[Kitsumi]

Knowing that she wouldn't let up until he relented, Ilias began maneuvering out of the top half of his clothing. It hurt where the fabric pulled at his wound, but eventually he managed to finish. He was an incredibly attractive man, with a statuesque figure that could have been chiseled by the gods themselves, and bronze skin that almost appeared to glow.

But Lael was much more concerned about the deep gash that was steadily weeping brackish blood.

[Kitsumi]

"Shit, Ilias, this is bad," the woman murmured as she gently touched the red, puffy skin near the wound. "We need to take care of this, or you're gonna bleed out before you can heal."

The difficult part would be finding everything that she needed to treat him. It wasn't as if she had bandages or anything with her.

[Kitsumi]

"Start ripping some long strips of fabric from your robe," Lael demanded. As he did as he was told, she removed her sweater, balling it up and pressing it to his wound as she attempted to slow the bleeding. Once he had a few bandages torn from the upper half of his robe, she replaced her sweater with a folded piece of the fabric, before tying it in place with the rest.

[Kitsumi]

Frowning, Lael looked over her handiwork with a critical eye. "That's not going to hold very long," she warned.

"It's good enough for now," Ilias assured her. "Now please, can we get a move on?" He began walking ahead, hoping that he could prove that he was fine by walking on his own. But within seconds, he found himself leaning heavily on the woman, unable to carry his own weight.

[Kitsumi]

With the adrenaline having faded, Ilias was forced to rely once again on Lael's strength. He hated hearing her huff and puff as she tried to carry her own weight as well as his. He wanted to tell her to just leave him behind, but he knew that it would be useless.

The woman had proven that she would not leave him, no matter how dire the circumstances.

[Kitsumi]

Thankfully, the safe house was close. The celestial symbols that pointed them in the right direction had been carved into the stone streets, and were invisible to mortal eyes. Ilias of course knew that he would be able to see them, but he was shocked to find that Lael noticed them as well.

[Kitsumi]

"Won't the cultists find us?" the woman asked, sounding incredibly exhausted. "I mean, if we can follow these symbols, can't they?"

Ilias whipped his head towards her, staring in astonishment. "How... you can see them?" When she nodded, he chuckled, more out of incredulity than amusement. "You keep surprising me, prophetess."

[Kitsumi]

"Please don't call me that," Lael had stiffened upon hearing the word 'prophetess'. Ilias may have seen her gift as a blessing, but she considered it a curse. After all, she had been forced to go on the run as soon as her abilities revealed themselves, constantly hiding from those who hunted her.

[Kitsumi]

"Sorry," Ilias apologized quickly. "I mean it as a term of reverence. But if you don't like the title, I'll try to remember to address you by your name."

It was a very strange feeling. The two of them had been through enough together to trust each other with their lives... and yet they still knew so little about each other.

[Kitsumi]

"Anyways," Lael was eager to change the subject. "Why are you so surprised that I can see those markings?"

"Mortals shouldn't be able to see them," Ilias replied. "But then again... I suppose you aren't mortal, are you? I guess I should have realized that you would be able to see through the glamour around them."

[Kitsumi]

There it was again: a reminder that Lael was not a normal human woman. She gritted her teeth, and pulled Ilias forward perhaps a bit harder than she should have. When she heard his small sound of pain, she felt guilty, but not quite enough to apologize.

"Let's just keep moving," she grumbled. "Don't talk, just save your energy."

[Kitsumi]

He knew that he had upset the woman, but Ilias couldn't figure out how. For a moment he considered asking her, but that didn't seem like a good idea. Lael was already frustrated, and further conversation would risk fanning the flame of her anger. Maybe once she cooled down, he could figure out why she was so mad.

[Kitsumi]

"Is this it?" Lael was certainly not impressed by the tiny shack that would serve as their 'safe house'. It looked barely large enough to fit both of them while standing. If they had to stay in such a small area together all the time, they would likely end up killing each other.

[Kitsumi]

"Do not let its appearance deceive you," Ilias advised. "I can assure you that the safe house is fully equipped to house us. It will provide for all of our needs for at least a month, possibly more, depending on how many people have used it in the past."

Lael didn't look like she believed him in the slightest.

[Kitsumi]

Pushing off of the woman, Ilias staggered to the door. "Let me show you," he said. Swinging it open, he stepped inside and gestured for the woman to follow him. She did so, practically having to press her body against his in order to close the door behind her as he instructed her to do.