Chapter Text
In Peridot’s short time on the Earth, she had come to learn and understand that waking up was a slow and gradual process. It started around dawn, when the dew settled on blades of grass and the sun painted the sky with light oranges and pinks as it blazed in a passionate red. The light would tickle her eyelids, bursting through the skin in a subdued orange.
At first, she would crack her heavy eyelids open, before being drawn back to sleep and lucid dreams. She fought sleep’s temptation at first, sitting upright in a daze, before toppling forward into sleep’s arms.
During Lapis’s long tenure on the planet, she had learned one thing about sleep: you either do, or you don’t. She would go months without catching a bit of shut eye, letting currents ebb through and rejuvenate her. To her, sleep was more of an assignment than a necessity. Sure, she could work on it every day, especially when she wasn’t in the water doing anything of particular importance. Or, she could procrastinate, look through the reflection on her pond and watch the day shift and pass as seasons changed in a blink of an eye.
When she did sleep, she would go all out. She would nap for days and sleep for weeks, catching up on years of neglect. She’d use it to escape the incubus of her tired mind and trauma, which would play out in her dreams regardless.
Lapis stared at the sun rise into the sky, letting the light burn the back of her eyes. She could relate to the sky, and the stages of calm, and fire it seemed to revolve around. It was her home in a sense, from the wind parting her hair to Zephyrus’ god -awful puns.
She snorted at her own joke, wondering what the West Wind would think if he heard it.
She felt a gentle breeze brush against her, and for a moment allowed herself to think that he had been listening to her thoughts and was now laughing alongside her.
Gods, that felt like a lifetime ago. Technically speaking, it was a lifetime ago, but whose lifetime had passed was still a mystery to Lapis. Was it the lifetime of some insignificant human, whose spark of life flickered and sizzled out with a hiss? Was it hers, the life she had lived before she had sealed herself off from the rest of the physical world? Or was it Malachite’s?
Lapis nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard something thud in the grass behind her. Or was it more of a thump? Now that she thought back on it, the sound could’ve been a thunk. She glanced behind her to see what could make such a confusing noise. It was Peridot, slumped over in a half-assed attempt to wake up.
Lapis twisted her mouth, torn between her refusal to waste any more time and letting her sleep-in after her botched rescue attempt. With her decision in mind, she strode over to where Peridot was sleeping and kicked her over.
“Get up, we need to get going,” Lapis told her as she curled into a fetal position.
“No,” she mumbled. “Just a bit longer.”
“You can’t lie here all day,” she argued, taking an arm and dragging her. “We have things to do, and I get the feeling that they’re time sensitive.” At least, Lapis’s plans were time sensitive.
“They can wait.”
Lapis dropped her arm and looked at her in disbelief. “Do you not understand the meaning of the words, ‘time sensitive’?”
“Not when I’m sleeping.”
This was going to be more difficult than she thought.
***
Peridot scowled as her feet slid in her sandals as she walked, the ground squelching beneath her and throwing blades of grass into her footwear. She clutched the soaking cloak in her arms like a child’s blanket, wringing it out with every furious stomp.
“I was going to wake up,” she growled, “you didn’t have to throw me in the river!”
“It was a creek,” she corrected, “and technically I threw it onto you.”
“So!” Peridot shot her a glare. “I could’ve drowned, and now my robes are going to stick to me the rest of the day.”
“Why do you even wear those things? Don’t they weigh you down?” She peeled some fabric off her shoulder, feeling it between her fingers.
“Only when they’re wet.” She shrugged her hand off of her and began to focus on the direction they were walking in. Once the sun warmed her back and the fog of sleep and anger had faded away, Peridot realized that she didn’t recognize of these surroundings. She scanned the foliage around her, hoping to find a landmark she could use to gauge where they were headed.
“Do you know where we’re going?” She asked Lapis.
“Nope.”
“Any idea where we are?”
“Nuh-uh.”
Peridot shook her feet as she walked, trying to get rid of the grass blades sliding between her toes.
“What are you doing?” She watched her awkwardly waddle along with a concerned face.
“The grass is bothering me,” she explained.
“Just keep walking, it’ll come out eventually.” She picked up her pace, as if to prove the point to her.
“Easy for you to say! It’s your fault tha--” Peridot stopped her trail of thought when she felt the familiar rush of falling, throwing the cloak away so she could try to catch her fall.
“Oh my stars,” Lapis exclaimed as she rushed over and picked her up. “Are you okay?”
“You know, I’m pretty sure I’ve fallen more on this journey than I have in the rest of my life,” she commented as she wiped the dirt off of her robes and knees.
“At least it wasn’t on your butt again,” she remarked, letting go of her when she figured she wouldn’t trip standing up.
Peridot rubbed the sore spot on her tailbone, reminiscing on times when it didn’t ache to sit down. “It’ll never be the same.”
She bent down to pick up the cloak, noticing a break in the grass where an arched over root had been dug out of the ground. A sense of dread fell over her, like a human tripping on a dug-out root.
“Let’s keep going, we’re bound to run into a town eventually,” she said, picking herself back up. She started a brisk pace in the direction they were headed in, trying to shake off the feeling of being watched.
***
They reached a large town by the middle of the following day, not having stopped since Peridot tripped on the root. Sure, they took bathroom breaks, but all Peridot wanted was a nap. A nice, simple, 13-hour nap after a warm meal, which wasn’t too much to ask for. Before they passed through the town gates, however, she tugged Lapis back into the safety of the foliage and away from curious eyes.
“Before we go into town, I need you to do me a favor.” She twisted the cloth of the cloak in her hands as Lapis shot her a curious look.
“Okay?”
She thrust the cloak into her arms, “Put this on.”
Lapis looked down at the cloak in a moment of confusion before tossing it back at Peridot’s face. “No way! I refuse to put your human garbage on my body.”
She pulled the cloak off of her head, throwing it at her.
“We can’t have anyone find us,” she argued. “You’re too noticeable, you need a disguise.”
“Your face is too noticeable.”
Peridot growled, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Naked women are more noticeable than clothed women, and if we want to go through this place without causing any trouble, then put on the damn cloak.”
“As nice as it is to see you using your head, there’s one tiny flaw with your plan,” Lapis pointed out, before waving her hand in front of Peridot’s face. “I. Am. Blue. They’re going to notice me anyways.”
Peridot slapped her hand out of her face before shooting her a shit-eating grin. “Only if you keep the hood down.”
***
The town was busy during midday, but nothing like the cities Peridot had grown accustomed to. Sure, it still smelled like horse shit and sweat, but the streets were mostly dirt and stepping stones, with the exception of the town-fountain.
The two misfits wandered around the town center, looking for food stands, maps, sacks, or anything else they could use on their journey. An extra on Peridot’s List for Adventuring/Quest ObjectsTM was an inn, where she could sleep, eat, and possibly dig for information on her brother’s whereabouts.
She felt a tug on her robes, and looked up to see Lapis nodding her head towards a group of naked women, chatting amiably by the well.
“How come they don’t have to wear clothes when I do?” She asked.
Peridot turned up her nose, “Do not streak in the town square.”
“I’m a goddess, you’re not the boss of me,” she argued.
“Lapis, I swear to Zeus, if you get through this one day of wearing clothes I won’t make you wear them ever again,” she told her.
“For your sake, you better not.”
Peridot furrowed her brows as heard a low hum come from below her, and a weight shifting against her shins. She looked down to see a fluffy, purple cat rub against her, weaving itself between her uneven feet.
“This is another reason I refuse to wear clothes,” Lapis continued, pointing to the cat, “some heartless mortal dumped dye all over this innocent cat.” She knelt down and rubbed its cheek, smiling as it purred loudly in response.
“Oh no,” Peridot gasped, “somebody dumped dye all over this nymph!”
Lapis stuck her tongue out at Peridot, picking up the cat and stroking it behind the ear.
“We’re not bringing the cat,” she told her.
“I was going to drop it off when we finished running errands,” Lapis defended.
“For your sake, you better.”
***
Peridot grumbled as she scuffed the dirt path in a fury. Apparently, one needed “money” to “buy things” and since she didn’t have any “money” she couldn’t buy anything. Despite Peridot’s shortcomings with travel supplies, Lapis seemed to be having a field day with the cat.
She looked up at the sky, watching the sun paint it varying shades of purple and pink as it set to rest for the day. It was getting dark, and the two needed a place to stay for the night.
“We should head to the inn for the night, we need a place to sleep,” Peridot suggested.
Lapis hummed, “Don’t you need money for those?”
“Not for the stables,” Peridot informed. “Besides, it’s probably where the cat is from.”
Lapis shrugged, stroking the cat that happily napped in the crook of her arms.
“There’s just one thing I want to check inside before we hit the hay.” She rounded the corner.
“And what’s that?” Lapis asked.
“I’m going to see if they know anything about where Steven is, or where he’s headed.” The cat perked her head, watching her carefully as she continued into the establishment. “I know it’s a longshot, but my mom didn’t give me any leads and I have to start looking somewhere.”
“As long as you don’t get killed, you can’t pay me back in the Underworld.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Peridot paused just inside the doorway, taking in the scene of the inn.
There was a fire pit in the center of the room, where weary travelers and foot soldiers roasted greasy meats and drank booze. The building was only partially decrepit, with the basic necessities taken care for and the establishment still standing. Rooms seemed to be on the opposite side of the pit, and behind the inn she could see a bathhouse and stables. The whole establishment seemed to be stained with the scent of piss.
Peridot cleared her throat, scanning the rows of men and their lovers.
“EXCUSE ME,” she shouted, startling Lapis as the cat clung to her in fear. “DOES ANYBODY KNOW THE WHEREABOUTS OF A BOY NAMED STEVEN?”
All eyes turned towards the two standing at the entrance.
After further consideration, Peridot continued, “ACTUALLY, HE’S PROBABLY A MAN BY NOW, DO ANY OF YOU KNOW OF A MAN NAMED STEVEN?”
“Peridot?” Lapis tugged on her robe, trying to derail her attention.
“What is it?” She glanced back to her in annoyance.
“Do those guys look familiar?” She pointed to a group of soldiers glaring at the two in the back, some of them quietly discussing something.
“Those look like the soldiers I ambushed,” Peridot remarked.
“Failed to ambush,” she corrected.
The men stood from their spots and began to stride towards the two girls, hands reaching for their hilts.
Lapis grabbed her hand and tugged her out of the inn and into the fading light outside where they broke into a sprint. The cat mewled in distress as they headed towards the gates.
“Just when I thought you were starting to get smarter, you go and pull that stunt,” Lapis scolded her. “What in Mount Olympus were you thinking?”
“I didn’t know who to ask, so I made a general announcement,” she argued.
“If you live to the end of this, it’ll be nothing short of a miracle.”
“And character development,” she added.
They stopped at the gates, and began to push and pound them when they realized they were closed.
Peridot faced the soldiers closing in on them, and slid down the gates in defeat.
“We’re fucked.”
“At least you’re not dying as virgins,” a voice came from around them. The cat squirmed in Lapis’s arms and leaped onto the Earth.
The two scanned the area around them for whomever could have spoken, only to glance down at the cat when it cleared its throat.
“You can thank me later for this, by the way,” she told them as she turned towards the attackers. In a flash of light, she grew in size until a lioness stood between them and the soldiers.
Damn good thing Lapis kept the cat.