with Bleu and we can see if there are any physical differences.” She smiled down at him and he had the sense that she was trying to reassure him. “Just keep your head straight, looking up at the top of the machine, and try not to move.”
Loren nodded and she moved away, revealing Bleu. He didn’t look pleased, or at all convinced that the machine wouldn’t harm him. Loren wasn’t either, but he trusted Olivia. If placing him into this strange machine would assist her in finding a way to break the bond between them, then he would place himself into it, proving to Bleu that it was safe so he would do the same.
Bleu moved closer, his clawed fingers flexing around the hilt of his black blade, his gaze tracking every move Olivia made.
“We’ll need to leave the room,” Olivia said and Loren realised she was speaking to Bleu.
“Why?” Loren looked down at her and then at Bleu.
“The machine uses radiation to take pictures of your insides. It’s necessary for the operator to move to a safe room to avoid a dose of radiation themselves.” She flicked a nervous glance at Bleu when he growled.
“I will not allow my prince to be poisoned by this machine.” Bleu held his hand out to Loren. “Please leave the machine.”
Loren shook his head and then looked at Olivia. “The scan is necessary?”
She nodded. “It would help me a great deal. I swear, it’s a tiny dose of radiation. Harmless, really.”
“Not harmless enough that you do not have to leave the room,” Bleu snapped and his hand went to the hilt of his sword, his gaze darting back to Loren. “Please, my prince. Leave the machine.”
“No, Bleu.” Loren shook his head again. “If Olivia says it will not harm me, then it will not harm me. I am happy to place my trust in her.”
Bleu grumbled in their language, “I am not.”
Loren knew that, and knew that Bleu only desired to protect him. He sighed and turned to Olivia.
“Please proceed. Bleu will do as you ask and leave the room with you. Won’t you, Bleu?”
Bleu huffed.
Olivia smiled shakily and pointed towards a door with a yellow and black triangle on it. Next to it was a thick glass window. She led the way through the door, appearing in the window with a very grim-looking Bleu, and began working on a computer. Loren settled himself again, trying to relax but finding it difficult now that he knew the machine was about to give him a dose of radiation.
He had heard of it and the devastating effect it could have. The mortals had built bombs that utilised radioactive substances in order to severely harm other mortals. He couldn’t understand why a species was so intent on destroying itself.
Loren tensed when the bench began to move, easing him into the machine. He kept still as it whirred and chugged, and then the bench was moving him out again. Painless. Fast. He wanted to know what image it would produce. He had spilled many of his enemies’ organs during battles, but had never seen any when they were in the right place. What did he look like inside? How similar was it to Olivia?
Bleu still looked displeased as he entered the room with Olivia, even when Loren sat up and rose to his feet.
“Nothing to be concerned about. It is painless and curious, and you will get to see what your insides look like,” Loren said and Bleu tossed a vicious glare at the machine.
“It shows you?”
Loren stifled a laugh at his friend’s horrified expression. “No. But I am sure Olivia will let us see the results.”
He looked to her and she nodded.
Bleu shuddered. “I don’t want to see my insides. I like not seeing them.”
A soldier born and bred. If anyone had ever doubted it, they would have changed their mind on hearing and seeing Bleu as he pressed a hand to his stomach, the most vulnerable point on any elf. Bleu liked his insides hidden because it meant he wasn’t gutted and bleeding out on a battlefield.
“Very well. You do not need to see them.” Loren touched his shoulder,
Loren nodded and she moved away, revealing Bleu. He didn’t look pleased, or at all convinced that the machine wouldn’t harm him. Loren wasn’t either, but he trusted Olivia. If placing him into this strange machine would assist her in finding a way to break the bond between them, then he would place himself into it, proving to Bleu that it was safe so he would do the same.
Bleu moved closer, his clawed fingers flexing around the hilt of his black blade, his gaze tracking every move Olivia made.
“We’ll need to leave the room,” Olivia said and Loren realised she was speaking to Bleu.
“Why?” Loren looked down at her and then at Bleu.
“The machine uses radiation to take pictures of your insides. It’s necessary for the operator to move to a safe room to avoid a dose of radiation themselves.” She flicked a nervous glance at Bleu when he growled.
“I will not allow my prince to be poisoned by this machine.” Bleu held his hand out to Loren. “Please leave the machine.”
Loren shook his head and then looked at Olivia. “The scan is necessary?”
She nodded. “It would help me a great deal. I swear, it’s a tiny dose of radiation. Harmless, really.”
“Not harmless enough that you do not have to leave the room,” Bleu snapped and his hand went to the hilt of his sword, his gaze darting back to Loren. “Please, my prince. Leave the machine.”
“No, Bleu.” Loren shook his head again. “If Olivia says it will not harm me, then it will not harm me. I am happy to place my trust in her.”
Bleu grumbled in their language, “I am not.”
Loren knew that, and knew that Bleu only desired to protect him. He sighed and turned to Olivia.
“Please proceed. Bleu will do as you ask and leave the room with you. Won’t you, Bleu?”
Bleu huffed.
Olivia smiled shakily and pointed towards a door with a yellow and black triangle on it. Next to it was a thick glass window. She led the way through the door, appearing in the window with a very grim-looking Bleu, and began working on a computer. Loren settled himself again, trying to relax but finding it difficult now that he knew the machine was about to give him a dose of radiation.
He had heard of it and the devastating effect it could have. The mortals had built bombs that utilised radioactive substances in order to severely harm other mortals. He couldn’t understand why a species was so intent on destroying itself.
Loren tensed when the bench began to move, easing him into the machine. He kept still as it whirred and chugged, and then the bench was moving him out again. Painless. Fast. He wanted to know what image it would produce. He had spilled many of his enemies’ organs during battles, but had never seen any when they were in the right place. What did he look like inside? How similar was it to Olivia?
Bleu still looked displeased as he entered the room with Olivia, even when Loren sat up and rose to his feet.
“Nothing to be concerned about. It is painless and curious, and you will get to see what your insides look like,” Loren said and Bleu tossed a vicious glare at the machine.
“It shows you?”
Loren stifled a laugh at his friend’s horrified expression. “No. But I am sure Olivia will let us see the results.”
He looked to her and she nodded.
Bleu shuddered. “I don’t want to see my insides. I like not seeing them.”
A soldier born and bred. If anyone had ever doubted it, they would have changed their mind on hearing and seeing Bleu as he pressed a hand to his stomach, the most vulnerable point on any elf. Bleu liked his insides hidden because it meant he wasn’t gutted and bleeding out on a battlefield.
“Very well. You do not need to see them.” Loren touched his shoulder,
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