Chapter 604: Tans and Concerns
The sea breeze blew gently, bringing with it the scent of salt and the rhythmic sound of waves crashing against the shore. The sun spread generously across the sky, with no clouds to mitigate the heat, and its golden glow reflected on the skin of the two women sitting by the sea.
Scarlet stretched her legs out on the fine sand, leaning back on her elbows. Her red hair, loose and unruly, shone in the sunlight, its strands dancing gently in the wind. The bikini Scathach had forced on her already showed the first tan lines, highlighting her fair skin with a provocative contrast.
Scathach, lying beside her, looked absurdly comfortable. A lazy smile played on her lips and she wore the sunglasses she had stolen from who knows where. Her tanned skin glowed like sunburnt gold, her body sculpted with perfect, defined curves. She looked like a goddess who had descended to the human world just to play with it.
“Don’t you think it’s about time we went after the others?” Scarlet asked, breaking the silence with her calm but firm voice. She didn’t take her eyes off the horizon, as if the vastness of the sea were easier to face than the woman beside her.
Scathach slowly turned her head toward her, raising only one eyebrow.
“Why?” she asked, her voice thick with amused irony. “Do you miss them?”
Scarlet sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s not a matter of longing. It’s a matter of necessity. They need to grow up… and we know that won’t happen by tanning our asses on the sand.”
A silence followed, broken only by the waves.
Scathach let out a low laugh, the kind of laugh that seemed to carry ancient secrets. “Grow up…” she repeated, as if savoring the word. “They’re growing up, Scarlet. Precisely because I hid what I was going to do.”
Scarlet turned to her, frowning. Her intense blue gaze met the other redhead’s, who remained unconcerned.
“It was a low blow. You know that,” Scarlet insisted, crossing her arms. “Training them like that without warning… throwing them all into that hell without any preparation…”
“A low blow?” Scathach arched her eyebrow, her smile growing even more mischievous. “In life, easy come, easy go. I just cut her off. You know as well as I do that integrity isn’t built on smooth sailing.”
Scarlet bit her lower lip, partly irritated, partly trying to contain an involuntary smile. She knew Scathach too well to be swayed by her venomous charm, but still… she couldn’t deny the logic in her words.
“Even so…” Scarlet insisted, turning back to the sea. “There were other ways besides… well, using that thing you made.”
Scathach let out a hearty laugh this time, so loud that even some nearby birds took flight, startled. She leaned on her side, supporting her face with one hand, her eyes sparkling with pure amusement.
“Oh, Scarlet…” she said, almost teasingly. “I love it when you say ‘that thing I did,’ as if it were some forbidden taboo.”
Scarlet turned to her, a blush rising in her cheeks. “Because it was. You know damn well it was.”
“It was brilliant, that’s what it was,” Scathach replied, shrugging as if it were obvious. “And relax, no one’s going to die because of it.”
Scarlet snorted, shaking her head. “You’re so easy on the eyes…”
“Of course I am.” Scathach smiled, lying back down, arms behind her head. “They won’t die. Strax won’t either. Besides, he needs to learn to handle himself better, don’t you think?” Scarlet was silent for a few seconds, staring out at the sea with an unreadable expression. The wind ruffled her red hair, and the light bikini line on her skin seemed to glow in the sun.
“Strax…” she murmured thoughtfully. “He already carries too much weight. Maybe you’re asking more than you should.”
Scathach turned to her, her smile fading briefly. There was a rare seriousness in her eyes, a glint reminiscent of something ancient, cruel, and wise.
“He carries weight because he can,” she said quietly. “And because he has to. You know that. I know that.”
Scarlet swallowed. For a moment, the conversation lost its light, teasing tone. Scathach’s words echoed like truths too harsh to ignore.
“Do you think he can handle it?” Scarlet asked, almost in a whisper.
Scathach smiled again, returning to her relaxed tone. “I think he will because he has no choice.” And as for our girls… they’ll learn too. They either break or they grow. There’s no middle ground.
Scarlet rested her chin on her knees, hugging her legs. She stayed like that for a while, silent, before letting out a short, humorless laugh.
“You always talk as if everything were a game. As if you were just moving pieces around on a board.”
“It’s not a game?” Scathach retorted immediately, raising an eyebrow. “Do you think there’s a difference? Rules, risks, rewards… and in the end, whoever plays best wins.”
Scarlet shook her head. “You’re impossible.”
Scathach leaned a little closer, her presence radiating warmth. “And you love it.”
Scarlet laughed, finally giving in. “Maybe. But I still think there were other ways.”
Scathach touched her shoulder lightly, an almost affectionate gesture, contrasting with her usual harshness. “Maybe. But none would be as… effective.”
The two of them were silent for a few moments, just listening to the sound of the sea. The sun was beginning to dip in the sky, tinting the water with shades of gold and orange.
Scarlet sighed, closing her eyes and letting the sun warm her skin. “I hope you’re right, Scathach.”
“I always am,” came the immediate reply, accompanied by a laugh.
Scarlet opened her eyes, staring at her companion. “One day, your arrogance will kill you.”
“Maybe,” Scathach admitted, shrugging. “But until then, I’m going to have a blast.”
Scarlet couldn’t help but smile. “You’re insufferable.”
“I know,” Scathach replied, laughing again, returning to lie lazily on the sand. “Now relax and enjoy the sun. Let them kill themselves trying to survive.”
And so they remained.
Two red-haired goddesses, bathed in the sun, bikini lines drawing provocative lines on their tanned skin, discussing life, death, and growth as if discussing the weather.