524. Day and Night, 3
(Rose)
It took me a few days to acclimate, recover, and keep my mind balanced.
I could see my darkness lurking around in the worst of nights. I held on and recovered, thanks to Blume and Nightmare caring for me. I miss Bleue, but I live on.
One morning, we finally resumed our journey into the mountainous lands ahead.
Around her backpack, Nightmare now carried three coloured crystalline balls. They were giant droplets of experiments based on blood.
She’s living her way without a care. It’s somehow comforting to witness.
~
Our path of dry earth slithers around the peaks and valleys, or rather plateaux, of this land. Despite being summer, February maybe, the air turns cold fast when it’s humid or the sun is absent.
And one day, around a Cliffside we just climbed, we found a natural barrier in our way. A deep gorge with rapids, small but nervous streams and waterfalls making a river.
Quite a sight to enjoy, and we all properly did. But a challenging obstacle to pass.
There was no bridge in sight. Just violent waterfalls.
Before resorting to magic right away, we climbed up into the mountain, looking for a path above the highest waterfalls we could see.
~
We were actually on a quite enjoyable detour. The sights as we gained further altitude grew even further in magnificence.
And on the plateau above the waterfalls, we reached a lake. A heavenly landscape.
Finally an easy way to go across.
R – Now we can swim.
N – ...
R – Hm?
N – I don’t think I can.
Above the lake, it wasn’t much more practical than below. We weren’t on the highest peaks yet but still.
The water was freezing cold, but slow enough in its flows for us to swim across. Nightmare was nervous however at this prospect.
R – Given how easy it has been for you to use your human body thus far, why would swimming be any different?
N – I think I would rather sail, or fly.
R – Come on now, it’s fun to swim. I’ll teach you.
She made me even more eager to go that way, as seeing her flustered and nervous about something is a rare sight. It just never happens.
Her being nervous about swimming is so human, in a trivial way, I just want to enjoy it as much as the landscape.
Excuse after excuse, I slowly bend her will into a pouty and reluctant acceptance. She submitted herself in a great sigh while I was beaming.
Blume was laughing at her in a far less subtle manner her amusement.
~
Learning to swim in icy water isn’t the best. So for now we focused on the essentials, with the goal to get across that same day.
We would learn more about swimming another time.
Nightmare had an instinctive reluctance to keep her head below the surface. She didn’t have the best intuition either as how to move her limbs to achieve swimming. Some people can find it easy and natural, not her.
I taught her, holding her hands as we gently swam along the shore.
Since I rarely undress, I discover again the skin colours over my arms. Now I just find it lovely to look at, like art. Some kind of natural art I guess. Biological art.
Nightmare is acting a little intense, trying her best not to panic as she follows my lead. It’s rough for her, I can tell at the way she glares and move in abrupt fashion. But she doesn’t complain even once.
After a long cold time in the water, she begins to understand.
B – Hydrodynamics have many similarities to aerodynamics.
N – You could have started with that Blume!
B – Seeing you struggle was more fun.
Nightmare eructs in anger and almost drowns.
I pull her out and bring her back to shore while she’s coughing.
On all four limbs, catching her breath back, she’s trembling from the cold and her anger against Blume.
It seems these few words would have been enough to reassure her and help her right from the start.
I pinch Blume’s flowers on me. Bad little flower. Nightmare wants to rip them out and stomp them I can tell.
We settle for camping there for the night and cross on the next day. Enough emotions for this time.
We don’t find much to burn but we get by. Slowly we warm up and dry.
R – I assure you that swimming can be really fun. Don’t let that bad little flower get to you.
N – ...
Nightmare pouts and goes to sleep. Blume pretends she’s not here. I sigh, chuckle, and follow them to sleep.
~
The next day, we make it.
The bags floated on a big piece of plastic found a little further by the shore. I swam ahead with it, then back to help Nightmare and her levitating globes.
She carefully put her previous orbs of refined blood on the floating board, and began to swim slowly alongside with me.
I reassured her over and over as we carefully swam. I encouraged her.
The floating board was magically following Nightmare, which kept our hands free. The invisible leash she has on the globes are pulling the board along in a way. That invisible link made things easier.
R – Just like you’re doing yes... Keep the pace, it’s good...
N – ...
R – More than halfway now. Almost there Night.
N – ...
She slipped at some point, losing the rhythm. I grabbed both of her hands before panic got to her and helped her restart the tempo.
R – Good. All good...
Nightmare was too focused to manage any reply. She was unsettled.
We made it over eventually. We quickly buried ourselves under a blanket next to a fire.
After another hour or so, it was getting better. Swimming out here drains you like nothing else still.
R – You did it. Congratulation, sis.
Nightmare, trembling less, finally broke into a thin smile.
R – You enjoy being human, don’t you?
N – Just a little...
We rested there until the end of the day, and night.
The next morning, we resumed our journey ahead.
~