The night was still, and quiet. The song of the night was the beautiful sound of silence. The birds slept soundly in their nests, and the bats in their caves. An old cottage stood hidden deep in the forest, while their sky had no moon.
Like a snake charging at its prey, the portal opened at the path to the cottage, and the carriage with the horse with Asta on the rider's seat burst through almost half way in the air, roughly landing on the road, and the horse still charged at full speed. The harsh landing was Sky's sign to cover the emerald dagger immediately, with its sheath.
The horse was still at its absurd full power. Asta pulled the reigns as hard as he could, crying out as they were almost crashing into the cottage. The horse's hoofs dug into the ground as hit the breaks. They were still moving about to crash into the cottage, until they slowly stopped.
Asta looked startled, traumatized as he panted. The green glow in his eyes came alive and glitched away, and like an exhausted bear, he crashed his back on the carriage, heaving a sigh with intermittent sounds of someone stricken from an impossible quest. The horse fluttered a sound with its nostrils, tapping its feet, it shook its neck left and right, calming down from that exciting run.
Asta didn't know when he muttered; "Good boy."
He heard the door to the carriage swing open, and two feet landed on the ground, before the pair of hands resting on the carriage.
Asta bent over to see Sky, and he burst into laughter. Sky gave him a deadly glare. He'd never seen him so shaken up. Jasmine lifted her head, having crashed her head onto the walls of the carriage several times, she staggered up, and jumped out of it. She purred in distress, as she calmly walked away from the carriage. She didn't even look at Asta as she passsed him by. Asta's heart felt stabbed. He just saved their lives. Carefully, she went to the porch of the cottage, and laid there, purring once more in relief that she could feel the still and steady floor, as she got comfortable, getting her peace together.
Sky looked into the carriage. Laura had passed out in his arms. He had placed, the Princess on the other seat. Both slept soundly, at that, he wondered how.
"Help me get them in." Sky suddenly said.
Asta's turned from bright to a frown.
"No, no," he cried, as he also staggered to get down, "No!"
He got his wand out and dazzled it a bit in the air, and he transformed to his true form.
His long white hair and beard came into view, with his tall lanky stature, in his long brown gown, and old sandals, came in an ancient package towards Sky who just stood erect with his expression completely uninterested. Asta's voice and appearance had changed from young to an old man. A very tall lanky elderly one at that. He towered over Sky, but Sky wasn't too far from his height. Sky was tall too, and his brawny statue intimidating. They stood almost nose touching as if ready to fight. Asta began, angry:
"You gave me your word, after you put that potion in my drink, that bound me to this absurd plan of yours, that you would set me free, by giving me the antidote, and leaving me in peace," he put his hands together angrily like in a prayer,
"-once I helped you get them!" He pointed at the unconscious women without a glance, as he ended his point.
"Did I?"
Sky said, giving a sarcastically bewildered look, as he walked past Asta to open the door of the cottage. He wanted to carry them in with ease. Asta looked in self denial, before he turned to face Sky walking back towards him, his eyes on the carriage. Jasmine, gave a peek with one eye as he passed her, before closing her eyes again.
Asta's silence was out of rage. When Sky reached him, he could sense betrayal emanating from him like a perfume. He sighed, finally looking at him.
"My plans are not yet over. I'll still need you for later." Sky responded casually.
Asta could feel his vein want to pop, and Sky caught it, but shunned it. He turned around to see how he was going to get the women out on his own. He felt releived that they had both stopped convusling, when he felt someone snatch something popping out of his pouch, Late in stopping Asta's hands, he had already drunk the antidote.
Sky looked dismayed. Asta smashed little bottle unto the ground, and burped twice, as he eyes glowed green unknown to him, before fading away. Angry, Sky yanked him in by the collars, but Asta only giggled.
He leaned in closer to his face, his voice rusty yet strong, "Next time, don't keep an antidote around your nemesis, especially in your pouch." He brushed his hands off him roughly, his face firm, as he walked towards his cottage. He waved his wand, lifting Jasmine off the ground and throwing her off his porch. Jasmine yowled at first in confusion, wondering why she was floating, and then growled when she saw it was Asta's doing, she didn't know he'd throw her away like a rumpled paper. Unfortunately, she didn't land on her feet. She rapidly, got up into a defensive stance as she growled bitterly at him as he was about walking in, when suddenly the two females, started to convulse again. Sky became alert, he jumped into the open carriage, again lost on what to do. Asta heard the whimpers from them, and wondered if they were awake. Jasmine stopped growling while her face softened when Asta's attention was on Sky as he went into the carriage in panic, but shook his head to think nothing much of it as he shut his door.
"Wait!" He heard Sky call out from the outside the door. He grunted, walking in and away from the door. He waved his wand, locking it. The sound of the click, made Jasmine purr lowly at Sky, in pointlessness.
"Something's wrong with them. Just help me one last time! And I'll leave."
Asta was disinterested in whatever he had to say and was saying. He served himself a wooden cup of water from his barrel, and went into his room.
Jasmine purred towards him, as if telling him to forget about it and think about leaving. The two began to become breathless, as they gasped for air. Conflicted, he popped his head back into the carriage, his eyes darting back and forth at them. He came back out, staring conflicted at the door.
"They are both the Seer!"
He yelled loud enough. Jasmine looked shocked. He uttered those words. Jasmine's eyes and ears became alert for any danger or any soul nearby. She looked at Sky like he was mad. What was he thinking shouting that name like that?
Whimpers, caught Jasmine's ears, and she jogged to the cottage and purred in worry, understanding Sky's reason as she starred helplessly at the two bodies.
Sky looked away, curling his fingers into a fist, before going back into the carriage, acting confused. He checked his pouch for anything that could find that could help him when he suddenly heard footsteps coming from the cottage. Jasmine's gaze on an incoming figure rekindled his hope, before he could think of step out, the figure, quickly appeared, concerned. Sky wondered of the sudden switch in interest.
But his words immediately cleared his thoughts with Asta's gaze putting him off, and in more worry.
"You moron. They're dying! Quickly! Let's get them in."