Chapter eighteen

A small smile formed on Nishi's lips as a small black rukh landed on her outstretched hand. She watched it lightly flap it wings and move around on her fingers.

"What are you doing?" Judar asked from where he sat beside her.

Nishi shrugged, "I dunno." They were at their typical meeting place, their backs to a rather large tree and their legs stretched out in front of them. The small black bird flew off and got lost in the black and white rukh swirling around them. "By the way- no. Nevermind..." Nishi began to ask if he heard more about why Al-Thamen likes her, but stopped herself. He wouldn't be allowed to tell her anyway.

"Hmm?"

"It's nothing."

Judar frowned, "What's up with you? You've been weird lately."

"You care?" Nishi raised an eyebrow at him. She knew it was almost a mean thing to ask, but he didn't seem to take it that way.

"Yeah. Tell me."

"I almost killed a guy visiting Sindria last night," Nishi admitted. "He was getting a bit too close to a citizen of Sindria who didn't want him to and I kinda flipped out..."

"Like you did with those other guys? What'd Sinbad do?" Judar asked.

"Yeah...He wasn't very happy, but he didn't really do anything. I don't know what he did with the guy either, Sin made me wait in his study."

Judar thought for a while before asking another question, "Are you always like that with people that act that way?"

"If I was, you'd be dead by now." Nishi looked at him. "And I sure as hell wouldn't be dating you."

"Yeah, I suppose. Then what is it?"

Nishi stayed quiet and contemplated telling him. It was obvious he wouldn't see it as a tragic story or something to care about as much as she did. She wanted to tell him, but she knew he'd laugh or make a stupid remark. "Well...I'll tell you if you don't tell anyone else or be rude about it."

"Sure, whatever, tell me." Judar agreed.

"Promise?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Ok..." Nishi continued to explain everything about her first life and Kana again. It wasn't making her feel better like when she told Sinbad, she was just forcing herself to relive horrible memories again like they didn't already haunt her enough.

Once she finished she looked at Judar, expecting him to mock her. Instead he just remained quiet besides a small 'hmm'. "Are you going to say anything besides 'hmm'?"

"Well you said I couldn't be rude so..." Nishi frowned and Judar chuckled, "I'm kidding! But seriously, isn't that even more a reason to join me? You clearly still want revenge."

"You're not helping." Nishi rolled her eyes. While she was telling her story they had moved away from the rock and were sitting across from each other.

"After what you just told me, I don't understand why you wouldn't want to."

"This life is supposed to be my second chance!"

"Well, you've already fucked it up, might as well go all the way." Judar gestured between them.

"I know...But I can't. I told you-"

"Yeah, yeah. You're Sindria's magi blah blah." Judar finished for her with an annoyed tone.

"Not only that. I was so miserable then. I don't ever want to be that way again. But I'm having a hard time not being angry." Nishi looked down at her lap.

"Then stop thinking about it. You're annoying when you're depressed."

Nishi looked at the other magi and smiled a little, "Yeah, I'll try."

~

It was probably suspicious that two magi went missing for several days, but no one seemed to notice. Nishi had told Sinbad that she was leaving for a few days just to get away and relax, little did the king know it was with Judar, who left Kou at the same time.

The two magi had a hard time finding a place that wasn't in the huge Kou Empire or anywhere else they could go without being found easily, but eventually they did, and that's where they were now.

Nishi smiled as she looked down at her and Judar's intertwined hands as they walked around a small town. She was surprised he was okay with it, but she didn't question it much.

"Hey, why don't we go there?" Judar suggested, a wicked grin on his face as he pointed with his free hand to the country's 'pleasure house'.

"S-Seriously?! No!" Nishi exclaimed, blushing.

"Aw, come on! It'll be fun." Judar tried to drag her to it.

"Yeah, for you!" Nishi struggled.

"Eek!" She slipped and fell onto her back, Judar who was still holding her arm, falling on top of her. "Hey! Get off! You're heavy." Nishi complained whilst laughing.

Judar chuckled and used his arms to support himself. Although he didn't get off her, he just hovered over her, a smirk present on his face.

"Stop smirking like that and move, fatass!" Nishi weakly tried to push him off.

Nishi blushed as Judar said the typical tension-building words, "Make me."

She stopped struggling and tried to think of a way to get out. Thinking of one, Nishi raised a hand to Judar's face and kissed him. She let him deepen the kiss, opening her mouth to allow him to explore. Judar moved one hand to her waist and Nishi quickly grabbed him and flipped them over so she was pinning him to the ground. She pinned his arms over his head and smirked, "Hah." She chuckled at Judar's shocked expression and stood up, brushing herself off.

"What, that's all?" Judar pouted, also standing up.

"What do you mean? I was just trying to get you off me." Nishi continued smirking, she knew exactly what he meant.

Judar continued to pout, "That's not fair."

"You're the one who fell on me."

"You're the one who tripped!"

Nishi began laughing again and she even got Judar to join in, "Maybe next time, buddy."

Judar stopped laughing, "What?!"

~