Odeen dismounted his horse, beginning to pace the area while Ruby struggled and fumbled to dismount, dropping to the ground with a painful thud. "Ouch." She sighed, sitting up to rub the stinging in her back away. "What did Jasher say to you that has gotten you so spooked, Odeen?"
Odeen sighed deeply, keeping his uncontrolled panic to himself. Ruby's words fell on deaf ears; even if he were able to understand them, he wasn't in the mindset to answer her. Ruby scoffed, shaking her head in annoyance. "I get that you don't understand me, but look my way when I'm talking to you, at least!"
Ruby's brows furrowed as she watched helplessly while Odeen spiralled. Eventually, she returned to her feet, cracking her neck and shaking out her limbs before approaching Odeen. "You better not kill me for this."
Ruby reared her arm back, connecting a cracking slap across Odeen's cheek with no warning. This successfully snapped Odeen back to reality as he held his stinging cheek. "Ow! What in the world was that for?!"
Ruby grinned, taking a sigh of relief. "Hey, welcome back to the land of the living! Damnit, I wish we could communicate. This isn't fair. The fucking language barrier is the most annoying part of being here. I can't learn Oceranian fast enough."
Odeen merely tilted his head in confusion. Ruby's shoulders slumped in defeat before she shook off the dejected feeling. "Alright, fine. We might have to reapproach this. Odeen." Ruby began to mimic the gesture of talking with one hand before pointing to herself and Odeen. "I wish. That I. Could talk to you!"
Odeen watched in mild amusement, slowly grasping the repeated gestures. "Talking. You and me." He chuckled, nodding in agreement. "I wish we could converse as well, but I'm afraid our studies aren't as far along as I'd like them to be."
Ruby blinked a few times in confusion, understanding they were still talking at one another, even if the gestures were received. "Pictures. That's it!" Ruby pulled her phone from her pocket, pulling up an art app she used to dabble in before furiously running her finger against the screen.
Odeen watched in curiosity before Ruby turned the screen toward him to reveal a crude drawing of two figures conversing. In that moment, Odeen burst out in hysterical laughter. "Yeah, yeah, it's not perfect! You get the idea! Your turn."
Odeen turned toward Ruby, noticing her outstretched hand. "I get to draw something?" He took the device, holding it awkwardly as he tapped at the screen curiously. "Fascinating. I don't know how to put my feelings into words, let alone pictures, but I'll try."
Odeen got to work, leaving Ruby in awkward silence as she waited for his answer. Not long after the phone was handed to Odeen, he turned the screen toward her. His drawing, too, left a lot to be desired. "Hypocrite!"
Odeen tilted his head in confusion. At that, Ruby paid more attention to the image before her. Two figures sat on squares, conversing with abnormally large smiles. It took a moment to register before Ruby chuckled. "Are you saying that you want to go on a picnic with me and talk?" She chuckled, nodding eagerly. "That actually sounds like fun. Surprising, I know!"
Awkward silence soon took hold of the picture-driven conversation as they both ran out of things to tell one another. Ruby rocked on her heels, sucking in a harsh breath. "So... you like music?"
Jasher knocked on Safire's door dully. Once she opened, it was clear that she was not expecting to see him yet. "You're back so soon? Did Ruby outright deny the request?" Safire instinctively spoke to Jasher in Oceranian.
Jasher forced a grin painfully, scratching the back of his neck. "Yeah, about that... we might want to speak in English about that." Jasher cleared his throat, switching languages. "She agreed to come to see you quite easily." Safire gleamed with excitement. "On the condition that Odeen comes with her." Her smile dropped fast. Jasher took one step back before continuing. "They're waiting on us."
Rufus jolted so violently that he nearly fell from his rocking chair when Safire's voice ripped through the cabin in broken English. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY'RE?!" Jasher attempted to calm Safire down swiftly. "No, don't touch me! How dare you agree to allowing him to meet me without my consent!"
"Listen, listen, this was the only way that Ruby would come to see you! She doesn't trust me anymore because of the things that I put her through to-" Jasher groaned, realising far too late that he was already too deep to stop. "To protect you."
"Protect me?" Safire frowned in confusion. "You've already saved me, brave knight. What more could I ask you to do aside from not bringing the object of my worst nightmares to my safe place?" Jasher felt a swift slap up the back of his head from an unseen force. "Thank you, Genis. He agrees that you should have come to ask me first."
"Okay, yes, that would have been the preferred route. But you don't know Ruby! She said your name in front of Odeen with no hesitation. I thought she was throwing me under the bus! Wait – under the horse! I panicked!" Jasher was beginning to panic again.
"And you don't think I'm panicking?! Why does she want Odeen here? Of all people, why him?" Safire groaned, rubbing her temples as she started to pace. "What does she want from him exactly? He's a tyrant!"
Jasher stared at Safire with wide, uncertain eyes. She stared back at him with furrowed brows before his gaze jerked toward the floor, then back at her. "No." Safire's jaw fell slack. "Who likes who?"
Jasher shrugged his shoulders weakly, exhaling with wide eyes. "At first, I thought that Ruby hated him. Now she's inviting him to her room, sharing the device she brought here with him, laughing... kissy faces with him. It's weird. And Odeen hasn't said anything, but it's definitely there for him."
"Holy shit." Safire couldn't hold back her laughter at the amusement she felt, left in utter disbelief. "Odeen has a crush on the other half of my soul? He actively told me he didn't want to marry me either! Lying bastard."
Jasher shook his head weakly. "No, up until it was proven that Ruby was not you, Odeen was enraged with her for starting a war. I've seen... an uncomfortably joyful side of Odeen thanks to Ruby. He likes her defiance of all things."
Safire scoffed. "Right, the king who executed a diplomat from Cyrus for disrespecting him, likes a woman's defiance. I'll believe that when I see it. How do you know that this isn't some elaborate ruse to gain my sympathy and trust? I could be walking into a trap."
"Because this wasn't Odeen's idea. It came from Ruby. And, after she showed up, it seemed as though Odeen lost all interest in finding you in the first place. He might be a little sore at first, but I think he's truly taken with her."
Safire turned her attention to Jasher's side, finding Genis waiting beside her. He gave a small nod. "This may be the only chance I get to talk to Ruby. I bonded with your half of your shared soul. While I held hope that I would be able to contact Ruby directly through the link, it's inactive until you two touch. So I can't leave your side until we begin the process."
Safire nodded weakly, running her hands through her hair. "Alright. I'll go and see her. But one sign of trouble from Odeen and Genis will rip a hole in the fabric of space and push me back here. Then our meetings will be on my terms."
Jasher let out a heavy sigh of relief, nodding eagerly. "Thank you, thank you. This has been such a headache, and I honestly thought that you were going to tell me that you weren't going if Odeen was there."
Safire exited her room, beginning to walk alongside Jasher. "Well, if he makes Ruby feel safe enough to go along with you to meet me, in the end, I just have to be glad that she's willing to meet."
By the time Jasher and Safire were approaching the small area where Jasher had left Ruby and Odeen, the sound of music caught their attention. Safire halted, unsure of the foreign noise. Jasher merely smiled toward her. "Don't worry, that's the device I was telling you that I brought a while back. I'm excited that I finally get to show you what a phone is, finally."
Jasher held his hand out toward Safire. She hesitated for a moment before taking his hand and following the music. Once Jasher brought Safire to the meet-up area, his jaw fell slack with the sight.
Ruby was laughing, holding Odeen's shoulder as his hand nervously grazed against her back. Odeen fumbled the dance steps that Ruby patiently attempted to teach. The slow-paced song that Ruby chose was perfect for slow dancing, though to anybody on the outside, it seemed like an incredibly romantic gesture.
Jasher cleared his throat, capturing the duo's attention. Ruby gleamed with pride, swaying in Odeen's arms playfully. "I'm teaching him to dance! Oh shit, hey. Good to see you again, Safire."
Odeen let go of Ruby the moment his gaze fell upon Safire coldly. "Glad to see that you're still alive. Are you aware of what your actions caused to my people? What your Father is causing between our kingdoms?"
Safire stepped behind Jasher, her brows furrowing deeply. "Don't bother. I don't give a damn about what's happening there. I'm not property, and I won't be sold as a symbol of peace. I've denounced my kingdom as well as yours."
"So I've heard." Odeen averted his gaze, huffing in annoyance. Genis stared at Ruby from Safire's side, beginning to freak Ruby out. She took a step toward Odeen, shuddering deeply at his translucent eyes.
Genis's intrigued smile fell the moment he realised that she could see him. Odeen perked up when Ruby took his arm for comfort. A smug smile came to Odeen's lips as he pulled Ruby closer to his side. Genis stepped toward Ruby, causing a cold chill to run through her. "S-stay back."
Safire smiled weakly, stepping forward with Genis. "Ruby, he's the one who's here to help us. What has gotten you so spooked? He's going to help us defeat Nexus." Genis held his hand out in front of Safire.
"It's okay. I didn't have the words to express my excitement, I'm see through currently, and I suppose I frightened her with my presence. She was more than likely expecting to see me as more physical, like Nexus. But that isn't the way our bodies work. Inside the Inbetween, I'm physical, but here I am not. It's the opposite for Nexus. Forgive my staring, it's just incredible that you two really do look identical. I suppose it's true what they say, the soul controls the outcome. You're beautiful, Ruby. My name is Genis, and I'm here to help."
Ruby took a shuddering breath of relief, finally letting Odeen's arm go to approach Genis cautiously. She held her trembling hand out toward him. "Forgive me, but I haven't had good experiences with the deities from the Inbetween so far."
Genis nodded in agreement, reaching out to shake her hand politely. "I understand that entirely. I'm going against the Inbetween's monarch in my betrayal mission. But I refuse to sit by and watch while my people mess with human souls. While what Nexus did was wrong, undoing it now is wrong, too. You two have grown strong and healthy. I see no reason to merge you other than the fear that you two might possess a strong gift. That 'might' doesn't constitute an emergency for me. I'll be here for you during the harmonic period."
Ruby frowned in confusion. "I've been confused about this. What is the harmonic period? And I've called it the harmony period as well. Nobody has explained what either of them means."
Genis nodded eagerly. "Harmonic period is the term for what is about to happen to both dimensions, whereas the harmony period is what will be happening here. It's most powerful on your birth planet. I mean the birth of your soul, not body. That's why you were brought here. Once every 20 years, the first six planets line up in both dimensions so perfectly that our power increases dramatically. During that time, I will be prepared to face Nexus with my full physical form on Teralu."
Ruby sighed in relief, smiling brightly. "Thank you, Genis. Without you, I truly believe we'd be utterly fucked." Odeen stared at Ruby in confusion, watching her talk to what seemed to be nothing.
Jasher approached Odeen, holding his hands behind his back. "This is another god. Terrifying, right? I told you, we're going up against essential gods. Genis is one of the good ones, but Nexus will be coming for Safire and Ruby soon. We'll have to fight a being we can't see or hear. It's time that I tell you why this deity is after them and their souls."
-End of chapter 14-