A hazy glow brought Avis back from her dreamlike state, her mind staticy and blank. She slowly sat up, reaching an arm to rub her scorched neck. She opened her eyes, taking in her surroundings.
The first thing that really hit was that she was soaking wet. Her hair was knotted and ratty, and her olive-green tunic was ripped in several places.
She shook her head, trying to brush the dust from her mind. She rested in a half-dry Cenote, cool, clear water lapping at her now-bare toes. Avis slowly got to her feet, blinking at the two pearly moons above in the deep indigo sky.
Stars were scattered like freckles, seemingly dancing in the warm breeze. A flicker of pale blue light emitted from a smoothed-out cave, catching Avis's eye.
Ducking, she stepped into the cave, running her hand along the mabled gray walls. A blue fire flickered in the center of a somewhat-larger chamber with a sky-hole of sorts about 20 feet from the entrance. A figure wrapped in a silky white robe, like the ones worn by sodiers and gurad of Rin, sat, eating a bowl of steaed clams.
"Hello." They smiled, their blonde hair messy. It was the prisoner from the Castle!
"W- what happened?" Avis blurted.
They replied, "Well, we were both about to be killed, and then I ripped the spear from the girl guard and stunned them both and freed us, disguised as them,"
"…Wow. What's your name? Who ARE you?"
"Sit…" The stranger smiled, motioning to a spot beside them.
Avis abliged, sitting down on the cool white sand.White smoke from the fire drifted up through the sky-hole, fading away into the summer night.
"My name is Koshi. I am a healer from the Sivu Mountains, far north of Triss."
"Huh. I'm Avis. From Wretch. I'm an artisan. Or should I say, WAS an artisan…" Could she ever go back to her old life? Was there anything LEFT of her old life?
Koshi's voice was soft. "I miss my family. Archer, my younger sibling. They were the world to me…"
"That must be so hard for you."
"It is…"
They sat quietly, the cool air clashing with the warmth of the fire.
"Why aren't we outside, under the open stars?" Avis asked as Koshi offered her several clams.
At this shadow crossed Koshi's face. "Water makes me pass out. I can hardly drink it, it can't touch my skin."
"Oh. I'm sorry…" Avis yawned.
"Let's rest…" The two lay down on the soft, pale sand on either side of the fire, its indigo embers glowing faintly.
"Thanks for, y'know, saving me."
"I do it for Archer."
Avis drifted off again, feeling a sense of calm. The only remaining Cenotes were in Yorún, south of Rin's Queendom. She was safe.
ns 15.158.61.20da2
