Pray for Me Fallout

JP with Tarmen, Wim, Voah, and Gonyaul.

She opened her eyes. What did he mean? Now was not the time for a joke. She looked over to him… he was mimicking her posture… a bit unnecessary to go so far but he looked the part… at first, she felt that he was mocking her and then she remembered back to the morning in the prayer tent… he said, ‘they don’t talk… I thought they would…’

Hoi’s Tits! The Vaux didn’t pray? But… Dear Gods… No…

She understood now. There was no problem, no question, for the Inquisition to turn their back on the Vaux.

She stared at him in silence as she slowly stood up, her sword in hand, sweating in the grip as she stretched her fingers open and closed.

The fear, the nervousness in his eyes in the day they met. How could she be so blind.

“Gonyual…” she started softly, her voice rising with each word. “Tell me… you pray… tell me… you worship the Pillars…”

‘You’re losing it, Voah.’ It was not the whispers but her own voice in her head now. But her mind was clear for once.

‘It’s just like Hunter right? Like the Odsier. Not their fault. Not raised with the faith.’

“Tell me…” she cried.

The warm feeling of being on the verge of helping Voah in a time of need began to fade with each word she spoke. It was being replaced, little by little, with a sense of caution. It continued growing as she gripped her sword. Her tone of voice pushed his caution over the edge into anxiousness. She was genuinely upset at him.

Gonyaul sat back up and on his heels looking up at her. He had not yet fully grasped the change in the situation. It was like a baby rabbit looking up at a fox poised to strike and not realizing the potential danger it was in.

He was sad. Not about the pillars and prayer, but because he could sense she was sad. He took a deep breath, knowing she was not going to like the truth. He also inwardly surrendered himself to the possibility that his changing perspective on Arbiters had been wrong and he had blinded himself with feelings for her.

“I not pray. Never have.” he looked down briefly and whispered these words like they were his last. Then he looked back up into her eyes to gauge his fate.

Her eyes expressed her feelings of betrayal and disappointment. She had started a relationship with a non-believer? She was doing everything wrong. First off, she had done nothing to stop the Odsier, she probably never should have accepted a non-believer like Hunter as her Incus and now… she was smitten by a Vaux who, of course, was another non-believer. For all she knew she was surrounded by them. She was pissed at herself but overall her heart said fuck Arcadia. Things had been so simple when she didn’t have a conscience.

The thought of killing him never crossed her mind but it must have looked like it.

She was just… hurt. How could she be so… weak, to succumb to his pretty words.

She shook her head and turned to walk away for some time alone. To think. As if that would help.

Tarmen knew this day was coming. The religious zealot condemning them for their heretical views. Happened every time.
He couldn’t tell of she was lost to the madness, but its presence in her eyes had him gripping his blade to step in. Last thing he needed was Voah going on a crusade after everything.
Luckily, she decided to leave them, but he didn’t relax his grip. He also still had to wrap Wim’s arm, though it seemed minuscule compared to leaving Voah with the spore madness.
“Barrel Boy, can you wrap a wound? I’m thinkin’ the mold might have resurfaced a bit early in the Arbiter and I don’t trust her alone with you if you were to give her the bread to help with it.”

She didn’t strike him down physically, but he felt a devastating cut to his heart by the way she looked at him. It was as if she no longer saw him. The blade would have been easier to deal with than that look.

As Voah walked off, Gonyaul leaned forward slightly and began reaching for her. He was about to speak, but was cut short by Tarmen’s question. It took him a second to switch gears and register what he was saying.

Gonyaul nodded. He got up to his feet, making the movement look labored in order to hide the tears that were trying to emerge. He wiped them away before the Kru’ll man could see. Gonyaul was horrible at hiding the truth. It remained obvious his eyes were watered and he was hurt.

Gonyaul moved over to Wim and took the bandages and began tending to his arm.

“Good Wim, sorry you got hurt.” He would occasionally let his eyes drift briefly in the direction Voah marched off.