While he wasn’t too pleased with leaving what he had considered the closest thing to home, Sol knew that his father would send more assailants to come to subdue him. With Undine’s suggestion, they would leave for the mainland and travel far north to this Jayou place. Parting was sweet sorrow, but he promised himself that he would return to Abed and take it as his own when the dust settled. The entire trip was exhausting as he hadn’t endured a long voyage in centuries due to his imprisonment. Had Abed been a surprise to him over how it changed in his absence, then the mainland surely would have given him a heart attack. So many things that he could vaguely remember were gone and new settlements, cities and the land itself had changed. Sol couldn’t help but feel the slightest out of place with the times though he wouldn’t admit it unless it was squeezed out of the demon.

Was Undine coping any fairer than him?

The pair traveled with the few men that he still had to guard them with the insignificant lives they held. The journey seemed endless when in reality it had been about two months that he had to secretly look over his shoulder, half expecting for Keres and Samyaza or someone else from his past to come to hunt them down. Junko didn’t seem to be a problem to worry about after he had saved her sister from her fishy father. Eventually, they reached their destination, though he had no idea of what he was seeing. A city built along rivers? He had never seen anything like this before, nor of the sights of powerful ships that drifted about hosting a slew of activities. His men were nearly as surprised as he had since they had been bound to Abed.

“Perhaps they would have a hard time looking for us here after all”, Sol muttered absently. It seemed big enough to keep them hidden for a good while, though now that they got here, what were they suppose to do? Were they to kill someone and take their house? They had to be careful and discreet since they were outsiders coming in. It wouldn’t take much for the blame to fall amongst them in no rush. He eyed Undine and sighed, “So what’s the plan?”

She tilted her head. “I have heard that Jayou is just a bit from Karith but before Baltil. It is a river trading city or so many say. Lots of people all year round and enough so that a pair of nobodies looking to hide could get lost. There’s also the underbelly of the city itself that might be useful. Groups have clashed for years there. That’s all I know about it… Aside from that it is a little bit inland. It is more like a resort town from the sounds of it… Though I only know that from the whispers and rumors.”

Undine raised her head ever so slightly, enough that she could nuzzle his face with her own. She was using herself to shield the light from him. The sunlit up all the colors in her hair that always seemed to be hidden by water or darkness. She rested herself upon a propped elbow as she took his hand and gently kissed each of his knuckles. Her movements seemed much better than the night before but there was still fatigue heavily featured in her eyes. Though she would never admit to being weak of any sort if someone were to point it out. She was stubborn like that.

“I bet we could catch an airship to Karith… I’ve never been on an airship before… It’s the last place they would think to look if it is a long trip.”

–

In the end, they had decided to travel by foot after making it to the mainland from a boat. This was the safest option they had decided. Though the mainland peaked her curiosity something bad. Her eyes were everywhere always jumping to whenever they would come across a water source. In the evenings when they were alone or knew they were safe she could take a swim in rivers. She had never tasted such water before. It was different for her. She had been a creature of the sea. She felt very much landlocked and she went stir crazy the first few nights.

Undine was a quick learner. She knew more about survival than she had let on as she traded her finer shells and gold for a quick set of nicer clothing. She looked oddly… normal. Her long normally wild hair was done in a braid for most of the trip. Along their journey, she had observed quite a bit. Her eyes were always watching and always studying. From the little roadhouses, they came across to the inns in small towns. She was always vigilant about watching behaviors that she wasn’t used to seeing.

There had been quite a few eyes on her as well. She had thought perhaps she didn’t mask herself well but there was no hiding her natural beauty even if she had dirt on her skin. Though it still unnerved her. She was used to luring in prey like sailors but she wasn’t used to being admired. They were just about to Jayou when they took their final rest. That was when she heard something that genuinely surprised her. “Mister, you are very lucky to have a pretty wife like that on your arm.” The man’s voice caught her off guard and she moved her face into Sol’s arm almost out of instinct. He hadn’t stayed long enough for Sol or herself to correct him but once they were in Jayou itself… It gave her an idea.

“Stay here,” she told Sol’s men but when she looked up at Sol they were beaming with an idea. She had noticed the small inn not far from where they had entered the city. In all the commotion, which was still making her dizzy, she pulled Sol inside with her. “Excuse me,” her voice was gentle and timid compared to how she normally she spoke. Her face naturally flushed at what she was about to do but it worked to her advantage.

“Can I help you?” It was an older woman who answered her call from behind the counter.

“Maybe…” She sounded so unsure she pried herself away from Sol for the moment. “We were on our way here when we lost all of our luggage, silver, and even our wedding bands.” The woman’s eyes got large at Undine. “I’m quite afraid that we have nowhere to go. I was hoping that perhaps my husband and I could at least work something out. We have our guard too that was sent with us. We are lesser nobles from across the sea and we were being sent for diplomacy reasons to strike a deal up north in the mountains. It’s been such a hard trip and I haven’t had my moonblood you see… So I’m very worried about…” Her face flushed more and the woman started to nod as Undine let her words drift off.

“Well, we’ll get you right taken care of. Can’t have a young woman who might be carrying out in these streets. We’ll put your guards to work and your husband can take care of you… I would suggest getting a job or two to make up for your losses so you can go up north but here in this city it can take a while.” The woman appeared to have a big heart as she narrowed her eyes on Sol. “Your guards do work around the inn and you can stay for however long it takes. Don’t expect the same kindness from the other folk here though.”

Undine’s face lit up as she was handed two keys. “I am giving you and your husband your own room but your guards will have to stay in the storeroom with the supplies… The big key is for the storeroom where they will stay… and the small key is for your room upstairs. It’s the only room on the left.”

“Oh! Thank you so much. I’ll make sure the boys get to work right away once they are rested.” The old lady looked them over once more before making her way into the storeroom to tidy up for the guards. Undine turned to Sol and took a silent sigh of relief as she gave him the storeroom key for the guards. “Why… don’t you go get the boys and I’ll go upstairs to rest. Don’t want to stress my body out too much just in case.” It was all a play but she was hoping Sol had caught on. With a gentle kiss to his lips like a married woman would she let him go on his way.

She made her way up the stairs carefully and got into their room. Collapsing on the bed she groaned a bit as her feet hurt. “I’m not used to land legs Sol,” Undine pouted at him quietly as he finally got into their room.

As much of a culture shock (as well as with the rest of their new environments) provided for him, it was much more of a case for Undine. Sol had paid attention to how she fared, especially when it came to fresh water. It didn’t take long for him to be reminded that she probably only knew of seawater in this world. Nor did the inhabitants help with the matter with their last encounter having someone believe that the two were a couple, let along married. Those thoughts entered Sol’s mind once they got into the inn and watched her change demeanors. While he knew it was a ploy to take advantage of the workers, she damn sure nearly had him convinced. It was strange to see Undine not act with that natural flair of hers but instead appear more like the women seen in the higher classes of society.

He stood by, strong and resilient-looking as he understood her deal and would pretend to be her husband. She was a good actress the more he observed and went over to stand close to her, holding onto her shoulders as she acted up a storm. When it came to the mentioning of moonblood, she had completely lost him and he tried to save face and keep attention away from him. But what the devil was moonblood? Whatever it was, it seemed to work as the woman sympathized with her. Carrying? He looked at his “wife” again and smiled as his hands held onto her more gently. “Yes, yes, of course. My men won’t mind a little work, madam.”

He didn’t particularly like the thought of his followers being used as the help, but the situation was out of his hands at this point and they had to do whatever necessary. He took hold of the key to the storage. “Yes, I’ll be right back…dove” He received the kiss before going back outside and instructed his men on what to do. Once that was settled, he made his way back into the inn and up to the room prepared for them. He peeked around the hall before closing the door and looked at Undine.

“What the hell is moonblood?”, he questioned as he approached her, arms crossed tightly together. As smart as he was, he didn’t really have the sort of knowledge that she had on such…delicate matters. Mainly because to him, they weren’t that important to learn back in his prime. “I suppose we should explore the city at night, seeing how that’s when the fun begins.” He hadn’t ignored her comment and looked onto her legs before he sat on the bed, warmed up his hands a bit and started to massage them firm enough to comfort them. ”You’d think you would be after months walking around this land. Perhaps we should have taken the airship instead. Then again, that’s an entirely different sort of beast to deal with.”

Just like the talented demon, she knew he was Sol caught on and acted the part of the loving husband. Her hands went to his and rested on them as he held her. “What a nice set of manners you have young man. Reminds me of my son before he moved off to be an alchemist.” The old woman seemed rather proud of her son and Undine noted it for later use if needed.

Undine couldn’t help her laughter as he blurted it out to her his question. She quickly took a pillow to cover her voice for a few moments before her blue eyes looked out to him. “Moonblood is what we woman folk call the monthly bleeding we go through if we’re not pregnant. I told her I might be pregnant with your baby after all. Pregnant women get a lot of sympathies after all.”

Tilting her head she nodded. “That would be best. This city is supposed to come alive at night. We might find information or even a steady flow of silver to get better lodgings.” She watched him warm up his hands before he set to massaging her legs. A pleasured moan left her lips as she laid back on the bed. Her eyes were on the ceiling as she thought about it more.

“You would think but I’ve not used my legs that much ever in my life. I’m sure I’ll get used to it eventually now that we’re here… I can’t very well live in these ways. I’m going to have to use a tub to stretch my fins and carefully at that if she is wanting to tend to me.” Undine was going to let it go and she wanted to but once more her head rolled to the side so she could look at him. “It’s not like you to care for my well being. I mean I know you have an oath to keep Sol but…” She wasn’t about to die from her legs hurting her. Still, she let the words die on her lips. If he was fine with it she would drop it.

The look on her face was more of being puzzled by his actions. She liked it though and it was helping her. “We’ll probably have to purchase wedding bands with the first batch of silver we get if we really want to play this. A doting couple would do that first I think… At least from how I’ve been watching people.” It was after all how she came up with the little story. She had been watching all along. “Food is a priority though… for me it will be harder. Though that might play to our advantage. I will get weaker here not being able to eat flesh. I suppose I could get sick but for us, that would work well with what I’ve woven so far. I can survive even if I only eat regular food. Just won’t be very pleasant.”

Never would Undine saw Sol with such a dumbfounded look on his face as he had right now. His jaw could have fallen onto the floor with what she had meant with that moonblood talk. Suddenly it all made sense with the whole carrying business the innkeeper had said and he felt all but stupid at the realization. “Ignorance is bliss, indeed”, he groaned. He couldn’t even entertain the thought of having a baby at all- a child was the absolute last thing he ever needed, ever! But Undine had been quick on her feet to garner the innkeeper's sympathy. And it had worked after all, much to their luck.

Sol looked at her nonchalantly while he continued to rub at her legs. “Relax. I’m doing this because I can’t afford you to be hurting while we go out. It would be foolhardy for me to let you go like this and we run into trouble later down the road.” He didn’t need for her to get the wrong idea about all this- he had made the deal to keep her safe, and if she wasn’t well or hurt, then she wouldn’t have been safe, right? “I’ll have to have at least one of the followers to play guard for you when you bathe and give you a warning when she’s coming then.”

His hands worked against her legs, merely halting when she mentioned getting wedding bands for the two of them to keep up the act. He thought for a moment before his hands went back to work. She was right, of course. All they would have to do is find such a way to earn the silver necessary for the rings. “You have been watching people a lot. Seclusion had made you curious- it’s only natural.” Sol’s hands made their way up to her thighs, his hands grew warmer as he firmly massaged them. “It could, but I doubt that you should do it for very long. Like you had said, this city is full of people that come in and out of this city all the time. Who’s going to miss any stragglers that suddenly go missing? I can at least make sure that you get such a meal so that you don’t have to deal with the sickness.”

Undine was giggling much like a school girl at that point when she saw the look on his face. While he rubbed her legs she tilted her head. “This is me relaxed. I’ve just never had you care whether you were forced to or not.” It was drastically new for her. Aside from him waking her up this was perhaps only the second time he had done such a thing. “That sounds wise when it comes to a diplomat anyways. Wouldn’t want to leave an ill woman alone.” Especially since she had sold herself as possibly being with child.

The wedding band comment made him stall rubbing her legs for a moment before he continued. “You are right about that. I’m used to seamen and creatures of the deep. What little interaction I’ve had with land dwellers has pretty much between you and yours. Aside from Aarav, that is.” However, her old lover was now dead and she hadn’t quite learned as much about land life from him as she did from Sol. The way she said it so calmly meant she had finally let it go. She hadn’t been as angry lately since she had left the sea months ago. Whether it be the ocean tides that provoked her or how tired she was from having land legs. Or… just maybe she had the control to keep herself calm this whole time.

“If you do… Please be careful. The reason why I have said the things I did was to make sure you were safe from harm. It is not I that is being hunted. My power and strength are not worth anything here, not with the vast ocean so far between us. I would appreciate it if it meant not getting ill. I do not wish to feel that way again.” Her time aboard that ship as captive sent shivers down her spine. She remembered much of their torture. She shivered once more once his fingers touched the scar from where her scales were pulled off. The slight indentation on her skin was a dead give away. The discoloration of her skin was another. Her scales could grow back but the scars still remained. Such was life after all.

“We have some time before we go out and see the city.” She pulled herself up and took hold of his shoulders. “What should we do until then?” There were only a few possibilities. They could sleep but the possibility of them not waking up in time for the nightlife was there. She tilted her head. “We could have a nice bath. It has been a while since we bathed… At least for real.” Not counting the times she had played in the water to bring the moisture back into her skin.

Sol was hardly honorable by any means, only doing so when it was absolutely necessary. Aside from that, he was very selfish and self-centered. So it was understandable that she was skeptical about his recent actions. He didn’t pay such little things that much mind, but Undine was curious about it all the same. There was a time where he didn’t used to have to think of such unnecessary things and sometimes he longed for it to come back. All that mattered was his goals back then. “I’m not too familiar with the workings of the mainland. My focus had been Abed, even now I feel its call to me. The rest of the world is an enigma to me.”

His eyes lifted to hers and narrowed slightly, “It doesn’t matter, my strength’s been returning to me in the last few months and it won’t take much for me to dispatch any threats. Your prey will come to you, don’t fret about that.” Although her concerns were acknowledged, he couldn’t very well admit that since he still had some of his pride and he wasn’t one to look weak in front of another. Prior to coming to Jayou, Sol had been making certain that his magic was coming back, especially late at night when he would summon forth flames to test how much stronger he was getting. It was close to his actual power, but still it was lacking a bit. But it wouldn’t be too much longer though. His fingers stopped once he felt her reaction towards one of her thighs and shifted them away.

While he thought of what to do until nightfall came and they could explore the real sights of the city, Undine suggested a bath which made him think for a bit before accepting. One of the guards were taken to keep watch while they prepared and readied the tub. Steamy warm water was poured into it, accompanied with scented oils before he undressed and slipped into it first. It had been a while since he could actually enjoy a bath himself. All this running and hiding was tiresome but at least they were safe. The warmth comforted his skin rather nicely and he let out a sigh of relief as he sank further into the tub. Leaning against one end of it, he watched and waited for Undine to accompany him in.

Undine held a smile at first. “I know port towns but that’s… barely the case. Rarely before you did I ever even think of going on land and I wouldn’t have been caught dead walking into the mainland. It makes me defenseless for the most part and I am not the type who likes playing dangerous games.” So why was she so eager to be with him now? This was a dangerous game they were playing.

Her blue eyes watched his as they narrowed to hers. There was a silent knowing but also there was the way she tilted her head. She didn’t need to tell him he didn’t need to put an act on with her. He should have known already. Although she had her doubts if he would admit to trusting her. He trusted her enough to go all in on her existence.

Once his hands shifted she gave him a light smile. “It’s just my scar from the captain. That’s all… I don’t think anyone has ever rubbed it before.” Except maybe Sol during their intercourse. He probably hadn’t even noticed it before she had said something.

Once they were in the washroom she started to unbutton her dress and let all the pieces slide off. It was troublesome how noble women dressed on the mainland and it showed by her frustrated face. Still she didn’t complain as the last piece slid off and she undid the braid in her hair. Long brown curls flowed to the mid of her back as she pulled them all back up so she could tie them in a bun on the crown of her head.

Once he was settled in and made his little noise of relief she turned to him. She walked over and slid into the tub. Her legs didn’t transform making it more comfortable as she nuzzled her head against his and slid down under her head was snuggled against his chest. “This is nice… Exactly what we needed.” Her eyes turned up to him as she leaned her head back. Sol was quite a bit bigger than she was which made a scene a bit funny to her but since the man back at the small rest stop she had been wondering how everyone else saw them. She knew better than to ask Sol.

“Do you want me to wash your hair for you?”

For two people that have been mainly isolated to their own devices and were vastly different element-wise, they seem to have a sort of understanding with one another. Sol wouldn’t be quick to admit it, but Undine was practically the only person to get this close to him. His own family didn’t even qualify in that situation- many of them he couldn’t stand, especially mindless beasts like Samyaza and Keres. Trust wasn’t a thing he put much into but she would be the only one that he could give given their predicament.

It showed a bit when he moved his touch away from her scar, not having known that it had been there this entire time. Even more was that he was vulnerable once they made their way into the washroom where he was physically exposed. On his left upper arm were markings in the form of Abedian symbols; he had them put on back when he was at the top of the underbelly. It served as a reminder of what he was working towards and he would get it back one way or another. It wasn’t difficult to see that Undine hadn’t been one for dresses like the one she stripped off her form. Her nudity was a common thing for him to see, so he didn’t bother to shy his eyes off her as she made her way into the tub to join him. Sol shifted enough and even now as she laid on him, he felt her soft form mesh against him. He remained reclined against the tub’s end, his head hung back at the edge before crimson eyes fell upon hers.

There was likely plenty of things that were unsaid between them as they enjoyed the bath water and he nodded towards her suggestion and closed his eyes to ready himself. It was still very odd that people actually believed them to be a couple. First that stranger at the rest stop and now the innkeeper. “Fire and Water…hardly mix well together.” It may have seemed like random mumblings while she washed his hair, but it did break the silence.

“You said it earlier that you do not like playing dangerous games. You have also said before that when push comes to shove, you’d flee in case things got too crazy. Yet, you didn’t when our siblings went after us.” He wasn’t used to having an actual conversation with another person about themselves, but it had been on his mind a couple of times while they traveled. Sol leaned his head back slightly as he felt her hands surfing through his ebony locks. “I know of you, but I don’t know you exactly, Undine.“

Undine watched Sol in a way she probably hadn’t before that moment. Things that she hadn’t noticed were being noticed now. Together they relaxed in the tub and she smirked a bit as he nodded at her and allowed her to turn to straddle against his lap. “Normally they don’t… No.” She used some of the things next to the tub to sud his hair after she used magic to wet his hair. Her fingers scrubbed at his locks and she thought about it. “However, my father used to tell me that being opposites… isn’t always a bad thing. People who are too alike become too complacent with each other and lose sight. Fire and water keep each other in check because they have to be aware of each other.”

Her voice was soft and nearly dead quiet. However, he called her out on something and she smirked a bit more. “I did didn’t I?” She tilted her head. “My goal for my life Sol… I’ve never told you.” Her eyes narrowed a bit. “Because it isn’t something people can help with or at least I thought. I want to find myself. Truly understand myself. To do that I cannot die or be put asleep. However, things change and I will never be the first one to admit I was wrong.”

Her hands were soft against his hair. “Because when the moment came that I could run from you and be safe. When they gave me that out. I could have taken it but I did not. Maybe it is because I feel like a part of myself rests with you. Not that I would run myself through the mud to be near but I could not just let you die. It’s why I yelled at my father the way I did when he captured me. I was so busy worrying about you that I couldn’t get the spells out fast enough. Even though you never say it… I can tell when your magic is there and when it isn’t.”

There was a chuckle from her lips once more as she thought about it and gently brought up the warm water to wash the soap out. The water stopped from hitting the floor and instead moved itself over his shoulders. “And you said you didn’t trust. We only know of each other really. However, gradually I have felt that shift.” After the soap was gone she cupped his face. “The unspoken talks we have often say much more than words ever could. Let me tell you my secret,” she hesitated for a moment. “I may have been given all the power in the world but I feel so empty and… I feel like I’m missing something. It’s probably a result of being killed so young but I do know that I feel a sense of warmth with you recently. It dulls the pain in the back of my mind. I don’t mind giving you all of my support for that reason even if you may not feel the same way or even understand.”