Keith watched Rivulet as she went to get Camille. He hissed at himself. You should've let me gone with her!
But there was no reply. He sighed.
"Yo, uhh, this rodeo ain't got no spice to it. You get me? I'd say this barren wasteland ain't looking like no rodeo at all!" Cruz started laughing again.
"You're not a cowboy, dumbass," Keith said.
"Awhhhshhh!"
Ember jolted awake. "Gah! Guhh-"
"Ember."
"Wh-wha?" Ember turned to look at Keith. "Oh.."
"What happened to you?" he asked.
Ember thought. "Uh, I heard a voice."
Keith looked at him. "A voice?" Yes... Keith's eyes widened. Keith. Stay with them for longer. I cannot change hosts just yet. Understood? Keith closed his eyes. Okay.
"Keith?" Ember said. "You-"
Keith shoved past him. "Let's go find Rivulet."
"Y-yeah, okay. But are you sure-"
"I said, let's go find Rivulet," Keith hissed. Then he left towards the mansion. They wouldn't understand anyways. It was too complicated for them.
* * *
Rivulet stood there, awkwardly. "Uhh, I really don't have the time-"
"Are you so sure?" the guard asked again. "I mean, there couldn't possibly be anything for you to do at this time of night. Is there?" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
Rivulet gulped. Maybe she could stall them. She'd just have to play along. Oh, but Camille! She couldn't leave her! Or the map! What was she going to do? There was too many problems for her to handle at once.
The security guard stepped forward. "Miss..."
She took a deep breath. She'd make do with what she had. "Uh, well, I guess I do have time." She paused, and smiled. "Are you single?"
The guard's suspicion faded away. "Why, yes, of course. Almost twenty years still going strong." He looked at himself like he was an idol star.
She rolled her eyes. "Well, twenty seems a bit old with someone as young as me." She smirked.
"Ah, it's been done before. You seem like a resourceful one."
Rivulet felt hot. Did he catch on somehow?? This couldn't be the only way out. Maybe she could, sneak away, or something. "Yeahh, hah, uh, well, you look pretty resourceful yourself. Not as much as me, though."
"Yeah, I was told I was resourceful," he said.
A sudden movement caught her eye. She saw Keith stalked behind the guards. She tilted her head towards the passageway under the mansion, telling him silently to go find Camille. Keith seemed to understand, and stalked away, as the guard continued.
"My mother and father raised me to be the best of the best, above others. No guys have been able to stand up to me. Until those bitches that were raiding this mansion, of course."
Rivulet nodded, though not fully listening. She was more focused on Camille. And the scroll. "Cooool." But he said one sentence she thought she'd never hear again.
"You know, I was abused by my parents a lot."
She turned to look at him. "What?"
The guard shrugged. "Parental abuse. But it toughened me up." He stretched. "Aanyways, miss. You up? Or are you too...busy." He looked straight through her.
"I'm up!" she said quickly.
"What, are you getting up from bed? I'm not stupid." He suddenly took another step towards her, though this time it was more menacing. "I saw you in that tunnel watching."
She stepped back, shocked. "Uh, I'm-not following-I never, I wasn't-...I-" She couldn't stop herself from stuttering. He knew the whole time, and yet she thought she was the one playing along. "Stupid! Stupid, stupid!" She looked away. "Please! I-I'm sorry, I just, just-wanted my friends-"
She was cut off by an explosion. She stared in front of her as the guards were knocked back all the way across the lot. She yelled, falling backwards, as she covered her eyes. The moment she opened them, Keith stood in front of her with Camille. "I managed to find her easily. How'd it take you so long?"
"Wh-what-explosion-...I-the-"
"That was me. Had to get rid of them somehow." Keith turned. "Come on, let's get back to the others." Quietly he muttered to himself, "Even though I told them to follow me."
"So why didn't they come?" she asked.
"Probably Cruz," he replied. "Let's go you two."
Rivulet turned to Camille. She looked shaken. Softly, she curled her tail around Camille, and sat in silence. The explosion had caught her by surprise. How did Keith even do that? No one can do that. Not even the legendaries. She shuddered, the cold wind slicing past her.
Camille looked up at Rivulet. "I'm scared..."
She looked down at Camille. "Yeah." The moon shone above them, gray clouds starting to cover the starry sky. "Me too."
