it doesn't matter. Stop your interactions with her," he growls.

Lark locks his jaw and remains silent.

Irvin looks incredulous, "She's high born. Future queen to the Miotian Kingdom. You can't be close to her. She lives in a completely different world." Irvin sees Lark's eyes get tight as though Irvin has somehow wounded him. Irvin sighs, "It's for the best."

Larks expression morphs into one of stubbornness, disregarding Irvin's warning. Irvin sighs again, "Go hunt down some meat and take the chance to truly think about I told you."

Irvin watches Lark as he leaves. He runs a hand down his face out of stress.

/What is happening to my unit?/

After so many search and rescue missions together they have a system worked out. Minimal contact with the target, speak only when necessary, and return quickly and efficiently. But this time, it seems problems continue to pop up. Starting from the moment the Princess seemingly came back from the dead with the rarely seen golden hair, nothing has gone as planned. Lark is developing a deep attachment to her. Even Andri seems more grounded and willing to speak more often. Irvin prays nothing more happens to drag out this mission, once we're back, we can separate from the Princess and return to our normal dynamic.

____________________

As I pass the time teaching Daric; Lark hunted, Ryo and Lina cook under Scias' direction. I do the unnecessary act of eating. To keep Andri from getting on my case. However, as I ate Ryo looks at me, triumphant. I stop, narrowing my eyes at her. A wave of dizziness smacks me hard enough I sprawl onto the ground shaking; before I have a chance to speak my stomach cramps fiercely. Hard coughs wrack my body. Black sludge expelled with each one. I'm vaguely aware of people around me as the lung bruising coughs continue with no end. When they stop I feel shaky, sore, and on the edge of blacking out.

I come to, hearing the sounds of Daric's panicked cries. I want to comfort him but lack the energy to do so. Managing to give him a weak smile, that causes more worry rather than comfort. I faintly glow orange as Andri searches for the what's wrong with me. I shiver at the feel of his asura and control the urge to throw off his hands. After a long, tense moment Andri pulls back his asura with a frown.

"From what I can tell nothing is wrong," Andri says.

I blink in surprise, "So, what, I hacked up black slime because it's that time of the month," is my snarky reply. "How can nothing be wrong?"

He hesitated, "Because your body already fixed the problem. "

"This is a good thing," gaining my strength back sit up, "Why are you acting like it's not?"

"This is something that I've only seen in higher level adept mages," which I am not. Andri leaves that unsaid, but I know he's thinking it.

/Great, another reason for them to think I'm not Nadia./

"I probably just had a weird reaction to the food. I feel fine now so don't worry so much," which was true, I feel fine other than slightly bruised lungs.

He narrows his eyes at me, "For now I'll have you eat food that is easy to digest."

I knew I wasn't going to win this argument, so I agree. About an hour later we're packing to leave, and I notice Ryo's occasional glare. Remembering the rage from when I first met her as well as the look of victory when I ate, I have no doubt she's the cause of it. I shrug it off; it's not like a figment of my imagination can kill me.