Scenario five: Deus ex Planta

Rune slipped again. Yori gasped and squeezed his eyes shut. “This isn’t getting us anywhere,” he rasped. Then Rune startled.

Yori’s eyes flew open as he felt himself rise a few inches. “Rune?”

“Something’s got my ankles,” he said. He was pale and trembling, but he was still holding tightly to Yori. “It’s pulling me up, if I can just hold on…”

“Right,” Yori agreed, tightening his own grip. He bit his lip. Inch by inch, they were drawn up and away from the cliff. Once Yori was safely on solid ground, they parted. Yori danced to one side, summoning his staff as he moved.

Rune rolled over and looked at what had him. “Grappler,” he gasped. Then vines shot out to tangle around his arms as well. “Yori!”

He was safe. Now, Rune was the one in danger. Yori took a deep breath and then flung out his staff. An arc of cutting wind flew through the trees. As it sliced the vines, Rune scrambled back to Yori’s side.

“Go,” Yori said, grabbing Rune by the arm and pulling him upright. Grapplers wouldn’t be disuaded from their meals so easily and they both knew it.

Don’t want to forget come daylight

Yori blinked and looked up at Rune. “Shouldn’t you go to sleep?” he asked, his voice soft. He sounded tired. He looked it too. Rune couldn’t blame him, not after the day they’d hand.

Rune sighed softly and smoothed Yori’s hair lightly. “I almost lost you again,” he whispered. “I think, a part of me is afraid that, if I go to sleep, I’ll find out that this is a dream and…” he trailed off.

“I’m real,” Yori said. He leaned up and kissed Rune on the cheek. Then his eyes closed. “Don’t stay up all night,” he said. Then, he was asleep.

Sighing, Rune snuggled closer to Yori. He wanted to remember this moment, treasure it forever. They were together and safe. They’d done what they set out to do. Tomorrow, they would tell the villagers what they’d found. Then they would be going home. For now, in this moment, it was just the two of them. He wanted to keep that feeling and remember it forever.

He closed his eyes. There was no way to freeze a moment in time. He’d just have to keep making new moments with Yori. After all, once they woke, that moment would be gone. That didn’t mean he’d forget how it felt though. He doubted he ever would.