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An hour was all she had but it was enough.
She snuck out of the shrine and rushedly followed the steep path that dipped into the lake shore. The times where she was able to wander away by herself were incredibly rare, such opportunity would not be wasted.
Turquoise had caught her a couple of times in the past and escorted her back to the hut, but she didn't let herself be discouraged by her father's eventual lectures. She knew her limits, she didn't intent to push them, the isolation in the priestess's hut simply wore her down.
And so she waited.
Waited for Turquoise to be convinced she wouldn't try to leave again, she knew by now that if she behaved for long enough her guardian would surely lower her guard making an escape possible. Jasper wasn't on duty that day and she was thankful, he was harder to fool albeit more merciful, on occasion allowing her to venture about when he was on duty alone, but never leaving her off his sights.
That was not enough.
She reached the shore, confident she wasn't followed and climbed on the rocks by the fishnets, assuming a seat in her favourite spot. There were still scratches and drawings she left there from last time, albeit a little washed out. She smiled, she loved that spot, when the lake was calm she could see all the way to the bottom, it wasn't very deep, she guessed around the waist. She couldn't know for sure cause she hadn't swam in it since she got sick, but she didn't intent to change that now.
She removed her platforms and dipped her feet inside in the cool water.
This much was enough.
Being alone like this was refreshing and she wasn't likely to go into a coughing frenzy over something like this, she relaxed and giggled contently, observing the fish that swam around the rocks and splashed her feet a bit to shoo them when they got too close.
It was nostalgic to be down here again. She used to play, or rather get chased by Kohaku dual-wielding crabs often when she was a kid. Vague memories of her mother sitting by the shore watching over them resurfaced too.
She sighed feeling the soft air through her hair, it was soothing to be like this with no-one looming over her shoulder concerned of her well-being.
But time as always, had a knack of not waiting for her.
A wooden knock against the rocks alerted her that her little adventure was over faster than she expected. It was Magma, probably back from fishing, adjusting his canoe by the rocks before he climbed out and began to pull it off the water too.
She never really interacted with him before, at least not since her contacts were cut short due to her illness. The last time she remembered, they were playing a game of tag that ended rather abruptly when an eight year old Kohaku whacked the older kid with a frying pan and Ruri could only observe concerned as the two erupted into a brawl of biting and hair pulling until her father had to rush to pull them apart.
The gap to present was filled with mostly distant encounters every now and then. But Kohaku's vitriolic relationship with the guy kept going strong, she still on occasion ranted about about him if he so much as looked at her the wrong way.
For that alone Ruri wasn't sure if she should linger to see how things turn out.
She hurriedly slipped her sandals back on and began to stand up.
"Out here by yourself?"
His gruff voice rang a lot calmer than she expected, he was still busy arranging his catch between his canoe and basket and chunking things back into the water occasionally. Out of politeness before anything she turned to address him, smiling, postponing her escape for the time being.
"Turquoise is preoccupied and I couldn't help it... It's so nice outside."
"Sure is."
Did he chuckle? She wasn't sure from their distance but he didn't seem as hostile as Kohaku usually made him out to be. Her sister was quite headstrong it wouldn't surprise her if that was the reason her opinions on Magma leaned towards the negative side.
"You really have everyone under your thumb up there don't you?"
Or perhaps not. She smiled nervously, no rebuttal coming to mind. Picking a fight with anyone, especially Magma, was a really unattractive concept to her and not just because she was sure to lose. It would be good to leave now before things escalated.
"You know everyone keeps talking like your father did something outrageous by disowning your sister but wasn't that all for your benefit? You get to play the priestess longer and have resources wasted on you and she gets to do as she pleases"
Ruri was unsure if he was still mad about losing the Grand Bout or just spiteful in general, but she was overcome by the eerie sensation she was listening to her own worries spoken out loud for her. She didn't move and he seemed to have fallen silent after his remark as well, still busy with the task at hand. As if encouraged by this she felt her voice return albeit slightly trembling overwhelmed.
"You should know what she's like better than anyone, I can't pass my role down to her like this, what do you suppose I should do?"
Magma turned to face her for the first time, he seemed a little puzzled? Maybe she was overthinking it but he looked less grumpy than a moment ago.
"Well, what do you want to do?"
Her fist clenched the front of her dress. Did that really matter? She wasn't going to ever get anything she wanted, not just because of her sickness but because of her role as the village priestess. The little life she had left she would probably marry off to whomever won the next Grand Bout, probably the man before her.
Her thoughts or desires never mattered.
Not to the sickness that was eating at her from the inside. Not to the weather that would get harsh enough to make her condition worse every winter.
Not to the father who kept up cruel customs despite his discontent with the potential outcomes.
Not to the mother who passed this role down to her in the first place.
Not to the sister who continued stubbornly trying to keep her alive and refused her any semblance of relief with her antics.
And definitely not to Magma who, according to her sister, saw her as nothing more than a means to an end.
"Right now, I want to swim in the lake and sunbathe."
She smiled bitterly.
"But that might be the last thing I end up doing so I can't do that. My father is sure to blame it on Turquoise if I get worse because she wasn't attentive enough"
"Does that even matter? Go for it, he'll get over it with time."
"No, It matters to me. I burden people enough as is, at the very least I want to pass away without troubling them more than what is expected"
"Why don't I end it all for you then?" He grinned at her devilishly.
She froze for a moment trying to weigh the situation, Magma was still crouched over the fish and didn't seem to make a move to threaten her at all and his words despite their vileness had a weird sort of comforting tone to them. Was he serious? Was this even a thing she should be talking about? Nobody ever let her speak a word about her inevitable death, which strangely made her all the more willing to do so now.
"You'll be exiled if you do that, isn't it your dream to become chief?"
It wasn't a plea for her life more than stating a fact, by the little that she knew about him. Even in that scenario she would be a burden to someone. Magma soaked in her words for a moment. Pleased with his handiwork he wiped his hands on the cloth around his waist and took a seat by his canoe.
"That won't happen if we're married, I can always say you cheated on me with that sorcerer dweeb you like and no-one will bat an eyelash."
A snicker escaped her lips before she could hold it back and her hand rushed to conceal her mouth in embarrassment. He laughed too in response.
"From that reaction I take it I won't have to lie about it either"
He kept cackling to himself but she fell silent, unsure where to go from there but she knew she didn't want to discuss Chrome further. Even if Magma did marry her and allowed them to elope as a last wish she wouldn't do it. Anything that would hurt Chrome in the long run was out of the question.
"How long do you think you have left?"
"I don't think I'll make it past this winter."
"Is that why your father is holding the next Bout so early?"
"Very likely yes."
Silence fell again, he seemed to be lost in his thoughts for a moment, as if he too was taken aback from their exchange.
"If you win the Grand Bout, can you really end it all? You don't even have to stain your hands at this rate - I know I'm being selfish, but i don't want this summer to come and pass with me locked up, not if it's my last"
Her fist clenched on her chest and and she felt tears burn the sides of her eyes.
"If you can win the Grand Bout, can you make it so I can pass my role and knowledge to you, Kohaku or whomever will accept it, and I get to live my last days as I want them - it's all I want"
She threw her face into her hands and tried chock her sobs down, unwillingly to cry in front of someone she hardly knew and wasn't even her friend to begin with, but once they started, the tears and hiccups didn't stop.
Magma finished tying his canoe, grabbed his basket and walked up to her. She felt his mass obscure the sun before his palm landed softly on her head. It patted her a couple of times awkwardly.
"I will win the Grand Bout without fail this time"
With that he took his leave and she collapsed on her knees crying.
The cough reared its ugly head soon after, but she managed to calm herself down without attracting anyone's attention. She washed her face and bloodied hands on the lake and when she was content she was clean enough followed the route back to the shrine, not having the willpower to face anyone in the case her absence was noticed.
---
Ruri waited at the base of the forest for Senku to return from his father's grave.
The past month of her life had been the most inexplicable series of events happening in succession. It was all too much to take, but at least now she could breath it all in at her own pace. She would still cough up blood on occasion but it was never fresh, just her lungs clearing themselves out over time, even Senku confirmed her speculation.
She didn't get the chance to talk to Magma again, before or after the Grand Bout. She was unsure there was anything to discuss. Neither of them got what they initially wanted and it was a good thing for her but for him...
He'd get over it with time.
It didn't take long for Senku to walk down the hill and rejoin her, his eyes were weary and bloodshot from crying. He didn't talk about it, she found no reason to either and simply walked behind him in silence.
For a short while at least.
"Senku, can I ask you something?"
"Hit away." he responded wearily.
"What will you do with Magma?"
He stopped in his tracks and turned to her a little puzzled.
"Have him work his ass off probably, why?"
"Ah nothing, that's good."
"Did he do something I should know about?"
"No, nothing like that, I was just hoping you wouldn't exile him or punish him too much."
Senku was somewhat baffled to hear that, it was the first time anyone to his knowledge tried to, even halfassedly, defend Magma. But he shrugged and pinned it on Ruri's soft and goodhearted nature without questioning it further.
"I don't have such plans, he's valuable manpower."
She smiled uncomfortably at the remark but didn't say much more.
That should be enough.