To Claim What's Left

The world around Citrine seemed to slow as she turned, her gaze falling upon her companion standing a few paces away behind. The warrior's expression was darkened within the shadows of the hills, but she could sense the soberness from where she sat.

Her throat attempted to speak, to ask how much the ogrelyn had heard, but nothing came out.

"…" Ferris looked at the ground for a few seconds, seemingly also searching for words to say.

Then, she spoke. "Citrine. Can I sit with you?"

Air thickened, and Citrine's eyes dropped, staring at the ground with ears flattened, as if attempting to block out any unwanted thoughts or emotions.

But, of course, she couldn't.

So, with a bit of reluctance, the half-elf nodded, and her companion slowly made her way up the rest of the hill, the sound of boots crunching on dirt and grass accompanying her as magic elongated stool into bench. It seemed the warrior had shed some of her plate since earlier, exposing a new gambeson to the air. It was probably one of the things she'd bought from the shops before they'd departed.

The warrior took a still seat beside her, both parties simply staring at the sunset, the last rays of light sinking beneath the horizon. It was like that for a long period, just sitting and existing as the world turned and the stars finally rose to speckle the sky.

When chillness began to run through the air, Citrine's eyes flickered to the ogrelyn, taking in the sight of softened features and distant eyes in the pale moonlight.

She seemed to notice the attention, returning the favor to her.

"Rockelf, I got a question for you."

"…" The nickname drifted with her for a while, then settled like the cold of the evening as her chest tightened.

"What is it?"

The warrior shifted, hesitating briefly. "What do you think about me?" Her fingers tapped against her breast. "You can tell me honestly."

Citrine's heart pounded, and for a moment, both curse and pain flared at the same time. She did her best to ignore it.

"I… think of you highly. You're strong, kind, and dedicated to a fault." She paused, her face falling as her eyes shifted back to the sky. "You're a friend who's helped me countless times, a warrior who's protected the world, and an inspiration to many."

"…" Ferris didn't say anything.

The shopkeep's mouth thinned, already tired of dancing around the subject. "But that's not what you meant, is it?"

"…"

The ogrelyn's gaze hardened, her jaw clenching and unclenching. A minute passed before she softly responded.

"No, it's not."

Her hands tightened. There was a small noise as she swallowed, and her eyes flicked toward the half-elf.

"Sorry about earlier, the teasing and all. I was trying to deal with something in my mind. It was dumb of me."

The half-elf shook her head. "Hm? Like earlier in the day? You've nothing to apologize for. It was admittedly entertaining, you made a point about the golems, and I was more or less teasing you too anyway."

"I mean more so the thing that prompted you to get up and leave." Ferris's expression turned wry. "I shouldn't have tried to compensate for my own wants like that. It was childish of me."

Another silence descended upon the duo as they sat there, watching the night sky slowly turn. This time though, Citrine was the one to break it.

"I'm a hypocrite, aren't I? Telling you to be honest and open up, yet not doing so myself."

No response aside from a lip quirk, just the sound of wind and the rustling of trees. The chill in the air was starting to bite, and despite the warmth she could feel emanating from Ferris's body, the half-elf couldn't help but feel cold.

"Alright." Ferris's voice was soft. "Let's be honest with each other."

"About what?"

The warrior didn't look at her. "Everything. This moment. Our past. Is that alright?"

Citrine's heart thumped in her chest in, the curse and pain flaring in unison as she anticipated the meaning. She ignored the latter, but not the former this time.

"Very well. Did you want to speak first then, or…?"

"Yes. It's best not to waste any more time, right?"

Ferris's chest took in the moment, expanding as she braced herself.

"Would you be opposed to a deeper relationship with me? Something more… intimate—beyond what we have now."

The world slowed down as Citrine turned to her friend, the space between them suddenly feeling small to the point that it was nearly suffocating. The half-elf could feel the heat from the woman next to her—her breath, her heartbeat, and the scent of the day and dirt.

And yet it wasn't enough.

Her hand bridged the rest of the gap, resting on the woman's arm.

"Ferris… I'm attracted to you in more ways than one." The words came out of her mouth before she had time to process them. "I've been trying not to think about it. Trying not to acknowledge it, but I can't. You're too much, and I can't resist it. Your strength, your compassion, your kindness, and yes, your new form. I've always admired you, even back then, when you weren't quite yourself."

Ferris's eyes widened. "…Citrine."

A pause settled once it was clear the warrior could say no more, and then the half-elf's voice cracked.

"Look at us, two grown 'legends' of the world, and we're fumbling like trainees. It's embarrassing."

The half-elf's eyes fell shut as existence continued to beat on.

"Ferris… I want to ask one thing from you before I continue my response. However, not as your former party leader, nor even your friend. I want to as someone who cares about you deeply."

"Of course. Anything." The ogrelyn's reply was instant this time, albeit subdued with emotion.

Citrine's fingers dug into her clothes, nails biting against flesh as she pieced the question from whatever remained of her heart's desire.

"…Will you stay by my side until the end, even beyond Nexuspoint? Will you carry on, even once our journey has concluded?"

Face raised. "O-obviously. Who do you think I am?"

The wind picked up again with the immediate response, albeit with less edge to it than before.

Pointed ears flushed downward with a smile.

"…It's a promise then."

The shopkeeper braced herself like the stone beneath her feet, opening eyes as she tried to get her words out. Her throat was dry. Her skin, clammy. And yet somehow, she knew she would manage to speak what needed to be said.

"Ferris, we've given much to the world, haven't we? We've fought for it, bled for it, sacrificed life and essence alike…"

Her teeth clenched, and her eyes flickered. Her companion had gone silent, and the world felt still for just a moment, almost frozen in time.

"But it's over. Our job is done, and it's not our place to continue the story, not with our lives, and not even our deaths. So instead, let's give ourselves something. Something that isn't for the world, or anyone else. Something just for us."

Her hand moved to the woman's shoulder, then up to her chin, and then finally her cheek.

"I refuse to let the world take anything more from us. So let's claim what's left, shall we?"

The warrior's face blushed in the starlight, and her lips parted, as if to speak, but no words came out.

"…" Then, she reached up a hand of her own, her fingers tracing over the half-elf's knuckles.

"I would be glad to."

In an instant, a warm and heavy weight sent tingles through her being, the sound of their breaths mingling with the beat of Citrine's heart.

She could sense the ogrelyn about to ask something in their closeness, but she nodded, preempting the question—she already knew what it would be.

Her eyes closed, and then, their lips touched.

Softness. That's all the half-elf could feel in that moment. Softness, and the heat of Ferris's body as souls mingled in the dark. She didn't resist, didn't have the strength to, and simply allowed herself to be held in the moment, to be embraced in a new, yet comforting sensation.

Then it ended.

They parted before leaning into a different type of closeness, arms wrapped around one another in an embrace. The duo remained there for a while, the night forgotten with both women's ears red as ruby.

It was only once their hearts had been filled that they pulled away amidst the sound of breaths and the rustle of leaves.

"We should probably return to shelter now."

"…Agreed. We need our rest."

The two of them slowly stood, beginning their way down the hill as dirt and grass shuffling beneath their feet. However, barely a few seconds into the descent, Ferris paused, turning to the geomancer with eyes brighter than any gem in her collection.

"Hey Citrine?"

"What is it, Ferris?"

"Can… Can I carry you, please?"

The half-elf's ears perked up at the request. It was a strange one, and not one she was expecting.

But…

She stopped, giving a nod as she waited for the warrior to pick her up.

"…" Ferris's arms were careful as she reached for the approving half-elf, yet she could still feel their strength as they wrapped around her torso and legs. She soon departed the ground, cradled to the ogrelyn's chest.

"Comfortable enough?" Ferris asked, breath hot against Citrine's cheek.

"…I think so."