Harper's Pathos

Chapter Ten: The Science of Kindness

Harper quickly made their way around the other dinner guests and through the doorway Priestess Kiya had pointed out. For the first time since they had awoken, they felt fresh air pushed through their lungs as they exited the temple and found themself on a large, open patio.

For a moment, they forgot their purpose in looking for their friend as a wondrous sight caught their attention. This district of the city seemed to be built on a slightly taller incline than much of the rest of Nayak, resulting in a breathtaking view.

The tan brown that made up most of the buildings were highlighted by splashes of every color -primarily red, blue, and yellow- in both glass and paint across the city. Various towers and domes atop the more impressive buildings reached for the heavens, turning the skyline into an array of divine architecture. Several massive bridges stretched across the Tenu river, which divided the city in half.

Outside the city, the Pyramids of Nayak towered imposingly, seeming to hold up the very horizon with their stature. All of this -the city, the river, the pyramids- bathed in the silver glow of the stars and moon. It all reflected the sky in a dim shimmer.

After allowing themself to drink this all in, the nephilim collected their thoughts once more. After all, they were looking for a sight even more beautiful than Nayak at night, and it didn't take long to find her.

The sorceress stood near the corner of the patio, leaning against a railing, and looking over the city just as Harper had. Slowly and carefully, as if to avoid startling a wild animal, they inched toward Morgan and spoke, "Hey. Are you alright? You left pretty suddenly."

"Yes. No. I... I don't know," The woman continued to stare out over the city, as if expecting it to answer some question which deeply concerned her.

The blonde sidled up next to Morgan and leaned against the railing with her, "What's wrong? You know I'll listen if you feel like talking about it."

The girl slumped, "I want to, I just... Don't know how."

"That's alright," they responded, inching just a little closer, "Just take it step by step. I'll be right here when you manage to figure it out."

The pair stood in silence for several minutes. The raven-haired woman stood frozen, staring into the distance. The blonde passed each second studying the contours of their companion's face: beautiful as ever, porcelain skin glowing a color that matched the moon. Though, Harper liked it better when it wore a smirk or smile rather than such a melancholic look.

"The food was delicious, best I've ever had..." Morgan finally said.

This left Harper a little confused, but they went along with it, "Yeah. It was really good."

"The city is gorgeous... stunning..." her voice quivered and shook.

Harper tried to get a look at her face, but she was looking down now and her hair blocked the moonlight like a curtain. The nephilim's stomach twisted as they watched their friend begin to break, and their mind raced in an attempt to puzzle out why, "It is..."

"And y-you-" her voice caught in her throat, a whisper that nearly became a whimper.

The small one moved in to wrap an arm around her waist and lean in close. The taller girl was shaking like a leaf.

"It doesn't feel real... none of it..."

The nephilim moved a hand down to one of Morgan's and grabbed it, doing their best to look her in the face as their fingers intertwined. "Does that feel real?" they asked in the sweetest voice they could muster.

"Yes, but... That makes it w-worse," her shaking only intensified.

The blonde frowned, concern growing more and more, "Why?"

"I- I don't..." the girl whimpered, "There's so much good in my life n-now. I've never had that before... It feels too good to be true... I-" She cut herself off and squeezed her friend's hand tighter.

The pieces all clicked in Harper's head. "You're afraid to lose it all," they deduced.

Morgan nodded, "C-chest is tight. There's a k-knot in my stomach. I can't stop thinking about it. What if I lose everything? L-last time I thought things were getting better it all crashed and burned, w-what if that happens again? What if I c-can't stay in Nayak? What if I lose you somehow? I can't go back to b-before! I can't be hopeless again! I don't want to go back t-to having nothing! I-" 

The nephilim cut her off by turning around and practically tackling her into a tight embrace, "You won't, Morgan! I promise!" They looked up at her, silver eyes gleaming, "I can't promise you this city, or that everything will always be great, but I can promise one thing. You're not going to lose me. I'm here. This is real. And I'm with you."

She buried her face into Harper's fluffy hair and said nothing.

They carefully chose each word as they continued, "Don't think about what you could lose in the future. Think about what you have right now. Think about me -the person who will never leave you- and how i'll stay in your arms as long as you want me to. Think about the beautiful view we're sharing right now."

The shaking didn't stop, but Morgan's breathing slowly began to steady.

"Whenever you start to feel that fear, just think about the current moment. That's all that matters. Me and you. Right now." Harper turned to look over the city, locking arms with the sorceress and cuddling into her shoulder.

A minute of silence passed before Morgan was ready to speak again. When she did, she asked her friend a question, "How do you do that?"

"What?"

"That. That thing you do where you know exactly what to say to calm me down. Every single time."

The blonde stuttered for a second, "I just... Do it? I know you pretty well by now, I think. People aren't hard to read to begin with, and I know more about you than I do myself."

Morgan raised an eyebrow, "They aren't hard to read? What do you mean?"

They weren't quite sure why the girl found this odd, but they humored her, using the new conversation to distract her from her fears. "It's just easy, I don't know," they furrowed their brow, "Choice of words, body language, tone. I pick up on all of that when I talk to people. Everyone gives off subtle clues to how they feel or what they're thinking. I take all of that into account when I speak to people. I choose every word I use very carefully. Is that... not something most people do?" 

The sorceress narrowed her eyes, unsure of what to make of this, "No? At least, I don't. That's... I didn't expect that from you. I've heard the phrase 'cold and calculated' before, but you're more... Warm and calculated?"

"That's... A compliment, right? I'm choosing to take it as one," Harper responded.

Morgan rolled her eyes, "What I mean is, some people are kind but... You've somehow turned the act of being nice to people into a science. It's strange. Endearing, but strange. Do you do this to everyone you meet?"

"Yeah, it's almost automatic. Why do you think I was so confident I could trust you when we met? It's probably not right all the time, but I trust my insight. It's also why I think we're safe at this temple. Kiya either means us well, or she's very good at lying."

The necromancer looked her companion up and down, "You are the last person I would suspect to be psychoanalysing and reading the body language of everyone you meet."

Harper shrugged, still cuddled against their friend, "Maybe it's a nephilim thing? My brain might just work a little different."

The tall girl smirked, "Or maybe, you're just a little weirdo."

The blonde stuck out their tongue, but quickly retracted it, leaning their head against Morgan's shoulder once more.

"In any case," the girl said, "I appreciate you coming to my rescue out here. I feel much better now. Not perfect, but much better."

"Good," Harper smiled, "I want you in top condition for tomorrow. We have a lot to do!"

The two remained silent for a long while after this, enjoying each other's company as well as the view of the city. They had a busy day ahead of them: hopefully a good day. Before that, however, was their time to rest and be happy that they had one another. They did not leave each other's side until Kiya came to show them to their rooms.