Akkey & Vox

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== Summary==
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==Full Text==
Akkey (thoughts): “Idiot. Weak, selfish idiot. That should’ve been you lying on the ground. Not him.”
“You brought that thing home. The thing that killed him. You let him be killed.”
Vox: The walk to the lake was short enough, or so it seemed.
The cold pulled all excess heat from Vox’s surface, leaving him to shudder against the harsh winds pelting his face. If there was one place he knew nobody would want to be at a time like this, it would be the water that nearly took the lives of his friends, and sent him to Hel.
The place where Haddock sat beside him, and stayed after Vox lost Tree.
Where Haddock lead the others to bring him back from the depths of Hel.
Where Haddock lost his best bodyguard he had ever had.
…Haddock…
Vox kicked the rocks and loose gravel leading up to the body of water. He could see himself and the King where they had sat, mourning the losses they faced. He visually traced the scars on his fist from where he shattered his hand against a wall after Tree supposedly went in after him… Haddock was there for that.
It was the King who brought him back to his senses.
He sat at an angle, facing out towards the sun. It was fairly low in the sky now, illuminating the dark clouds bearing the next snowfall that would grace the Wilderwest. It would have been a sight to behold had Vox been in any mental state to observe it’s beauty.
I’m sorry, Haddock.
Akkey: She stole away in the middle of the night, unable to take the stuffiness in her room. When she opened her eyes in darkness, she thought she was back in the depths of her mind, controlled by Dust. But her eyes finally got used to the lack of light and she felt the soft sheets underneath her. She knew she was back.
She remembered everything. Every. Single. Thing.
She couldn’t take it, she had to get out of there. She ran, hurriedly dragging on a robe and sheets to protect herself from the night air. Silently she left the fortress, unseen, and left the camp.
Blindly she ran into the night, uncaring of where she went. Finally, she collapsed on the ground, gasping for hair and shivering from the cold.
Oh gods, what am I doing…
Tears streamed down her face, and she couldn’t take it. She howled, sobbing her sorrows out.
Vox: He heard the manic hysteria from a short distance away, echoing off the hills beyond the lake. It was haunting. Whoever was the source of the turmoil, he could feel their heartbreak.
It brought out all that he felt.
I don’t want to move. I want to sit here until I die.
…that’s selfish. Tree would kill me.
Shit, bad wording. She’d be upset with me.
Vox exhaled, not wanting to be bothered, but he had a hard time turning away from those who needed help. Bringing himself to his feet, he turned towards the disturbance and made his way with caution. He knew not what was ahead, until he found himself nearing a familiar silhouette.
Akkey: Stupid. Stupid. You idiot.
She clenched her fists, her fingers turning blue in he snow. She hunched over, the robe slipping off her shoulders. Frozen tears fell on the ground.
What I’d give to forget all of this…
Footsteps crunched on the snow a little to her right, and she hurriedly brushed her tears away. She was in no mood to talk to anyone right now. She stood to sneak away, but she saw who it was.
"Vox…"
Vox: "…Akkey."
He didn’t move. Their last encounter wasn’t exactly the greatest, and he didn’t know if it was her that he was speaking to. He didn’t stick around long after Haddock’s funeral to find out.
He inched his way closer to the visibly freezing girl, naturally wanting to comfort his old comrade. His grief clouded his better judgement — something he didn’t have a ton of to begin with. Hand on her shoulder, he lowered himself to look her in the eyes.
"…you remember me? You know who you are again?"
Akkey: She flinched when he touched her. She met his gaze with her watery eyes, and saw the pain and worry in his. She forced herself to smile, even a little bit, “You look good for someone who’s been to Hel and back, hooded boy.”
Vox: Vox flashed a haphazardous smile. She hadn’t lost her knack for making light of a difficult situation. It was very obviously the Akkey he remembered — the chief he fought alongside those many months ago. Without any hesitation, he pulled her into himself for a deep embrace. They both needed it right about now.
"I could say the same for you, Alzheimers."
Stepping back, he turned to where he came from.
"I was just sitting at the lake… thinking about things."
About him…
Akkey: Her face flushed a little when he smiled and hugged her, but she buried it deep within her. We’ve been past this, you’ll get over it soon…
She returned the embrace, grateful of the warmth, “Shut it.” 
She followed him, pulling her robe close around her. ”Oh… I see.” she responded quietly, skipping a little to keep up with his long strides, “What things?”
Vox: Don’t tell her.
I have to tell her.
She always knows if I’m lying.
"It’s uh, nothing… just everything that’s happened lately…"
He slowed as they neared the water. He wasted no time sitting back where he was before, drawing in the view as he had done before he was pleasantly interrupted by Akkey.
"…and, Haddock, I guess."
The name caught in his throat. He couldn’t hide his distraught at the loss of the King, with his voice cracking at his mention. The tears welled, and he fought to keep them from falling. The last thing Akkey needed was for him to show weakness. Not when she was this vulnerable.
"I just wish I could have done something, Akkey."
Akkey: She froze. She didn’t follow him, she didn’t sit with him. She didn’t even respond.
She stood there, letting his name ring.
Haddock.
The relief that Vox brought, the lightheartedness he always had around her… it was temporary. Everything came crashing down on her again. The duel, second by second… from the moment it began until he fell. She saw it all, over and over and over.
She stared blankly across the lake, thinking of all the things that could have happened, “I wish… you could have done something, too. I wish… I… no, I could have done something. I just didn’t.”
She was rambling now, she forgot he was even there. She didn’t see how much he was struggling, too. She went near the edge of the water, crying, “I brought her… I brought Dust here. I let her get into my head. I let her manipulate me, I let her feed me false memories. I believed in her. I thought… I accused Haddock of killing my family.”
She whirled around, her eyes flashing. She’s not seeing what’s in front of her anymore. All she could think of was the duel, “You wish you could have done something?! I could have! I had the opportunity! I could have stopped Dust from within! I could have forced her to stop! I could have taken the hit! It would’ve been the right thing to do! I let her control me… I let her control Stonegit. It should have been me on that cold, hard floor!" 
She screamed long and loud, the tears flowing freely. She fell to her knees, clutching at her head, suddenly realizing, "My gods… do you know the last thing I said to him? I threatened him. I told him… that someone will not leave this place alive.”
She sobbed hysterically into her hands, “Who does that?! Who says that to someone who has cared for them for seven years?! To someone who was practically their father?!”
“This… I did this.”
Vox: Vox couldn’t turn around; he couldn’t look at her like this.
She couldn’t face herself, and needed someone strong… someone able to take her pain and carry it on themselves.
Vox was not that person today.
He clenched his eyes shut and stifled any display of sadness. He didn’t have the strength to say anything. She was right — she could have done something. She should have done something. This wouldn’t have happened if not for Dust.
Haddock would still be alive.
"…I-I remember when I came back."
His voice shook, cracking every other syllable. The tone of his speech was grittier and higher than normal, with his vocal chords strained. He shifted his weight to face her once more, casting his inhibitions aside and letting her see him for his genuine emotion.
"I was… I was an absolute mess, much like you are now. There was nothing that could console me. Had Tree just left me there, in Hel — she wouldn’t have had to face that. I didn’t think she was coming back."
He paused. That flood of negative nostalgia struck him like a stone. A lump in his throat caught just as he was getting to his point.
"…but… he was there."
"Haddock."
"He didn’t join in my despair. He didn’t crumble into hysterics. He was as broken as I, yes, but he knew that beating ourselves up wouldn’t bring her back."
"…and beating ourselves up won’t bring him back."
Akkey: "Exactly. It won’t bring him back. He’s not here.”
She avoided his eyes. Throwing off the cloak, she plunged herself into the lake. The freezing water mingled with her tears, and in no time she could no longer feel her limbs.
But she didn’t care.
She stayed there, the silence underneath amplifying her thoughts, the pain, the anguish. 
I know that. I know that. Gods damn it all, I know that. But still… still, it hurts. It hurts so much. This was all my fault. He accepted me, him and the Queen… and this is how I repaid him. 
By laughing at his face and threatening to chop his head off. Stonegit killed him… because I couldn’t control my own mind.
Odin, how can I not beat myself up…
Vox: Enough.
Vox set a stride for Akkey. His gentle demeanor and understanding nature wouldn’t break through to the girl.
It was time to make her see that she couldn’t continue to live like this. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her so that she was mere inches away from his face.
"Listen to me, Akkey. Haddock is dead. Is there anything we can do about it now? Of course not.”
His words fell harsh against the emotionally crippled girl. His delivery was sharp and enraged.
"What is destroying yourself over this going to do? We’ll be down a chief, at a time that we can’t afford to let our defenses fall. High Central, who knows what they have planned?…"
"Akkey. We can’t live like this anymore.”
Akkey: She gasped for air, wide eyed. Her vision clears and she stared at him, finally registering the anger in his voice, “He’s… he’s dead… we can’t…”
She was limp in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably into his shoulder, whispering again and again, “I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” 
Vox: "Akkey, it’s over now… we’ll get through…"
The pain.
It was back.
He gripped at his chest, wincing and watching as Akkey cradled her head in her hands. Something wasn’t right; the last time this occurred, there was trouble.
He fought through the discomfort and threw Akkey on his back. Rising to his feet, he turned to face camp.
"We’re going back."
Akkey: “Dammit…” she threw her head back and let him go, her breakdown interrupted. She saw him wince, too, clutching at his chest. This is bad… there’s something wrong here… this happened before…
She shook her head, now was not the time. She suddenly felt the ground falling beneath her as he determinedly tried to carry her. “We’re going back,” he said. She coughed, embarrassed, and wriggled away from his grip.
“No, geez. Let me go, lover boy… there’s a faster way.” she rolled to the ground and stood shakily, steadying herself on his arm. The headache was still there, “You forget I’m half a nix. I got you out of Hel. I sent Tree to Purgatory… albeit accidentally.”
“I can send us both back in.” She waved her hands back and forth, and the lake became still, it was like a mirror. She motioned towards the water, groaning as a particularly painful stab occurred at the back of her head.
“You know the drill. Touch the water.”
(Possible lost reply)
They burst through the water in the fountain, gasping for air. She heaved herself over the edge, finally on solid ground.
“Oh gods, sorry Vox…” she dragged an unconscious Vox out, “I forget that touching the water does things to you…”
She looked down at his sleeping face. He was a gentleman, and a calm spirit… but he lost his cool to slap some sense into her. And she was grateful. If he hadn’t been there, if he hadn’t found her… she bit her lip. Haddock was dead, and it still hurt… but what Vox said helped her, even a little. She leaned forward and touched her forehead to his, her eyes never leaving his closed ones. “Thank you…”
A lone soldier was passing through, and noticed them, “Chief! You’re alright, thank the gods! You disappeared after your coma… now Stonegit is looking for you. Her Majesty is with him right now.”
Her head snapped up, “Her Majesty? Mera is back?” she hastily stood, squeezing out the water from her robe. “Get him into some dry clothes and a warm bed. He deserves it.” she told him, and ran for the fortress.
Category:BOTGD
Category:Events
Category:Season 3
Category:Akkey Black
Category:Vox Arnason