The Traveler woke up to a beam of light as the leaves were swayed by the wind. It was slow at first, till he realized what he was looking up at. He brought his arm up across his eyes as he heard a sweet voice. He couldn’t understand, and moved his arm back to his side.
“Nebulae? Are you awake?” He didn’t move, and neither did she, until she spoke.
“Yes I am, Tralen.” She said with a voice that practically dripped with honey compared to the nightmares he just woke from. He bolted upright.
“Did you just-“
She pulled him into a kiss, and this time not a short one. He relaxed as his body melted. She pulled away, and he nearly fell forward as she did. She giggled playfully “I did.” She stood up slowly, and extended a hand to the traveler.
He took her hand and pulled himself up. “I didn’t agree to it yet. For now I’m still traveler.” He looked at her thighs and saw they were very red, a mix of the blood from his face and her blood bringing back circulation. “Are you OK? You look sore. And you got some of the blood on you.”
She just laughed a little. “Yeah I’m OK. I told you, I’m going to be your wife. I can handle you using my lap as a pillow every now and then.” She turned a little serious. “We just left the bodies. Should we go and hide or bury them?”
“No.” A stern answer. “Regretful as it is that I killed them, they will have better use being consumed by animals than put in the ground away from their family.” He exhaled “and if some guards found them, they’ll be on the lookout for the murderer.”
He handed her a skin of water. ”Here, use some of this to clean the blood off your thighs. That’s one of the first things guards look for, blood.” She poured a little on a blood spot before he stopped her. “No, it’s easier with cloth. Here, I have a spare.”
She finished wiping off the blood crusted on her thighs and then took the wet red cloth to his neck “You’re not exactly free of blood either Mr traveling guardian.” She tenderly wiped his neck free of blood, then brought the cloth past his flushed cheeks to his ear. “There’s just a little bit here too.” She quickly wiped it away and then handed him back the now blooded cloth, red as the Bedlah Success was wearing.
“Before we walk on the road, I have one more thing to confess.” She shyly spoke as he turned to walk. He turned back around.
“Your love for a man you just met isn’t enough?”
“No that’s, well yes. But there’s something else. My name isn’t Nebulae. My name is Success. I’m called that because my kisses make those who receive them successful at the task they’re trying to accomplish.” She seemed different slightly to the previous night.
“And I don’t know my dad, he died when me and my sisters came into the world. So did my mom.”
He put a finger to her lips. “I don’t need to know this. All I need to know is that you’re OK. And is your name really Success?”
She pushed his finger away and teared up a little. “Yes I told you that already. There’s one more thing I need to confess.”
He smirked. “So your love, that your name was fake, you have the power to grant success with your kisses isn’t enough confusion for one day?”
“Do you believe me?” She said quietly. And watched him think for several minutes.
“Yes. I do.” He finally replied. “You kissed Joshua and he turned on his friend. You kissed me and then I was able to defend you. I don’t actually have any skill with the sword against people like them.”
She breathed out in relief. “It’s a bit more complex, but yeah. The last thing is the toughest.”
“Then don’t tell me if you don’t want to. It’s pretty simple.”
She breathed in. “I both do and don’t. I tried to…” She fumbled a few words then said with a clear voice. “I was trying to kill you with my power before.” He didn’t look surprised.
“I knew you had an ulterior motive for everything. How would it have worked?” His arms crossed.
She was scared to go on, but decided to continue. “I kiss people, which leads to them succeeding their next task. After that task is done I’ll repeat the process until the success drives them to their death.” She stopped for a moment. “I don’t want to kill you anymore.” A breath of relief.
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He just cupped her face with his right hand, “so are you still going to travel with me?”
The frown nearly disappeared from her face “you still want me to travel with you?”
He breathed out as if annoyed. “Yeah, I told you it’s lonely on the road and you don’t look like you have anyone else to travel with.” Then he smiled and looked into her watery eyes. “Besides, I won’t have anyone else to travel with either.”
She hugged him in response. “Yes I will! Thank you so much!” She wept into his leather. Well this was awkward. What was he supposed to do while someone was crying into his chest like this? He just wrapped his arms around her shoulders and one of his hands cradled her head against him. This felt right.
“But I won’t accept you calling me Tralen until you properly propose. Then we’ll see if I can take on the name.” She pulled away from him and composed herself.
“What do you like?” She asked through the last few tears and shaky breath.
“You’ll just have to find out.” Her eyes broke from his gaze for a second and he quickly fixed his response. “I like poetry. I like nature. And I like the crackling of a campfire.” This was as close as he could get to telling her how to propose without telling her flat out.
She scooted closer to him a bit. “Shouldn’t we get moving Tralen?”
“Yes. I have a few spots I go to as I travel. We should be safe as long as we stay off the road and out of its sight today.” He got up and immediately started moving. “This next spot has a place we can wash this blood off of us. As long as we’re careful.”
She took his arm while they walked, and cuddled up to him. Though she didn’t say much, until he asked her “so where do you come from? Really?” She let go of his arm and sighed deeply. What to do?
If she told the truth it could turn him away from her altogether if he, like anyone else, would see the absurdity in her story. But she didn’t want to lie to him, as it could spring more from him.
In the end she decided on what she wanted to do outside of situation. She told him everything, including how when she dies her sisters will likely be unstoppable and Destiny would forever be missing. “I don’t want to die, but I know eventually I will.”
Her voice became a bit shaky ”I don’t know what will happen if I die. Will everything become unsuccessful? Will Failure become too powerful in my absence? Will I cease to exist in people’s memories?”
“I don’t know, but I’m probably going to die far before you do.” Was his only response for a second. “But I don’t think it does to dwell on those thoughts. I became untouchable to you because I stopped worrying. Just live life.”
He was right. She shook off her shivers. Thinking of death was exhausting, how did humans do it for so long? “You believe me?”
“I don’t know. Is it the truth this time?” He inquired
“This time, yes. It’s the truth.” She said with a strong resolve.
The sun was right at the top of the sky, and as they walked through the brush he said they should take a break under the tree in the distance. Lunch time was not to be ignored when traveling through the thickets, ants or other things could get to them, and it’s exhausting as the legs get scratched.
“Do you have something we can eat?”
“Yes, though it’s probably less tasty than what you’re used to. Dried meat and flat bread. I find insects like the large bread.” He pushed her against the tree and knelt down to inspect her legs. “They’re bare, how do they have less scratches than mine after that walk?”
“I’m not a human. Well, not fully a human. Just 1/4th human. I think.” She shook her head in confusion “I’m part god at least.” Then she realized the situation and blushed heavily. “You’re still looking!” She squeeked
His eyes narrowed “yes, I know how to spot infected wounds and how to heal them. Even if you’re part god, you still have a few scratches.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a leaf. He chewed it for a little bit then stuck his mouth on one of her scratches and pushed the leaf onto her wound.
“It works better with human saliva. And I don’t know if your saliva is human. Or what effects it has.”
“I know what effects your saliva has on me” She said as she bit her finger gently. “I could get used to you kissing my legs like everyone else.”
“Or you can let me teach you like we agreed. There’s a lot to learn about living on the road or in the forest for us humans. And if a strong branch can cut you, then so can a wolf’s claws and teeth or a bear.” He started to stand back up “I’ll lay down a blanket and oomph”
Success kicked his shin so he’d fall face first onto her chest, but he caught himself instead. “Oh rats, I wanted to have some fun.” He got up and dusted himself off. “Well, I’ll crack you some day.” He laid down the blanket on the one small patch of clear around the tree. Then Success started to say a poem, with a different voice than usual. He was entranced, but thankfully she wrote down the poem later. Her voice cannot be mimicked, but the words stayed with him.
And she danced. Like a flame that normally flickers for all to see, but for this time for this man’s eyes alone.
“I write of love
I write of peace
My darling you,
You are my peace
A scarlet heart
As pure as snow
Wherever you follow
There I will go
Eyes deep as our conversation
Hands warmer than the sun’s light
Lips sweeter than sugar and honey
You bring much great delight
Your body makes the cherubs jealous
Skin smooth to the touch of my fingers
Your breathing hot, unbothered on my tongue
The sensual feeling that still lingers
Waiting for the moment of our espousal
The tension begins to grow
Your gentle, passionate arousal
Must not, cannot go
A heart so pure, too pure to touch
Your mouth and hands living skin of mine
Too clean to fail or mess our souls
But someday, I will be fully thine”
Then one more line “darling, will you marry me and accept the name Tralen?”
