No Shame in This Walk

The bright morning sunlight had now become his mortal enemy. Artorias grimaced as he slogged forward across the great grass plains of the Armada with Briar at his side, his girlfriend more leaning into him than walking on her own. The inside of his head was pounding like someone were hammering his skull from within. His mouth felt dry and his stomach wouldn't settle. Both Artorias and Briar were significantly hungover and smelled of one another all over from their overnight picnic out in the Fern Gulley, the two lovers too wrapped up in one another to care about the consequences of the morning after. Now that they were living the morning after, present Artorias hated past Artorias with a burning passion.

It took a tremendous amount of strength to make it to the den Briar shared with her brother, but with sheer will and determination he trudged inside with Briar, escorting her into her bed despite her grumbling. He spotted Lia just beginning to rise from her bed as he eased his girlfriend down to her own pile of furs and tucked her in with one, snickering a little under his breath when he watched the Fatalis princess immediately pull the fur up over her eyes to cover herself in darkness. He reached down and gave the end of her nose that was peeking out a little kiss before he heard gentle snores coming from her. Shaking his head, Artorias stepped back out into the main chamber of the den so as not to disturb the sleeping hungover princess, waiting for Lia to come join him as well.

When the fire-furred woman joined him, Artorias offered her a warm yet tired smile, still feeling the effects of the high proof alcohol. "Hello again, Lia. Sorry you had to see me this way," he apologized with a sheepish smile, trying to ignore the pounding migraine in his brain. "Briar and I, we, uh... had a bit too much to drink last night. She'll probably be cranky when she wakes up." Artorias figured it was best to warn Lia now, so she'd know how to tend to Briar when the princess woke up.

"Artorias Carpathius"