ONIUM | Open Novella Contest 2020

Chapter 14: Will you Allow Me

Keeping her distance was harder than Vivian imagined.

Everything Quinnley did intrigued her, from the way that she was unable to neatly pack and how easily she laughed at her own mistakes while learning new skills. She was unexpectedly shy when it came to freshening up and going to the bathroom, always making sure she was well out of Vivian's sight and hearing to do her business or change.

Their days took on a simple routine: wake up, spar before breakfast, and pack up camp before meandering through the forest towards the Royal City, sometimes in silence and other times in easy conversation.

Quinnley led most of the talking, telling Vivian stories from her youth and time on the streets. Vivian shared a few herself, careful to censor her stories and keep them vague enough to be believable. She spoke most often about her time as Onium, as those events were the ones she was most proud of.

The other girl believed Vivian was a palace guard who served the King. It explained Onium's knowledge of the castle's inner workings and his skill set without Vivian having to give away any more details.

Once Vivian began to ask questions about her Gift, Quinnley was only too eager to share. She knew so much and so little about being a Gifted. She showed off her casting with pride, only possible with the presence of a staff in her hand and a whispered word. The book she carried was useless, filled with runes neither of them knew how to begin deciphering.

The ancient words the witch knew were few, gleaned from fragments of her childhood memory. The barrier was the most impressive, despite her inability to keep it active for long.

The two other spells she knew were simple. The word 'lavus' made dirt and water disappear from her clothing and 'illo' made her skin glow. Neither could help them with their goal.

Today, Quinnley was quiet, fiddling with the ring around her neck. So far into the woods, neither of the pair feared discovery. The forest created an isolates space around them, leaving the girls in their own bubble to build their relationship and plan at their own pace.

With the distance dwindling between their location and the Royal City every day, Vivian felt trepidation settle over her shoulders. A part of her wished that she could spend forever trapped in the woods with Quinnley, finding new ways to make the girl smile.

The princess glanced at her traveling companion, who was focused on the ring in her palm. It glowed and dimmed repeatedly as the Gifted swung it around with a furrow on her brow. Occasionally Quinnley would huff as if she didn't like the answer to her dowsing question.

Vivian watched in curiosity. "What does that mean?" She asked when Quinnley finally tucked it away in annoyance.

"Absolutely nothing." Said the witch. "I'm unable to dowse properly out here, it just keeps pointing in your direction."

"What are you asking it?"

"A question it can't answer." Replied the girl. Vivian waited patiently. She had noticed that if there was too much silence the other girl would give in and explain her feelings.

"I don't know if the person I love is alive or dead." Quinnley said, making Vivian's heart clench in jealousy. "It can't answer questions like that. When I desire to find someone I love, it points to you."

The sounds of the forest paled in comparison to Vivian's heartbeat. Was this a confession that Quinnley didn't herself understand? She had said before that dowsing was never wrong, just complicated.

"But I don't love you." Quinnley clarified. "I love what you stand for Ian. I love what good you have done as Onium. I love that you are teaching me new things. I just can't love you. It's impossible."