Chapter 288 - Numb

"Indeed he is, but thanks to the Inner Demon of rage he did have complications in the first few m..." Felt Commander Alia stupid all of a sudden, she knew that Mogranius doesn't entirely trust Bittore yet such information slipped through her mouth.

Bittore indeed noticed it and instantly became intrigued, aiming to ask. "What do Inner Demons have to do...."

But her word was cut short by Commader Alia who got back to the first case. "So what did you want to talk about regarding Eric?"

Although that piece of information sounding important, the spark in her eyes reappeared by the thought of Eric and Osira together. "Look, as a child I find Eric amazing and I have a hunch that he will be even better the older he grows." Collecting her words, trying to figure out how to say this good enough to convince Commander Alia. "I want him to be together with Osira, although marriage is a long shot, I'd like to see where this goes."

A bit shocked although expecting that the result would lead here based on Bittore's previous wordplay, with her eyes wide open looking towards her. Alia replied, "Well I don't think if this is for me to have a word about...."

"Oh common, he sees you as his mother. Who would have a better word about this? You have all the rights!" Well that's how far medieval logic would go, at least forced marriage isn't a common thing in this tribe.

"He still has a father, I'm sure both him and his father would trust my word completely but as I stated before. He has a fancy for Ada." That was the key reason why Commander Alia didn't want to cooperate, she doesn't want Eric growing up thinking he can leave one girl once he finds someone who looks physically more attracting.

"That little ill.u.s.tratian girl?" Bittore felt dumbfounded, and actually. "I thought you were joking about that. How is an enemy compatible for such a fine boy?"

Keeping calm, understanding her point of view since perhaps Meridionali Ignis didn't have less racist ill.u.s.tratios compared to the amount Occidentis Ignis carries. Commander Alia reminded, "We don't like looking at our allies as enemies, this girl and her mother sacrificed their business to join our Revolution. Furthermore her mother was married to an Ignite, before he was slaughtered."

Finding such information hard to believe, she took a few seconds to comprehend this but Alia sure had a bit more to say.

"Let's just wait for Eric and ask him what he feels, he literally knows Ada just for a couple of days so I doubt he is in love." That's where Commander Alia felt sympathy, although not a mother herself she could sense Bittore's good intends. "Pray to the source that he doesn't die out there."

"You're right." Bittore finally admitted, and even realized that she projected a terrible image of herself towards Commander Alia for a couple of minutes although her intend pure. "It's just that... Osira had a rough past, I want her to smile more at least now."

Realizing where this is going since Osira is both an Ignite and a Fire Controller, she wanted to know a bit more detail about it, asking. "I'm guessing the ill.u.s.tratian Alliance caused you trouble?"

"Well yes it did, but that's not the worst part as we were used to it throughout her life." For someone who heard her story before this would make a lot more sense.

But to Commander Alia? She was quick to ask with her eyebrow raised in confusion as she felt the warmth of the fire on her face. "What's worse than the ill.u.s.tratian Alliance?"

"Betrayal." Answered Bittore with no intend of hoarding information. "My husband sold us out to the illas once he figured out that both of us posess Magic."

Since she still calls her powers, "Magic". Alia figured that Mogranius nor Eric might not have told them about how exactly "Magic" was brought upon the world. Giving it a bit of thought, she zoned out and accidentally missed a few words from Bittore.

As she snapped back to reality, she heard. "Forest for quite a while." Giving a bit of thought instead of asking her to repeat her words which might appear rude since they are the only ones in the room.

Figuring out what Bittore might have said, she added. "Living there must have been rough."

"It had its ups and downs but there were officially soldiers and experienced hunters send to put an end of our tribe."

...

As Bittore stood near the campfire, she felt the world go a bit blurry and her movements became much more sloppy despite the attempted urge to gain control. Her vision became blurry too, it felt like hundreds of thousands spike like white waves pointing all in the middle of her view.

With little decision over her subconscious, she found herself gently lying on the side and taking a nap near the Campfire. It felt warm, cozy and made up for all the wounds her body is recovering from.

But then, she woke up. Found herself at a new surrounding although not very different of her first. Specifically, she was at the opposite side of the Campfire where all the Ratbug meat is temporarily piled up, until the Storage Room is cleaned a bit better and the new Metal Containers are made.

Odd indeed, "Perhaps Osira didn't find me comfortable so she moved me." Bittore instantly used logic, still feeling a bit numb when it comes to attaining complete control of her actions.

The good news is, her vision cleared up by half. The bad news is, it would be better if it didn't. What would cause such a result? Well as she took a look to the left, she saw... Herself. As if a Mirror was reflecting her perfectly at each and every detail.

Looking at herself directly in the eye, she tried to take her gaze away but petrified in fear until once more she used logic to her aid. "A dream. This must be a dream!" She thought to herself and tried to speak it out too but a couple words from her sentence felt like as if they were eaten.

Trying to wake up from this... unique dream, she gave herself a hard left slap and afterwards a hard right one. But her face felt numb and she barely felt a thing, however she did manage to knock herself out.

Falling on the fur seat once more, a bit less gently this time with her arms barely used to cushion the fall. She wake up about a blink later and continued to once more glance upon herself, "Oh, I still didn't wake up." She thought with her vision becoming a tad worse compared to the second time.

Her vision even started tilting from left to right, slowly but it just made the whole thing more and more uncomfortable. Staring directly at what resembled as her perfect copy, Bittore blinked and opened her eyes to something rather... traumatic.

She witnessed a Ratbug, sitting straight at where her copy used to sit at. With its buck teeth carrying blood and its tongue slithering below. "Shit shit shit shit." Bittore thought as she tried to take a desperate right swing against this beast.

However, her swing just didn't hit the Ratbug as if her arm became 10 fold smaller when her fist reached across the Ratbug and returned back at its normal size once the swing clearly missed to damage the target.

She found herself waking up, near the Campfire again. And feeling a lot more under control, but with a big headache which made it hard to determine if she is still dreaming. She took a peek at her left side and on the right, but didn't find any Ratbugs nor a clone of herself.

She pinched her hand, and felt no numbness but a light burn instead. "Good, I'm awake." She murmured to herself feeling huge relief.

"You were cursing a lot while you were asleep, are you alright?" Spoke a familiar tone, slowly turning her head behind to see who it is and hoping that Ratbugs didn't learn human language.

She saw Mollara, sitting over one of the beds over a leather sleeping bag which she herself sewed together. Sighing in relief, she answered. "Oh it was just a bad dream, I swear I'm having it hard to sleep because of them."

Feeling that she knows what Bittore might have nightmares about, she asked. "Are your nightmares related to Maleemia?"

Feeling a bit embarrassed that her body apparently did a workout, since she is covered in sweat. Over a dream including a Ratbug, she just evaded the question. "Well not specifically, but in some yes."

Bringing much beloved reason for Bittore, she explained. "Don't worry, I remember that many ladies in the past have reported more frequent bad dreams once they sustained an injury. They should pass along with your wounds, just try to relax."

"You're a good friend."