The Aspiring Archivist

"No. It's mine. I shouldn't have attacked my father." He walked up to her. "You're still hurt." Carefully, he put a hand on her stomach, and began healing the wound.

Suddenly, the color began returning to Lerac's face. With a gasp, he sat up, breathing heavily. "Woah."

"Wynn, you're hurt," he mumbled. Weakly grabbing her arm, he began healing her wounds with what little healing energy he had. Then, his hand released and slumped down to the ground. His breath stopped.

"Be careful with what you are interfering, Wynn. You have not violated our agreement, but you push the boundaries." The presence vanished. For the next few minutes, Lerac still did not heal. Instead, he got worse, eyes losing focus, life slipping away.

Nothing seemed to happen. Lerac remained pale and weak. His breath became quick and shallow. A cold presence came over Wynn, the presence of Death. "What are you trying to do, Wynn?"

Lerac took the fruit and bit into it.

Lerac slumped over in his seat. "Wynn, I'm going to die again soon," he said softly.

Lerac shuddered. "Mother... in a different country. Far from here."

Lerac remained limp, except for that slight tremor. He had gone pale, and appeared to be losing a lot of blood himself. He began whispering something faintly. "I'm sorry, father. I'll do better."

Lerac fell to the ground, shaking, still bound and blindfolded. He stayed there, not responding. A large gash was now visible down his back.

The door to the general's office swung open ahead of her, revealing a soldier with a sword. He pointed it at her, seeing the wreckage behind. "Back away!" Another soldier stepped out, dragging Lerac behind, who was bound, blindfolded, and gagged. His head hung resignedly, and he had bruises and cuts on his arms that looked like they were from fighting.

Getting to his feet quickly, Parel ran and tackled Wynn, tumbling them both through the hole in the ceiling and into the hallway below. He landed on top of her, slamming her into the ground with enough force to shatter several ribs.

Parel growled. "You think that threatening me will make me want to work with you?" Behind Wynn, plant tendrils grew along the roof, apparently from existing vines. In a flash, one had wrapped around her neck, while another pierced into her wound and began tearing her up from the inside.

He kicked her in the stomach, right where he had stabbed her, then seized her by her hair. "Jumping onto the palace roof is not leaving. You must go from the city, now!"

Parel yelled angrily, grabbing a spear from a fellow guard. Then, in a burst, he grew a tree under himself, pushing up to the roof to meet Wynn. He swung for her again, aiming for the neck.

"I wouldn't have stabbed you if you were mortal. Now go. You aren't welcome here."

"I see. I don't feel bad about this, then." In a fluid motion that was almost too quick to follow, he took his spear and ran her through with it. "For interfering with palace guards."

"Lerac's father is pragmatic, and not very tolerant. But he isn't a bad man, or unreasonable. Who are you to come barging in here, anyways?" He looked at Wynn searchingly. "Are you and Lerac...? You know."

"He did? How did you provoke him?"

"I don't know, Haly. Something has to be done. If you really need me to stay, maybe I can convince Ashli, but... I promise I'll be careful, okay? I wouldn't do that to you again."

Parel looked apprehensive at her display. "Every decade or so, this land gets ravaged by enemy nations trying to conquer the continent. We barely hang on each time. You wouldn't be able to tell because everything gets grown back by our magicians. Anyway, Lerac was being very critical of the king and his father's leadership in a time where we could not afford to have uncertainty spreading through the people." "It would be suspicious if someone else left, and my allomancy gives me a unique ability to pull it off. I'm sorry... it just seems like the most logical thing. I want to protect you, and this is my best way to help."

Oh, no. TAAron got a bit flustered. "Uh, yeah. It's- it's for the good of your country, and for your safety."

"Ashli and I figured out that the Nolikans have some sort of talisman that they're using to win battles. I have stealth and combat from my metals, so I... volunteered to go and pose as a delegate there."