The Guild S.2 E.3 "Pangs"
"Come on Princess....just a little smile?" Chern begged Noretaku. She walked beside the Princess one arm around her keeping her steady.
"I am...sorry Chern...I just don't have the...ener..." She collapsed unconscious onto the hard ground. Chern dropped to her knees and frantically but weakly fumbled about until she felt where Noretaku was. She tried to rouse the Princess to no avail. She looked around desperately.
"Taljic!" She called into the darkness of the forest around her. "Taljic where are you?!"
"I...I am here." He said weakly. An orange light flickered for a few moments a short distance from Chern and then shone steady, illuminating her face and his. "What happened?"
"It must be the hunger....she collapsed and I can't wake her." Chern caressed Noretaku's face tenderly. "Nore...?" Her voice was strained. "Come on...wake up..."
Taljic rummaged through his pack and extracted a large, beat up canteen.
"This is all of the clean water we have left but...I think we should at least try and get her to wake up." He handed the canteen to Chern.
Chern used her waning strength to lift Noretaku's head and tilt it back, pressing the canteen's rim to her pink lips. She poured some water into the Princess's mouth but it just spilled back out. She tried again but got the same result. Chern looked at Taljic, then down at the canteen and finally back at Noretaku who looked so small and pale even under the orange glow from Taljic's eye.
"Forgive me." She said.
She softly laid Noretaku's head back down onto the soft earth and took the canteen in both hands. She held it high above the Princess's head and quickly turned it upside down.
Water poured onto the Princess who sputtered and made a sound like an injured animal.
Noretaku blinked her eyes and stared weakly up at Chern before sitting up very slowly. She tried to rub the water out of her eyes with her sleeve but it was also wet. Chern untucked her own shirt and lifted the bottom of it up to pat Noretaku's face dry.
"I'm sorry..." The Princess said softly. "I tried to stay strong." She began to cry a little.
"Don't cry Princess." Taljic said reassuringly. He looked down at the girls. Noretaku was sitting there in the dirt completely soaked through. Her white shirt was now transparent and the dark red of the brassiere Chern had lent her in place of her bandages showed through the fabric. Chern was leaning over Noretaku, her shirt raised so enough that Taljic could see her toned stomach and part of her black brassiere as well. Her face was inches from the Princess's; they could kiss if they wanted too. Both girls looked disheveled and vulnerable. Taljic being the gentleman he was blanched and quickly turned his back to them. "I'll go see if I can find some...nuts or something."
He tramped off into the woods leaving the girls in the dark.
Noretaku and Chern looked at each other through the darkness. They could hardly see one another.
"Don't leave me..." Said the Princess clutching at Chern's sleeve. It was soft cotton.
"I won't leave you Nore, I promise."
"I've always been alone...even when I was surrounded...the thought didn't bother me as much as it does now that I've met you two."
"What do you mean Princess?"
"You and Taljic are all I have now...if I lost you...."
"Hush hush Nore...I'm here." Chern patted Noretaku's little hand and clasped it softly. "My pack is right here, I have a spare shirt. Let's get you out of this one before you catch a chill."
Chern fumbled in her pack and removed a dry shirt. She laid it on her lap. Noretaku got to her knees and began trying to remove her wet shirt but her hands were shaky. She looked so pitiful.
"Here..." Said Chern softly. She felt for and grabbed the end of each of Noretaku's sleeves and pulled them behind the Princess until the shirt slipped off falling to the ground with a soft plop. "There we go, just like the hand maidens probably did at your castle, here I'll dress you too just like them." She reached toward the dry shirt but before she could grab it, Noretaku lunged forward and wrapped her arms around her. Chern could feel the pressure of Noretaku's breasts pressing against hers. There was a brief pause.
"Um...Princess?" Chern said in a puzzled sounding voice.
The Princess backed up and put her arms at her sides.
"Sorry...inappropriate?" She asked sounding so innocent.
"The hug no but the um..lack of clothing...perhaps...just a little." Chern giggled nervously.
"I'm sorry...I just felt like hugging you."
"It's alright, no harm done Nore." She smiled.
Noretaku reached forward and ran a finger lightly over Chern's lips like she had the day they met then tapped her on the nose. Both girls giggled and then Chern helped get the Princess into the dry shirt. Chern finished buttoning the last button when Taljic's familiar orange glow appeared a small ways away. It didn't move.
"Tis alright Messere, all is well now." Called Noretaku who was still weak but generally more aware now.
Taljic hesitated but then made his way towards the girls. He knelt beside them with something in his hands.
"What do you have there?" Asked Chern pointing at whatever it was.
"A surprise." Taljic raised an eyebrow. "The Princess goes first. Open your mouth and close your eyes Princess." He said. "Trust me." He added when she looked at him apprehensively.
Noretaku closed her eyes and opened her mouth. She felt silly. Suddenly something was dropped onto her tongue. She closed her mouth and swirled it around. Whatever it was, it was small and round and very bland.
"Bite into it." Taljic said.
Noretaku shrugged her shoulders and did as he said. Chern was watching her with curiosity. Suddenly the Princess made a loud "Mmmmm!" noise that made her jump.
"Oh my Makers, that was delicious, Chern you have to try this." Noretaku opened her eyes and took one of the objects from Taljic's cupped hands. Chern closed her eyes and opened her mouth and the Princess dropped it onto her tongue.
Chern bit down. "Mmmmm!" She exclaimed as a sweet then tart flavor shot through her mouth.
"They are pastel berries." Taljic explained. "I suppose it's a little difficult to see their color in this darkness but I recognized their smell. Here there are plenty and I pulled the roots out of the berry bush, they are good raw and full of protein, a bit salty but the berries make up for that."
"Wow, this is great but..why are we just running into these now, we haven't eaten in days." Said Chern.
"I was lucky to find these most of this forest is just as contaminated as what we've seen these last few days." Said Taljic. "Here, let's eat, then we can go gather more."
The three friends sat in the dark and munched on roots and berries. Soon they all felt their strength returning and became more talkative. Taljic told stories about his adventures with Hempnode, riding through the countryside fighting alongside the rebellion. Chern told stories of her childhood playing games and about the time she bloodied a boy's nose for calling her a "Mud brain." They laughed and soon were ready to head out again.
The sun was starting to come up and shining so faintly through the trees it was hardly noticeable. Luckily Chern and Noretaku had Taljic's eye to help guide them as they looked for more berry bushes. Surprisingly they came across quite a few and put them away safely in their packs for later.
"Does any one else feel a little warmer....less like we are being watched?" Asked Noretaku.
"Indeed said Taljic."
"Yeah I feel it too." Said Chern
Taljic looked around.
"That doesn't mean we should be any less vigilant." He warned.
"Really though...and look the sun is coming out, the trees are thinning a bit...look there." Noretaku pointed to the ground ahead of her. "The grass is greener."
"Yes...I feel less of the fallen's influence the farther we go..." Taljic put a hand on the hilt of his sword. "I don't like it maybe we should turn back?"
"We should be safe." Said Vicaria's dreamy voice escaping Noretaku's lips.
"Should?" Noretaku asked sounding unsure.
"Well...I feel something up ahead....I cannot read any thoughts or definite life but whatever is ahead isn't anything we cannot handle." Vicaria reassured.
Noretaku stopped walking and brought a hand to her chin thinking deeply. She looked behind her and then back ahead. After a few moments she spoke.
"We keep going."
Chern and Taljic looked at eachother and then back at Noretaku.
"Very well." They said in unison. Taljic and Noretaku drew their swords and Chern drew her daggers.
They kept walking for a long while when they heard a faint bubbling sound. As they walked the sound drew nearer and nearer until they were standing before a large house in the middle of a clearing. They sheathed their weapons.
It was a beautiful but faded white house. Flowered vines were growing up the sides and complimented the Sienna colored roof. The house had a gorgeous dark wood porch and there was a pond nearby surrounded by tall cat-tail plants. At the back of the house to the side was a small tower painted with odd symbols.
"It's gotta be the scholar's place." Said Chern. "What is it with mages and towers?"
"Vicaria, what do you think?" Asked Noretaku.
"Looks quaint and kind enough, and if it is not the scholar, perhaps we could as the occupant for a place to rest a while."
"Occupant?" Chern chortled. "Place looks empty."
"Well, only one way to find out." Noretaku said walking up to the door cautiously. She knocked three times on the door. "Hello?" She called. "Is anyone home?" There was silence. She knocked again. "Hello?"
"One moment please." An old woman's voice called from behind the door.
Noretaku turned toward the others.
"See?" She said grinning. "Nothing to worry abou-" The door swung open and Noretaku was sucked forcefully out of sight into the dark house. There was a loud thud and then silence.
"Princess!" Taljic yelled rushing into the house, Chern ran in behind them.
Both were sucked into the darkness as well and each was thrown against something cold and very hard. It knocked the wind out of them leaving them gasping in pure darkness as the door had slammed shut behind them.
Suddenly a fireplace erupted on the other side of the room and the three looked around. They were each being held by some force against a wall or in Chern's case a ceiling made of a silver material that felt hard as stone but looked liquid-like.
Chern looked around and saw Taljic who had been thrown against one wall with his face pressed against it looking rather uncomfortable. Then she looked across to the other wall were a once-more unconscious Princess Noretaku was pressed upside down against the silver substance of the wall. Her shirt was falling down and her stomach was showing, her crimson hair swinging like a pendulum. Neither Taljic nor Chern could speak as they were still trying to catch their breath.
From another doorway near to wear the Princess was suspended, an old woman walked in. She was cloaked, hunched over with a cane and she had strange purplish splotches on the skin of her hands which were the only thing visible under the cloak other than her clearly blind eyes. She was hobbling into the center of the room.
The old woman moved to a table where a small satchel lay. She reached in and removed three runes. One by one she held the runes up. The first on he held toward the ceiling, uttering something under her breath. The rune vibrated violently then glowed a bright blue then yellow color. Then Chern and Taljic could here strange whispers coming from it and the old woman giggled.
"Ah, a feisty young fox and a fallen along for the ride." She said dropping the rune to the ground. It turned to dust.
The second rune she held toward Taljic. It glowed bright blue again and then an even brighter orange. The rune vibrated and whispered again. The old woman made a noise as if confused and then dropped the rune.
The last rune she held toward the Princess who was beginning to rouse. The rune shook, glowed bright blue and then went black and whispered again softly. The old woman made a sad sound and dropped the last rune onto the ground where it joined the others as dust. She crossed the room and began pacing in front of the fire.
"Trouble...trouble..." Said the old woman. "And to think I was going to ask you to stay for dinner...tsk tsk....serves me right hoping for decent...intellectual
company....well now...what to do...what to do with three filthy rats...brothers and sisters yes....but they are the reason for our suffering...." The old woman kept mumbling to herself in a voice that sounded half-crazed. Her ramblings had woken the Princess who looked around frantically, her face turning more red by the moment.
"Kind lady, could you please let us down?" She asked. "Then perhaps we could speak as civilized people?"
The old woman whose back was towards the Princess stopped pacing abruptly and stiffened as Noretaku spoke.
"Are you alright?" Noretaku called.
The old woman turned towards Noretaku in a motion too quick for someone her age and immediately stood straight dropping her cane. Noretaku and Chern stared in shock. Taljic whose face was pressed hard against the wall could only utter small sounds of surprise.
Then the woman dropped her cloak to reveal a body that was rapidly transforming. Her white hair was growing shorter and shorter and changing color, the purple splotches on her hands began to fade and now her breasts were shrinking and her face becoming angular and masculine.
After a few moments the transformation was complete and Noretaku gasped loudly.
The person before her lifted their hand and made a waving motion, a silver glimmer coming from their hand. Noretaku, Chern and Taljic were gently pulled from the walls and place on their feet.
They all stared at the person before them. Taljic clenched his fists in anger.
"No!" He shouted.
Noretaku ran forward, tears in her eyes and hugged Pierce who embraced her tightly.
"Nore....: He said sobbing.
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