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Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale.
Rosa's world is almost spinning. Right now, there is nothing protecting her, the runes' time is almost up, and she only has enough mana for one invisibility spell.
Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale.
She needs to do this, she has to. No one will save her if she is not able to escape from her chasers.
Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale.
She glances at the passageway, and sees a moving torch and curses. They're here.
Oh gods.
Her brain tells her to do something, do anything, run away but her feet are stuck in its place, not letting her move. Footsteps grow louder, and she's losing herself, and in hurry, she summons her staff and book. In desperation, she whispers a spell she's never chanted before — one that her ancestors told them to never utter— but she does. When one desperately wants to avoid death, there is no measure of the things that they will do to survive, is there?
She closes her eyes in prayer, hoping that she didn't resign herself on Osiris' door. Gods, she was too young to arrive in the Afterworld, her ancestors would not be happy to see her on the other side.
She still does not know what the spell has in store for her, and in curiousity, she opens her eyes and almost screams when she feels an arm brush against hers. Her voice almost escapes her lips before the figure behind her gently covers it, and wraps an arm over her.
"My, my. We cannot have you expose our whereabouts with your voice, dear. Stay quiet until they pass by us, alright?"
Rosa's eyes are darting everywhere, attempting to see the figure behind her, but she only sees strands of gray hair, almost shining with its beauty. The absurdity of the situation should have had her fleeing from the man behind her, but his voice felt safe, comforting even. His hands were warm on her skin, and there were no warning bells going off on her head, as if it knew that her new companion was an ally.
She momentarily forgets that she was indeed running away from other rune users, until her companion whispers in her ear again, silent.
"It seems like you've exhausted your mana," the man observes, and he chuckles in a soft voice, and Rosa is cursing herself because there is no time to be flustered over the man's voice and yet here she is, blushing with his elegance and the proximity they share.
"Allow me to use my magic, but you will need to stay silent for me, would that be alright?"
Rosa nods, and the man lets go of his embrace. She quickly turns around and stifles a gasp as she sees her companion behind. He was in every rune book she's read and memorized, but here he was, in the flesh. Rune users have long tried to summon him, and yet no one in record was able to do so, making them think that he rested in eternal slumber.
Mo Yi.
He notices the shock on her face and lets his lips curve into a smile. Ah, it truly has been millenia since he's shown himself to a human, hasn't it?
Mo Yi does not dwell on this any longer, focusing on the task at hand. He waves his arm and easily summons his own rune book and staff. Gentle light emanates from his body as he recites an ancient spell, and Rosa merely stares at him in awe as he coats them both in silver light. As it continues to glow, Rosa closes her eyes, protecting her from its brightness.
She does not know what happened, but she opens her eyes to a new environment, away from the tomb she was trapped in. There are no hieroglyphs in sight, rather there is a river with floating lilies, and Mo Yi is beside her, gazing at her.
"Do I not get anything in gratitude, my dear?" He speaks, breaking the silence and the trance that Rosa finds herself in.
She quickly regains herself, bowing as elegantly as she could. Her mind is still all over the place — she's summoned one of Ancient Egypt's legends after all.
"T-thank you, Your Majesty," she utters, and Rosa could only hope she did not offend him with a passable bow to him.
Mo Yi's laugh echoes in her ears, and she stands carefully, and Rosa is blown away from how ethereal he looks. She once thought that the books were exaggerating the powerful rune user, but now she thinks that they were not doing him justice. Mo Yi was godly , no mortal could perfectly describe his beauty, his elegance, and the power that he holds in his hands.
"Rise, I was merely jesting," he smiles, and Rosa swears to Osiris that perhaps she was going crazy for being so smitten with this rune user.
"I am truly grateful for your assistance, Lord Mo Yi. I apologize to have disturbed your slumber," she breathes, kneeling still in front of him.
Rosa does not expect the immortal to kneel in front her as well, directly looking at her eyes.
"Who informed you that I was in slumber?" He asks, gentle voice making her look up to his face. A chuckle escapes him as he stands up and holds out his hand to her. Hesitantly, she holds it, and allows herself to be pulled up by him.
"I simply did not want to show myself, dear. I know of everything in the Overworld."
A tinge of color appears in her cheeks and she coughs, apologizing once more.
"I'm sorry to have assumed, Lord Mo Yi."
He gives her a smile, before his hand pats her head, wordlessly reassuring the mortal.
"It is my fault, partially," he says. "It has been quite a long time since mortals have seen me. In fact, you are the first after this seclusion."
There is both bashfulness and pride welling in Rosa, for she is able to do something that even the greatest rune users have never done. To have the creator of this magic respond to her is a feat that hundreds of rune users have attempted in their lifetime, but miserably failed.
"Is that so, my lord?" She asks, her eyes still gazing at her companion. "If your majesty does not mind, may I ask why you've aided me?"
Gods, Rosa may be dreaming right now with the burst of courage she's mustered. Ah well, whatever, it doesn't seem like she'll have another chance to do this, might as well seize the opportunity.
Mo Yi's eyebrow raises but the smile never leaves his lips.
"I simply wanted to."
Rosa's visibly confused, her head tilting from his admission. He simply wanted to? What does that even mean?
"My lord?"
Mo Yi averts his gaze from the woman, and he stares at the clear river, its flow strong as it takes away lilies downstream.
"You will know when the time is right. For now, you need to come back to your companions, do you not?" He raises, and Rosa's eyes widen in realization.
"Oh dear Osiris, you're right!" She exclaims.
He gives her a knowing smile, before his rune book appears from his fingertips.
"It seems that I am," he grins, before continuing. "You need not call for Osiris, when I am here, anyway."
Rosa stays silent, unable to formulate any words from his reply. Was he being serious? Was he teasing? This time Rosa's world is spinning, not from her anxiety, but from the unexplained feeling in her chest. She needs to get a grip.
"Close your eyes once more. I will need you to trust me once again, my dear. Do you trust me?" His voice is silent, like a whisper to the wind. It is something she thinks intimate, so personal, and so close.
Without hesitation, she responds. After all, he's saved her from impending death, and she feels that Mo Yi would never hurt her. She would be called a fool for trusting someone she's met for only minutes — a lunatic even. But this was Mo Yi, a god that came to her aid when she needed it the most, what will come from it but trust?
"I do, my lord."
Rosa does not see it, but Mo Yi is pleased. The smile on his face is of pride, and he brushes his thumb across her cheek, fond.
He was right to exit seclusion for her.
"Good. I will bring you to them in a moment," he affirms, and the familiar glow surrounds them. In seconds, Rosa is told to open her eyes, and she finds herself in a familiar brick home.
She really was back.
She looks to the side and she is alone, like Mo Yi does not exist. But she knows, she is aware that the immortal is indeed with her, but he was... gone.
Hurriedly entering her home, away from onlookers and to anyone she does not want to see her, she quickly summons her staff and her rune book, and gasps.
Mo Yi was gone, but he was with her.
The last page of her rune book was etched with new notes, new messages, and there is a glow in these letters, one that she’s never seen before, yet seemed to fully understand. It feels like a promise, a written assurance that it will not be the last time that she will see the god.
I will see you at the next full moon, Rosa.
As soon as she touches the runes, an outline of a star appears on her wrist — Mo Yi's symbol. She offers a prayer in answer, assuring not only the god, but herself, delicately tracing the outline with her fingers as she closes her eyes.
At the next full moon, Your Majesty. I will be waiting.