PANACEA-Book One-By Hell or High Water

24. Quarrel

Walking with him was much more awkward than I had thought it would be.

For one thing, he was limping a bit. With his longer legs, he still kept up without a problem, though. It still wasn't something I didn't notice. I hoped he wasn't in too much pain.

There was also something in the way he looked at me. His eyes were definitely something to marvel with their gorgeous colors. But they were also a little bit...terrifying, in a way. They jumped out at me against his dark skin, and I would always avert my gaze when we made eye contact, no matter how brief it was. There was something I disliked about those eyes. I felt a bit too much like I had fallen prey to a big monster when I looked into them. I wanted to put some distance between us with the way he appeared to size me up. It was like he was calculating if he could swallow me whole or not.

That was crazy, though. That couldn't have possibly been what was going through his head. I tried to block out these thoughts, and focused on the path ahead. There wasn't really time for doubts now, anyways.

Seeing no other topic for conversation, I decided I may as well ask the question that was stewing in my brain.

"What made you want to help me, anyways?"

Nyx seemed surprised by the question. After a moment, he replied. "Would you believe me if I said the kindness in my heart?" he asked me.

I considered for a moment. "You don't seem like that kind of person."

He sighed, and looked away from me. He suddenly seemed very interested in where we were going. "Well, I saw you from not to far away, and realized you were probably likely to be impaled. So I did what any sensible drunk person would have done, in that situation."

I raised an eyebrow. "Drunk?" Although I myself had never indulged myself in the human practice of drinking alcohol, I wasn't unaware of what it could do. The fact that he had been drunk during the entire encounter made me uneasy. It also made sense, strangely enough. I guess a sober man wouldn't pick someone up, run away with them and disappear, only to be stabbed. I didn't think being drunk would make avoiding pointy weapons any easier.

Nyx rubbed his temples. "Yeah, I was fucking smashed."

I wrinkled my nose at his vulgar language. "That's interesting."

He ran a hand through his hair, and nodded slowly, offering no additional comment. We continued the walk in silence. Mostly, anyways. Something else he did that made me uneasy was how he constantly cracked his knuckles. Always starting at his pinky finger, and going down the line. Obviously something like that struck me as odd. The popping sounds made me want to squirm. This time he was doing it on a different hand. I noticed something new.

He had a ring on his pinky finger on this hand. Two snakes, plated in gold that twisted around eachother. Their tails flciked out in opposite directions on each end of the ring. The metals plating was scratched off in patches, revealing a black material underneath. I wondered what purpose it served.

"What exactly made you want to help me?"

I looked up at him, realizing the cracking had stopped. I forgot about the ring.

"I thought I'd repay you for your act of kindness."

"And now that you know I didn't really mean to do it?"

I shrugged. "You could still use it, couldn't you?"

Nyx laughed abit. There wasn't much humor in it. "As much as I appreciate the thought, I'd like to remind that I am a grown ass man, and I'm more than capable of doing something like this."

"And if you were to suddenly drop on the spot due to blood loss?"

Nyx seemed to think about this for awhile. "That might suck."

"Considering you'd be passed out with no way to stop things from happening to you, yes, I think it would."

"Okay," he relented. "So I see your point. You still don't have to do this."

I shrugged. Nyx gave me a quizzical look. I could see he was beginning to get frustrated with me. I didn't look away from his stare, although it still made me squeamish. After a moment, he narrowed his eyes and looked away. He mumbled under his breath.

"You don't need to be so nice."

I looked at him, making sure it was evident that he didn't have a choice once and for all.

"Tell you what? I'll only make you stay with me until I know you've been safely dropped off at the village doctors. You just have to stand by while I make a quick stop, and then I'll leave you to get fixed up properly. Sound good?"

Nyx pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed his temples, as if I were giving him a headache.

"You can't say no to an offer like that in your condition."

"Sure I can. No."

"Did I mention refusing wasn't an option?" I said, forcing a smile to prevent myself from saying any harsh words.

Nyx glanced back at me one final times. He didn't seem to believe what he was hearing. I could tell he wasn't used to being told what to do.

"Fine. I'll do it." He reached into his jean pockets, and pulled out a package made from white card. The front was inked with forest green around the edges, giving it a floral pattern. The centre had a club shape printed on it. Shamrock cigarettes. "Don't expect me to do much for company, though." He pulled a cigarette from the package. The plant they were made from grew bulbs that resembled gems. They were crushed and rolled, making the cigarettes. I had walked past people smoking those before. They had an earthy smell, like coffee grounds and mint, which wasn't so bad. I couldn't exactly say they were very healthy, however.

"As long as you let me help you."

"Whatever." In the time it had taken for me to look away and back, he had already lit the cigarette.

We continued down the mountain in silence.