Love and War: Wager (part 4)

Somehow both Giat and Ella made it back to their rooms with no one noticing. At least so far as Ella knew. Both had agreed they’d run back, if they thought they weren’t going to make it. Ella had, so she would just have to hope Giat was at least safe. The result was a rather sleepless night, and her scrambling to at least look presentable as she was called that morning.  “Wait you’re…” Ella tilted her head upon hearing the summation of her mission.

“I’ve been in discussion with that disgraceful human, and we agreed to a bit of a wager.” Ella’s chiefess stated. “So I'm sending you out with Giat to settle it.”

“Umm.. okay. I’ll do my best…” There was clear hesitation in Ella’s voice. But it seemed to go unnoticed, so she was sent out into the woods without so much as a 2nd thought. She considered just heading back to Sofia’s bar, but she still didn’t know anything about what happened to Giat. Something felt off about this whole thing, but for once she was actually supposed to go find him. She began the walk over to human terrority maintaining a sense of caution despite everything she had been told. She stopped in a clearing close to the border as the air grew stiff. She looked around as random bushes rustled counter to the wind. “Giat…” There was a low growl, and a deadly looking glare. But despite it more animalistic instinct, the creature looked human. “It’s just me, dear…” She took a step back, and heard the sound of a twig snapping. Giat charged towards her on all four. His eyes still blood red. Swiftly she dodge. And was then forced to do a makeshift block, and swung at her the second she turned around. She mostly held her the ground, and tried to calm him down. “Giat stop!” There was little to no response as he kept charging at her, and swung at him while he was in whatever makeshift armor they gave him seemed out of the question. “Giat! It’s me, Ella. You must remember… You have to be… somewhere in there.” It was an increasingly difficult fight for Ella. Both because Giat was launching a wild offensive on her, and because she was often forced to lock eyes with him. He was launching every attack he could as fast as he could, but that was nothing compared to the way he was looking at her now. She was starting to not have a choice, and eventually couldn’t take anymore. She began launching attacks of her own, which only fed into his behavior. “Whoever did this.” She stated clashing weapons with him as she spoke. “Whoever made you do this.” Dodging as Giat did 5 attacks in a row before she struck back. “Everyone, even remotely involved in this is going to die!” She held her ground, and locked weapons with Giat. “Even if I have to personally plague every last one of them.” Giat only pushed forward in response. Slowly sliding her backwards. Ella for her part never imagined she could have done was she about to, but in sheer anger she pushed back with enough force to knock Giat into a tree. Walking towards him, and holding her blade up with watery eyes. She looked down only once before closing her eyes, and lifting the blade slightly higher. There was a slight pause before slightly lowered as Ella sniffled, and threw her blade into the ground away from either of them. “Please…” She stated collapsing on her knees. “Hal-ganoir. Shelna. Whatever forbidden god.” Ella hugged Giat. “I’m sorry. I-I… we should’ve run… I’ll run. Wherever I have to. Wherever you want me to!” She wiped the tears from her eyes. “Just...” There was a long pause, and a loud sniff. “It just has to be with him.” With nothing else to say she remained there crying a on her knees for what would be the longest moment of her life before a long human sounding groan made her perk up.

“Ugh…” Gait stated holding his head before attempting to get up. Barely able to lift anything after his performance he propped himself up on his arms still fully laying down. There were still tears running down Ella’s face as she looked like a miracle had just happened. There was a long silence as Giat processed it all. “They force fed me a devil’s lily… to kill you.”

“A devil’s… the bright purple flower on lily pads?” Giat merely nodded. “Giat those things aren’t-” Giat looked at her as she paused before getting up. “You can walk?” She held her hand out, and helped him up.

“I believe so.” Giat stated. “You’re not-” The marching, and shouting of both their armed forces could be heard in the distance.

“It wasn't you.” Ella stated looking back as the hooves grew louder. “What did you see?”

“Is this really the-” Ella pressed her chest into his, and looked up as he protested. A look of determination he hadn’t ever seen before. “That… fungal cave. Near the waterfall. Hey!” Ella had already grabbed his arm, and taken off. Giat had the sense to follow until they were a safe distance away, but halted himself and Ella once they were far enough. Ella turned around.

“Because.” She stated. “I’d go anywhere, and do anything as long as I get to keep you close.” She hugged him tight. “So I’m not even giving the god a chance this time.” With that she dragged him off to the cave. However confused he may have been, this wasn’t something she was going to let go.

Ella was hugging tight in their apartment for most of the time they were describing this part of the story. Over time Giat’s memory of that fight had returned, and he often picked up where Ella couldn’t. After a few times of her trying to pick back up, she eventually just let him tell the story. “The forbidden gods, as we called them, are not a force you casually invoke.” Giat continued as the journalist tooks notes. “Apparently however, they were on our side this time around.”