Chapter 23: Duet
Leon sighed, drawing his eyes way from the ocean. Nothing from this side either. This journey was bound to be rather boring, if all he was good for was waiting around for someone else to take him where he needed to be.
Casually, he picked up some leaves from a plant and started weaving them together. The wind was warm and salty, making grass rustle on this little mossy rock off the coast of Vietnam, where they've stopped for the time being. The sun would be setting down soon, and he was starting to be hungry, but for now he needed most of all to have a walk. Hours on end in this crummy Condor never helped anything.
There were some people in the distance, likely tourists going home. If they spoke any English, maybe he could hit up a chat, but he didn't know how to proceed. So he just ignored that potential relief from his solitude, and sat down to contemplate the sea below, like a sight that'd hold true no matter what part of the world he was in. He picked up a pebble and let it fall down, where it landed in the water in a muted splash he didn't even hear.
“At least
she's having fun.”, he sighed.
For a couple hours now, Tina's left his company to resume traveling with the Thallios and its ghost, and learn some more about that ancient language she claimed to read now. Well, someone had to stay behind and keep an eye on the Condor, so it'd be him. He wasn't a great pilot just yet, but Esteban had most of it under control, so his intervention wasn't very needed. And so, the trip resumed in a boring road trip mood, one that he was starting to grow tired of.
Waiting. Waiting, traveling, pestering the Condor's dusty speed and inefficient flight, all for the sake of helping it. And then, who'd help
them, huh? Maybe Tina found it nice, but he thought otherwise. What was in it for him? He already had superpowers, he already knew who he was. He could shear away an entire mountain with his thoughts alone if he desired so, for he was the unstoppable lion prince! No need for him to go on a life-changing journey. Those were overdone, anyway.
No sight of anything in the sky either. What were they even waiting for? He wasn't sure he's got it, or maybe he just hadn't listened. Or maybe he didn't care. Everything was starting to look bland and same to him. He was too bored to care, he hadn't slept properly in a good while and he'd give anything for a warm meal. Ugh, the life of a Chosen One sure sucked.
“Hey, Esteban, think you can warm up some nuts for us?”, he asked.
But the ghost didn't answer. He was perched on the unseen Condor's head, staring at the sky. Leon called again, louder, but nothing came of it. Psht, what a loser! He turned around and started walking down a path, not liking feeling ignored.
“I swear. That guy's too weird for me.”
Honestly, he's seen weirder. This could be from one of his dreams, or one of his pattern visions. If Esteban had a pattern himself, it was a convoluted one, one he couldn't read easily. Usually, everything made sense, but this guy escaped the notion of “sense” altogether. And it was infuriating.
There was no one around on this part of the coast. Only dirty sand, rocks and some plants. He hesitated for a moment, glancing around, before letting the beast out and going down on all fours. He could feel his tail growing in, his fur breaking out of his clothes, his face turning into a dangerous beast's snout. His senses growing sharper, or at least the illusion of it. But he didn't care, for it was what he wanted. What he could do.
Even though nothing had changed, it still felt different. Everything felt different, like he was in a dream. He walked closer to the water, nudged it with his “paw”, felt the wetness on his palm and the saltiness on his tongue, and the rest quickly took over. Without knowing why, he flopped down on his side, letting the sand itch at him and the water lap at his arm, knowing fully well he'd get wet and dirty like a kid in a mudfight. But he didn't care. Did anyone care about him? No one ever did. It was all an illusion, so in this world, only illusions could be real. And he'd prove it.
“Hey there. You, uh...you're here?”
He watched the sea for a response.
[…]

Read the rest over at
https://archiveofourown.org/works/23790 ... s/59596201 