“For the last time: let him go, you old Hag.” sighed Xakiah rather annoyed.
Giggling, Madame Mim responded, “Sweetie, you’re too kind.”
“Perhaps…but you’re still missing the point.”
“Oh, very well you party-pooper.” she said as she relinquished me from her grip. “Here he is in—ugh—perfect condition.”
“Thank you.” After escorting me out of Madame Mim’s house and back on the road that would take us to Camelot, Xakiah asked me, “Etzel…why were you playing with Madame Mim?”
“Hah! ‘Play’ indeed!” I huffed. Xakiah then gave me one of those sarcastic grins of hers, letting me know that what she had just said was meant in fun rather than accusation. Leveling my voice, I went on to explain to her that I was at Madame Mim’s house because she had taken something important from me and that I made it my mission to get it back. I did not want to mention to her that the thing that Madame Mim had stolen was a gift that I had gotten for her and thankfully, she did not ask me of its identification.
Instead, she asked, “What? You really thought that you could just waltz right into Madame Mim’s house without suffering…an ordeal first?”
“Well, obviously I had not foreseen her transforming herself into a pink dragon during what was supposed to be a duel.” Xakiah, upon my saying that, shot me a look that clearly told me that she thought me a fool for thinking that. I have never favored looking that way to her, so in a rushed effort to explain myself I told her, “I know, that was folly of me to think that way, but I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt.”
“…If you say so.” We walked in silence again after that. During that period I could not stop myself from wondering if I had disappointed her in the way that I had carried myself. She must have sensed this because, after a few moments, she playfully tugged my cheek and said, “Don’t worry Etzel…your naivety is one of the qualities about you that I find adorable.”
“Lady Xakiah,” I moaned as I gently moved her hand away.
Giggling, Xakiah asked, “What’s the matter Etzel? Are you embarrassed to admit that you’re blushing?”
“No I am not!”
Giggling again, Xakiah remarked, “Oh, yes you are!”
Unfortunately, I had to admit to myself that she was right. When I finally did, I quickly came up with a way to produce the same effects on her, and it was a plan that I particularly fancied on executing immediately. “Hmm…that may be so…but I know that you do the same exact thing when something is or is about to happen to them.”
“Oh, really?” she asked in disbelief. “And what in heaven’s name could that possibly be?”
“I am pleased you asked, my Lady. You see, it comes in parts. First, I approach so close to you that you have to look up to see my face,” which I did posthaste. I saw her flinch a little when I did this so I resorted to wrapping my arms around her small body. “Second, just before I lower my head to—”
“Hold on, is this necessary?” She asked anxiously as she frantically peered around my massive frame.
“Of course,” I started before grinned and lowered my voice to that of a whisper, “How else am I to make certain that you will not escape from my embrace?” With that, I felt her whole body freeze and her eyes open wide. Before I had a chance to continue what I had in mind, Xakiah used some of her magic to force us apart. When she had accomplished this feat, she presented me with a hard right into the same cheek that she earlier had so much fun tugging.
Panting, she screeched at me, “You’ve got a lot of nerve there, heathen! Just what in God’s name gives you the right to try and…and…do whatever it was you had in mind?!”
Amused at her reaction and satisfied with making her blush, a wide grin spread across my face as I rubbed my now swollen cheek and teasingly asked, “Oh, but my Lady, don't you know what I want?”
Turning into a darker shade of red than before, she walked back up to me to give me another slap on the opposite cheek. This time, I did not allow her to succeed and caught her wrist just before it was going to launch itself at me and used my free arm to scoop her off of her feet.
Pressing her forehead against mine, I whispered to her, “Now, now, Lady Xakiah, such rough-play is not recommended to use on your friends. Especially when the friend in question is one that would love nothing more than to give you pleasure unlike any one you have ever known.” My plan was to present her with a deep kiss, but I decided against it when I felt her whole body quake. As strongly as my feelings were for this beautiful and unique woman, I could not bring myself to torment her any further than I had already had. If there was one thing I knew about her, it was that there were boundaries that I could not cross as of yet, and that it would be some time before Xakiah would feel comfortable enough to lower her guard and allow me in to fill in that void that was created by years of pain and suffering. “But alas,” I said as I relinquished her from my grasp, “Such pleasure will have to wait for a more suitable time, I suppose.”
*~*
“Xakiah!” I yelled frantically as I dashed across the pits of Camelot’s dungeons. “Xakiah, where are you?!” This is all my fault…I never should have let her out of my sight! Cursing myself for my lack of foresight, my pace quickened as my mind went through the horrid possibilities of what the eerie silence in the dungeon could possibly mean in relation to her. What made me even more furious at myself was for failing to fulfill that promise that I had made to her on the night of the full moon so long ago; that promise to protect her, no matter the cost, and to always go to her side when she called my name, no matter the reason. And I could hear her voice echoing in the back of my mind, begging for me to save her. Even worse, I could hear her crying—something she had not done since that first time I had met her.
I do not know how many rooms I must have destroyed in my search for her, I only know that it was too many for my liking. It was not until I came across the cell that we had recently housed the man who had framed Sir Kay that I came across something I had not noticed before. When I stopped to investigate it further, I found that this unknown object was a dark portal, which emanated a few of Xakiah’s screams.
~*~
With that last image still fresh on my mind I jerked myself awake, gasping as though I had just finished sparring against one of the other members of Organization Zero. (More notably Pashnirix in his dragon form for the simple matter that I found great pleasure and honor fighting him in that state and did so quite frequently.) After darting my eyes back and forth I noticed that no one was in the room with me and attempted to hoist myself from the bed once more. However, I found out all too soon that this analogy was a disillusion of my own invention.
“I must admit, I’m surprised to see you awake right now, especially considering that normal Nobodies don’t wake up after being drugged with this stuff for at least five days. You, on the other hand, have managed to rouse yourself up after three and a half. Tell me; is this because you have an incredible immunity, or is it because you’re just that stubborn?”
Grinning, I answered, “It is the Saxon blood that runs through my veins, Verex. We are some of the most hard-headed people in the universe next to the Norse and the Celts, and it takes nothing short of decapitation to kill us.”
“Really? Then I won’t feel so bad for resorting to this.”
“Resorting to what?” I was answered with yet, another needle injected into my arm.
“For resorting to using a dose that would be more than enough to knock out an elephant, that’s what. Oh and…don’t bother waking up until the drugs officially wear out this time, alright you stubborn knight?”
Unwillingly, I did what I was told. After Verex had injected me with that dose, though, I found that the tapestries of my memory were considerably harder to see. Eventually, I gave up on trying to focus on what I saw and let sleep take me over completely. When I woke up for the third time my body was completely healed and I decided to use that opportunity to escape and rush to Xakiah’s side to talk to her about things we did not receive a chance to discuss the last time we met. Before leaving the premises, however, I promised myself that the first objective that I had upon returning back to Citadel Abyss was to thank Verex for having put up with me while I was at the infirmary.
~Etxel
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Long post, I know, but I don’t think I’ll get a chance to do much this weekend due to stuff going on at my University.
Anyway, “feorhbana” is Saxon for “man-slayer.” Also, if you noticed how I altered the spelling of Etxel’s name throughout this post, it’s because in the times it’s spelled with a “z” he’s human. Why such a minor change? Well, that’ll have to be left for another day! XD
Later y’all! ^_^
