"So basically, I'm gonna force Fog to reveal his true form, bind him with some flowers, and then you're gonna stab him, after which we're gonna run away. Simple, no?"
At this point, Willow probably thought he was insane, off the charts...if she didn't already think that before. Even Leonidas had to admit that his plan was built on too many guesses.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you want to disturb something that's passive towards our existence, restrain it, then stab it in the eye. I haven't even heard your plan, and already there are a million things that can and will go wrong."
Leonidas shifted on his seat, getting more comfortable, then answered in a confident tone:
"Precisely because you haven't heard it, do you think it'll go wrong. Trust me, I have logical proof for everything..."
Confidence is key...can't tell her that I have zero faith in this plan.
In a very unfortunate twist of events, Willow seemed to have a brain, which complicated things for Leonidas...a lot.
"Your expression just twisted. Dare I ask, Art, did you just think something rude?"
This woman...am I sure she doesn't have a mental Source Element? Can someone alter states of matter using their mind?
It didn't seem too far-fetched, not after learning that there existed a whole other world. But then again, even that could have been someone with the Memory Source Element altering his memories, or maybe he wasn't even Leonidas; even that could have been some sort of self-insert.
Did he even exist?
Leonidas sighed lightly. He was doing it again. Whenever he thought of stuff like this, he came to understand that everything could simply be an illusion, which was why he'd rather not think of stuff like that.
Questioning my existence isn't the best pastime. And I'm wandering again. Dammit.
"Willow, I can assure you, my mind is a well of clear water, and my heart a reservoir of goodness...and...other things. I would never think of anything remotely rude, especially so in front of a...lovely lady like you."
She slapped the arms of her throne lightly, then laughed. A sweet laugh, a lovely laugh.
"Oh, I never doubted you. Now, can we get on?" Her smile grew a little bigger and more genuine, as if she was going to enjoy whatever she said next. "Or I'll stab you in the eye...and chest."
Leonidas unconsciously touched his eyes with his left arm; at least he didn't try to move his right.
An upside, I guess?
"You really do love your stabbing. Alright, tell me how long you've been here?"
Willow didn't even think before responding with a "one".
Leonidas rubbed his chin in thought, then pointed towards the pinwheel sun high in the sky.
"You see that? One of four parts was red around 39-something hours ago. Then I heard a mind-numbing bell that shattered my ears, and the sun had turned fully pink. Shortly afterwards..." Leonidas raised his non-existent right arm, "The Scarlet Basins below us burst into a flood of bloody monsters. That's also where I lost my right arm."
Willow's face paled as the implications fell over her. She shifted her onyx eyes from Leonidas to the pink pinwheel again, and her ashen face turned so pale that Leonidas thought she was about to pass out.
"So that means..."
She didn't finish her words, nor did she need to. Leonidas understood plenty.
"Yup, in a few hours, or maybe if we're unfortunate, an hour at most, the sun is going to change colors, and a Pilgrim is going to pop up from somewhere and try to eat us."
"Well, all of this is a theory based on observations I made. When the sun is fully pink, nothing attacks us. Every 24 hours, it changes colors, a part will turn red, some sort of horror will be born, and..."
Willow, who seemed to have regained her composure and smile, said: "We'll get stabbed!?"
She sounds a little too cheerful...should I be worried? Oh well.
Leonidas shrugged. She would soon try to strangle him, so who cared?
"Now." Something acrid settled behind his eyes, and his voice calcified over, almost as if he had no emotions.
"I'm going to use my Edict to force that disgusting yellow smoke to become something that can be harmed; at the same time, I'm going to be using these comfortable flowers to cleave him."
Leonidas pointed at Seridius's sword, "You're gonna be using that beauty to spear through the bastard. Any questions?"
Willow didn't say anything at first, simply mulling the information over in her mind. She then crossed her legs, metal clinking with every twitch.
She locked her hands, head resting between them. Her face was a mask of harrowed stillness, so rigid that just looking at it made Leonidas's jaw hurt.
A perfect poker face.
"I have many questions, but let's start with the most logical one. Why did you assume...Fog would attack us after waking up? Second, why do I have to use your sword? I don't like the color. And finally...what made you assume I would agree?"
What do you know, a woman I just got to know doesn't want to go on an insane adventure with me. How weird.
Leonidas raised his finger, "Everything that can go wrong, will most definitely go wrong. We have no idea if Pilgrims will stay docile if we provoke them."
Second finger, "Because my sword is simply better, and I highly doubt you can make something that long with sufficient structural integrity...also, it has a cool little Hex that you'll get to use if you do it."
Hexes were enchantments on an object, enchantments that let them do things normal objects shouldn't be able to do.
Leonidas raised his ring finger...his middle and index fingers were also raised.
"And finally, for your final question. My dearest Willow, you'll have to cooperate with me whether you like it or not; it's not a matter of 'if', it's a matter of 'when'. Why, you may ask?"
Leonidas smiled softly, as if—heavens forbid—Willow was his long lost girlfriend.
"I've already started the process."
A/N: Guys I wanna know a few things, firstly is the pace too slow? Pacing is one of my biggest problems, so do tell. Other than that, was this chapter too draggy or boring?