Across The Sea: Interlude - Amilia and Terra

A FEW HOURS LATER:

The Maiden is sailing once again, but pirate ship is following beside them. The difference now, is that one of Auro's crew is manning the pirate ships helm.

John is standing beside Auro, looking at the former pirate ship as he asks, "So, I thought you needed a crew to run a ship?"

"For the most part yes. We need a crew to keep the ship clean, people fed, and to protect it when we're attacked. Luckily, we don't need to keep any cannons since we have the sprite to do that, and since it also controls the sails, we don't have to worry about that either. A crew is needed mostly for morale. There is nothing worse than being alone at sea."

John then asks, "So, is it just him over there?"

"No, no. There's a few of the crew over there, checking the lower decks, and making sure there isn't any stragglers hidden away" Auro replies as he slightly turns the helm to the right.

"Does that happen often?" John asks.

"It's not common, but it's happened a few times so, it warrants a thorough search. But enough about my crew, how is yours holding up?"

"Well, Kyuala's doing alright. She's definitely hurting, but she won't show it. Amilia's acting like her usual self, but Terra..." John sighs, "Whatever happened on that boat, it rattled her... bad."

Auro sighs, "That's the cost of battle unfortunately. You may escape with wounds, but those shall heal with time. Mental wounds however... they don't heal easy, or in some cases... at all. Whatever she is dealing with, just make sure you're all there for her."

John looks at the wise captain before saying, "We will."

Auro then lightly chuckles, a smiling gracing his face as the afternoon sun shines bright.

TERRA AND LANI'S ROOM:

Amilia is sitting on Terra's bed, leaning against the wall as she sits beside a distraught looking Terra who has her knees to her chest.

Amilia takes quick glances at Terra, unsure of what to say in the current situation. She then has enough of the silence, so she says, "So... do you... wanna talk about it?"

Terra is silent, barely even moving a muscle as her head just hangs down.

Amilia feels awkward again, but she clears her throat to try again, "Uhh, listen... about what happened back there... it wasn't your fault."

"Murdering a man with my bare hands... isn't my fault?" Terra asks with a low voice.

Amilia is a little stunned, "Of course not. They tried to board and kill us, we fought back. We had a chance to finish it, and we took it. It wasn't murder... it was self-defence."

"I've killed in people in self-defence with my magic before. I have trained for that for years, unfortunately. But, I have never... never... taken a life with my own hands before."

Tears begin to fall from Terra's eyes, and begins to sniffle as she remembers her actions from earlier.

Amilia then gently moves over to Terra, carefully putting her arm over Terra to try and comfort her friend. Terra almost instinctively, leans into Amilia's embrace as the tears fall more and more. Amilia is a little taken aback that Terra is leaning on her, so she slowly rubs her arm to try and help with the comforting.

"What did I do Amilia? What did I do?"

Terra's words sound both hopeless and pleading, like she's expecting Amilia to actually answer, but Amilia doesn't know what to say. She struggles for a few moments with some responses, but eventually gets out, "You saved me."

Terra doesn't say anything back, instead she simply continues to let her tears fall as Amilia holds her.

Amilia is once again in a position where she is unsure of what to do or say. She rattles her brain for some sort of hopeful spiel that would help Terra, but nothing seems to be right. Eventually, she has an idea to try and distract Terra.

"Hey uhh... you wanna hear about how Kyuala and I met?"

Terra is confused, but through her tears replies, "Sure."

"Okay. Uhh, well... I haven't told anyone this before, actually, I don't tell a lot of stories in general so bear with me" Amilia takes a breath, "So, when I was a kid, my mom abandoned me. To be honest, I have no idea why, but I assume it was because having a kid around kinda ruins the mood when you're a two copper whore. She didn't even know who my father was, so I guess that technically makes her the better parent. Anyway, my mom left me in the middle of a town that I can't even remember the name of, all I know is that it was cold, wet and creepy as hell. I went into an alley to try and get some shelter, hoping my mom would come back to get me, but she didn't. I spent a few days walking around calling for her, stealing some food when I could, so I didn't just drop dead. I don't remember how far I walked, but I eventually ended up at this large camp in the middle of a field. I went over to look for my mother, and that's when I met Khuna Mar'azu, Kyuala's mom."

"What is she like?" Terra asks, her voice slightly breaking from the crying.

"She is... fucking massive" Amilia and Terra both laugh, "I mean seriously, she is huge. She's like two Johns tall, and four wide, but it's all muscle. I am not ashamed to admit, she's the reason I have domme mommy dreams."

Terra laughs again, making Amilia smile as she continues, "It's true. But in all seriousness... Khuna is one of the kindest people I've ever met. She never once shouted at me, complained about me not doing something, nothing like that. When she found me, it was like I was looking up at a literal goddess. She kneeled down to look at me, and I was sooo scared, but she was gentle, her voice was soothing to hear even though she looked like she could pick up a mountain. She asked where my family was, and I told her the truth. Khuna was shocked, I guess being a mother, the thought of someone leaving their child like that... mortified her. She then asked me if I wanted some food and since I was starving, I obviously said yes. We went to this massive tent where all this food was being made, and I can only describe the smell as orgasmic. I got a huge plate, and I started chowing down like I hadn't eaten in days, which wasn't too far from the truth. After I finished eating, Khuna asked me if I had anywhere to stay, I said no, so she brought me to her tent which was like a whole ass house.

An image appears in Amilia's mind of said tent, "It had pretty much everything you could need or want, and the moment I walked inside, I saw this orc girl that was a two years older than me. As soon as I came in, Khuna's husband Morghal walked in, and she explained everything to him. They went into another room to get some stuff for me to sleep with, and so Kyuala and I just talked. We were laughing within minutes, and Kyuala suggested to her parents that I sleep in her room that night, from that moment on, we were inseparable. We spent pretty much every waking moment with one another, and no matter what Kyuala and I got in to, both Khuna and Morghal treated me like their kid, and I never felt more loved. They even told me that I was like a second daughter to them after Kyuala and I came back after Kyuala finished with her rebellious phase which lasted like two days."

Terra laughs again, sniffling once again before saying, "I remember my rebellious phase although, my mother would argue that I'm still in it."

Amilia chuckles, noticing that Terra is seemingly a little happier than before. Terra then asks, "So, how did you both end up in Reduna'z Gaze?"

Amilia lightly chuckles, "Well, Kyuala's parents are part of a moving camp. They go all around Reduna'zriam, camping near towns and trade with the locals. Now, Kyuala and I always talked about finally settling down somewhere, but it was more Kyuala's dream than mine. So, one time we were camped a little bit away from Reduna'z, so Kyuala and I decided to head into town one last time before we had to go. We were in town for probably over an hour before we walked past this place called the Mandrake Inn. Kyuala looked in the window and saw this 'for sale' sign, and apparently something in her head clicked. She went inside and talked to the previous owner about buying it, I just sat and drank with these really kind old ladies while she did. We finally went back that night, and all Kyuala talked about was the Inn. Her parents were not happy that Kyuala wanted to buy the place since both of their families had been travellers for generations. Kyuala was adamant on buying it, and when Khuna and Morghal asked me to talk her out of it, I stuck by her. They also asked Radvar to talk her out of it, but since Rad is lazy, I assume he saw it as a way to not have to move anymore, and so he stuck with Kyuala. He does really love Kyuala as well, but again, I think it was so he didn't have to move again."

"And that's how the Kreaky Kauldron came about?" Terra asks.

"Yep, and holy fuck was it an effort to get it to where it is now. We spent nearly four months just to get it into somewhat decent condition" Amilia explains.

"You worked in the Kauldron?"

"For about a year" Amilia explains, "When she bought the place, she didn't really think about the cost of hiring staff. She imagined that she'd be immediately making money, but that wasn't the case. We struggled to get by for a few months actually, but that's when the first true hunting season hit. I was working behind the bar at the time when about forty hunters walked in. I was shocked, but that was the happiest I'd ever seen Kyuala at that point, soon after, we had enough money to cover us for the next two winters without question. It was great when the season just started, but after a few weeks, I eventually started to get tired of it. It was day after day of getting cat-called, pun intended, pinched, groped, or straight up grinded on. Kyuala eventually hired more staff, and even got a few big guys to act as bouncers, but I just couldn't take it anymore. I told Ky that I wanted to quit, and she did ask me to stay a bunch, but eventually understood that I wasn't happy. So, I left and went to do my own thing, but I didn't wander too far, I always wanted to be there for Kyuala when she needed me... but then... it all turned to shit."

Amilia sighs, regret showing as she remembers the next part of the story. Terra then hugs Amilia just a little tighter before saying, "You don't have to say anything more."

Amilia sighs once again, "I know I don't have to, but... guess it's only fair you get the whole story."

Amilia takes a breath before starting, "So, a few months after I left, Kyuala started seeing this guy. The first time she talked about him, it was like his shit didn't stink, and he made gems fall from the sky. I can't remember the whole story, but from what I do, they had met after he came in from a hunt. Kyuala was brought up to respect strength, and this guy killed some dangerous beast, so Kyuala automatically knew he was a strong guy. They apparently started talking over the next few weeks, and they hit it off. The first time I heard Ky talk about him, you would've thought he was some god. After I went to my room, I had this intense feeling in my stomach, I couldn't even sleep because of it. I couldn't get rid of it for days, it was like this mixture of hunger and guilt, but I didn't have anything to be guilty about, and I was eating pretty damn good every night."

Amilia takes another moment before going on. "I eventually had to get away from Reduna'z for a little bit, so I went to this little spot I have a couple minutes away from town, and just relaxed in the water. I thought about everything, and that's when I realized that I was jealous. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that Kyuala had everything that I ever wanted. She was making money up the wazoo, everyone loved her, and she even had someone she loved. Then I also realized that, I was scared of losing her. Kyuala had been my only real friend for years, hell, she was my big orc sister, and I felt like she was leaving me behind. The next day, something in me just... snapped? Clicked? I don't know how to exactly describe it, but whatever it was... happened. I got up, and just started throwing myself at men. It didn't matter if it was an orc, minotaur, elf, or anything, I just kept doing it.

Terra notes Amilia's ashamed tone, "I was so hooked by the thrill of it all, that I eventually decided to start making money from it. I was making a lot of money, but I was more focused on the fucking than anything, it was like the orgasm helped me forget about everything that was going on. It worked for a bit, but all that jealously and fear just came back. I had even deluded myself so much, that I got it into my head that I was just an afterthought of Kyuala's life. It was because of the delusion that I decided that I would try and take something away from Kyuala, so I slept with Radvar. I took advantage of that poor guy, he had made it clear that he liked me a few years before we moved to Reduna'z, but he pushed those feelings aside. When I suggested that we bang, I guess all those feelings came back. It only took that one time to convince him to do it, and so we did it."

Amilia feels Terra embrace her just a little bit tighter, "It didn't take long for Kyuala to find out either. She walked into my room and I could tell she was pissed, but she didn't show it. She sat down and talked to me, asked if I was okay, and asked why I did it. Of course, I couldn't tell her the real reason, so I just made up some bullshit about being lonely. Kyuala spent a few hours just talking to me, said that she saw what I was doing with all those guys, and was scared for me. When she left, all I felt was anger. How dare she pity the poor little cat whore, grown up to be just like her whore of a mother. I don't even know why it pissed me off so bad, but I twisted her advice into some insult against me. I managed to delude myself once again, so I decided that it wasn't enough. A few weeks went by, and I just kept planning on how to hurt Kyuala like she somehow hurt me. That moment finally came when Radvar got himself into a pretty rough fight. It was a pretty quiet night since it was raining, but that didn't stop Rad from somehow pissing off this group of guys. The Kauldron was pretty barren, only a few people left when one of Radvar's friends ran in to get Kyuala's help. Kyuala immediately went off, and I was pissed once again, thinking that she wouldn't do that for me cause I wasn't blood. Not long after Ky ran to help Rad, her boyfriend came down the stairs, and he was pretty damn drunk. That's when every idea I had to hurt Kyuala went away, and a new one popped into my head."

Terra is stunned, an idea forming in her head about where this is going before Amilia continues, "Because of all the sleeping around I did, I knew exactly what buttons to push to get my way, especially when it came to men. He came down the stairs to look for Kyuala, and I could see from the look on his face that he was horny as hell. That was when I knew exactly how to hurt Kyuala. I went over to him, and since he knew me, he trusted me. I told him Kyuala was away helping Rad, and he wasn't exactly happy about how much Ky took care of Rad. I agreed with him, and asked him if he needed help to get back upstairs. He took the bait, and I was about to reel him in. I helped him up the stairs and kept pushing his buttons, joking about how he needed release, and he started telling me how badly he wanted it. I offered to help him, but he thought I was joking at first. I started stroking his ego a little, and there was no chance he was escaping the hook I cast. I took him into his room, and we went for it. Clothes came off, we jumped on the bed, and we started. I know its horrible to say, but he wasn't even a good lay."

Terra chuckles a little bit, making Amilia feel a little better, but not for long.

"We were... y'know... when the door was kicked open. We both looked, and there was Kyuala. The look on her face could've made a boulder shit itself. As soon as I saw her, every ounce of jealously and anger I had just... disappeared. When she walked in, the fog that clouded my mind was all gone, and every ounce of guilt hit me like a herd of gurogans ran over me. I immediately got off of him and the boyfriend tried to explain, but Kyuala shouted at him to stop. It was the loudest and angriest I'd ever heard her shout, and I was scared. He tried to put his hand on her shoulder, but Kyuala grabbed it and threw him out of the room. She started grabbing his stuff and chucked every little thing at him. Ky then looked at me, and I couldn't move a muscle. That look in her eyes... I could tell that she wanted to... kill me... right then and there.

Amilia's head drops, "I grabbed my clothes off the floor as quickly as I could before she grabbed me and dragged me all the way to the door with one arm. She didn't even say a single word the entire time. She opened the door and threw me out right into the mud while I barely had a cloth on to cover me. Her boyfriend tried to plead with her, but Kyuala didn't entertain him for a second. Kyuala just looked at me and said 'wait here while I get your stuff,' and since I obviously had no choice, I did. While Ky was away, the now ex-boyfriend was getting pissed, and started shouting at me, calling me every name you could imagine, which I rightfully deserved. He then tried to attack me, and I was so scared. He leapt onto me and tried to strangle me, and I knew I couldn't do a fucking thing about it. I almost wanted him to, I thought it would be fitting for the man whose life I just ruined to end mine."

Amilia stops for a moment, the weight of her words really hitting her, "I guess he was so drunk that he couldn't do it properly cause I managed to hold him off long enough for Kyuala to come back. She grabbed him by the neck and threw him into the wall, pretty sure the wall cracked when he hit it. He limped away after he got up, but when I went to thank her for helping me... I'll never forget that look. She looked at me like I had ruined her life... because I pretty much did."

A tear then rolls down Amilia's cheek, "I was her best friend, and instead of being happy for her and supporting her... I tried to take everything away from her... because I'm a selfish whore. She dropped my bag there and walked back in, and that was the last time we actually had a real conversation for three years. There was a few times when she told me to leave her alone, or to 'fuck off and be a whore somewhere else,' but never anything more than that. Every day since then, I've regretted it so damn much. I would see her in the street, or she'd be going to the market, and every ounce of guilt would hit me all over again. There was so many times where I wanted to just walk up to her and apologize as many times as it took for her to forgive me, but I knew apologies wouldn't do a damn thing to fix what I broke. So, for those three years, I had to sleep in the bed I made... guess it's fitting revenge for who I am."

Terra finally shifts for the first time, now looking at Amilia before asking, "And who are you?"

Amilia is confused, assuming his is some sort of test, but thinks for a moment about how to answer Terra's question. Amilia then smirks before giving the expected answer, "I'm just some ditzy cat slut that's addicted to sex."

Terra notices that Amilia's words hold no real weight. Her answer feels automated and practiced, like she's so used to just using that. Terra then looks deep into her eyes, "Who are you... really?"

Amilia is stunned as Terra's question actually causes some sort of reaction within her. She looks away from Terra's piercing stare as she ponders on how to actually answer the question. She has never actually asked herself that key question, who was Amilia DeLaton?

Amilia thinks harder than she'd probably ever thought before, her mind delving into the parts she's always blocked out and forgotten, trying to get the real answer. Amilia then takes a breath, looking at Terra in her eyes before answering, "I'm... a girl who never wants to be alone again. I want to make my friends happy, and I want to be happy too. I want to be someone who my friends can look at and say 'Hey, Amilia is a fucking awesome person, and she'll do everything she can to help you,' but apart from all of that, I just want to be... me... instead of that scared little girl who got left by her mother all those years ago."

Tears now start streaming down Amilia's face and Terra is the one to hug her, trying to comfort her friend. Amilia holds on to Terra, and a feeling of warmth washes over her as the tears still fall.

As the two hold onto the other, Terra says, "Amilia."

"Yeah?"

"You... are a fucking awesome person."

Amilia then begins to laugh through the tears which makes Terra laugh along with her.

After the laughs calm down, there's a moment of silence between the two. The duo keep their embrace during that silence, the only thing they can hear is the breath of the other. Amilia then decides to say, "Hey Terra."

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

Terra chuckles, "You're welcome."

There's another moment of silence.

"Hey Amilia."

"Yeah?"

"Thank you too."

Amilia is the one to chuckle this time, "No problem... pointy."