Tbate | A clash between times | The beginning after the end

Chapter 26

Caera Denoir

I felt myself stir awake. My entire backside was warm and I felt two arms go around my waist. They were interlocked on my stomach. I looked down and saw two pale arms; They were Grey's. I turned my head around and up only to see his sleeping face, it was calm. "He really does look like a girl when he's asleep. He's actually really handsome. Wait, did I just call Grey handsome? Why did I call him that?" I felt my face get red.

"I should probably get ready for the day," I started to move but I realized It was harder to get away from Grey's hold than I thought. Not because I couldn't but because I didn't want to. "He's so warm. His smooth skin is so calming... I feel safe. Wait if Grey wakes up and sees me like this..." I quickly got out of his grasp and sat up straight. Grey still hadn't woken up.

I put my hands on his face. I don't know why I did it but I couldn't stop. I began to move my hand up until I reached the top of his head. I then remembered what Grey did last night. He started to rub my head after I learned what we did to his friends. He did it to make sure I didn't take the blame of my people. "Are they really my people anymore? I don't have any connection with them, the only Alacryan I have a connection with is Seris."

I then put my hands on top of my own head. I started to rub it the same way Grey did, it didn't feel quite right when I did it; I then felt my invisible horns. "If only I didn't have these horns. I wouldn't have been taken away from my real family. I wouldn't need to live in fear from becoming a test subject for Agrona. These... These disgusting things. I never needed them, I was fine in the relic tombs without them. These things show that I'm nothing more than a glorified experiment. Mere cannon fodder for when Agrona would go against the Asuras."

I put one hand on each of my horns and started to pull. I didn't want them anymore, Grey hates them. The first thing he did once he saw them was almost kill me, they probably only remind him of the retainers that killed his people. I started to pull harder but nothing happened. "Since I'm too weak to do it with my hands I'll need to use my sword."

I got out a dagger from my dimensional ring and placed the blade right on top of where my horns connected to my head. I was just about to cut them off when a hand stopped me. I turned and saw Grey. He was holding my wrist stopping me from cutting off my horn. "What are you doing?!" he yelled at me.

"I'm getting rid of my horns."

"Why?"

"I-" I couldn't bring up any argument that would make any sense to Grey, much less anything that could convince him. "Caera, I don't know why you want to get rid of your horns, but I think you should keep them. They look good on you," Grey then grew flustered," W-Well, they also hold most of your mana s-so if you get rid of them you'll be much weaker."

I couldn't help but laugh at his embarrassment. Ever since Grey got his emotions back he's been much easier to talk to. "You're right Grey, I don't know what came over me." I then started to leave the tent when I realized the sun had yet to rise. I also got blasted with cold air as I realized how cold it was outside. There was a thick layer of snow everywhere. It was a wonder our tent was still standing. I pulled myself back into the tent and covered myself in the bed roll.

"Cold out?" I heard Grey tease. "Shut up."

Grey then lifted the bedroll off of me and pulled me into a back hug while we were sitting upright. He then pulled the bedroll around us both. "I thought you didn't like people getting too close to you," I remarked.

"I can't have you going numb before we even start our mission." Grey rebuked. I felt Grey's hand go to the top of my head again. He then started to rub my head again, just like he was the night before." Can Regis and Sylvie hear your thoughts and emotions right now?" I asked him. If Regis knew about what we did we'd ever hear the end of it.