by The Ranger
"Eilon's going to have a tough time if he thinks he can shut you up," Edmund sighed, sitting on a chair by the cot. "I mean, that's something no one's ever been able to accomplish."
Eren opened his mouth to offer a retort but felt an ache in his throat as he tried it.
"Hmmm… it really looked like you wanted to say something just now."
He scowled for a second before his lips curled into a smile. He slowly brought his hand closer to his face and let his index and ring fingers poke the corners of his chin as he stuck out his tongue. It was a gesture that had earned him a beating nearly a decade earlier when he performed it in the presence of Queen Ursula.
"Rude," his friend grinned.
"Don't encourage him," Khora suggested, appearing in the doorway. "He needs to rest— we'll be leaving soon."
"Richard's back?"
"No," she replied. "He and Andros have yet to return, but I doubt they'll find any stray Seekers after that… display of power."
Silence mingled with the scent of medicinal ointments as the three stared at each other. It was a quiet swiftly broken by the crackle of Eren's voice.
"… crazy… stuff… eh?" he whimpered.
"Silence yourself," she scolded before letting her shoulders sag for a moment. "But… yes. I would have wagered we had already seen a good measure of Richard's new… abilities, but I suppose not. I… also learned that he was the one who produced those flames."
Eren furrowed his brow at the news; he had witnessed the flash of arcane power as it cascaded across the sky. He remembered it as bright and brilliant, not at all something his friend should have been capable of.
"… yellow… eyes…" he murmured.
"Again?" Edmund whispered. "You don't think that's bad, right?"
Khora was silent as she leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over her chest while she avoided answering her friend's question. Instead, she sighed and shook her head when she met the young boy's eyes.
"I don't know, Ed. I just know what our chances of survival would have been without that last-second interference. We've lost… we've lost enough as it is. I don't want to imagine an alternative."
Eren's mouth rolled open as he weighed the risk of speaking when Eilon wandered over towards them. His expression had dragged from 'exhausted' down to 'overcome with fatigue' in the minutes since their last encounter.
"I am sorry to interrupt your conversation, but I was hoping to ask for a favor," the mage said, timidness obvious in his voice.
"Anything," Khora replied, stepping closer for a moment.
"Well, Young Kiri mentioned to me upon his arrival that he had… stolen a few potions from the bandits he had left behind— namely, a few vials of Angel's Grace. Now, while not strictly needed, such a potent healing brew would be quite useful; however, he has yet to be seen, and his… companion does not know where he stored the vials. So, I was hoping…"
"That we might go looking for him?" Edmund finished
"Precisely," the wizard admitted. "He shouldn't have strayed too far, but there are still some who need me to remain nearby, should their condition worsen. For now, I cannot leave the healing house. So, while you've already done us all a great service, I'd appreciate it if you could-"
"Consider it done," Khora interrupted. "Let's get going; you too, Eren."
Eren pointed a finger at his own chest, slightly surprised by her invitation.
"Isn't he a bit too injured?" Edmund questioned.
"Nonsense, he needs to stretch his legs," she reasoned.
"He should have no trouble walking, but… I'm still encouraging his silence," the healer added.
"Come on then," she grinned. "It'll be a silent search."
He dragged his feet off the cot sluggishly as his friends beckoned him forward; even Ranger seemed bothered by the sudden call to action when Eren's wayward stride disturbed his slumber. The dog's quiet huff of protest did little to delay them, though, as they marched off to look for Kiri.
The woods that enveloped Solton were surprisingly peaceful, particularly when considering the devastation the area had witnessed less than an hour earlier. However, few signs of the Soul Seekers' incursion were to be seen, and even fewer as Eren continued to stroll deeper into the forest.
It was an incredibly welcome change of pace, as it allowed him a few solitary moments of tranquility while he walked beneath the light drizzle. The only hindrance that had crossed his mind, which came long after he had split off from Khora and Edmund, was that he had not picked up a new weapon. However, he wasn't entirely unarmed as he carried around Torfir's limb in his hand. While he was content with the arm, he knew it would be a poor substitute should the need for an actual weapon arise.
Eren had not thought of it before, though, and let worry slip from his mind when he decided he had walked much too far to turn back to the village. At least in his opinion, as Solton's edge was still in view from where he aimlessly marched.
From where he stood — far from his friends and even farther from his enemies — it was easy for his mind to wander, and it did; to the grim realities he saw as he walked away from Solton, to the number of injured and to those who had been killed, and to what Richard had shared with him on the road.
"Lucan," Eren thought to himself. "The man we had shackled in the Tower, the man who'd put us all in the grave if he had the chance, the man that forced the Prince's hand— is King Lacerne's own brother…"
It was a sickening thought, made only more disgusting because it was more than a notion; it was truth. A brother's squabble had brought them here— it brought them here, and it killed more people than Eren might ever know. As much as he wanted to see the truth to it all, deep down, he knew it did not matter. He would fight against Lucan and work to preserve Azra all the same. The only question left to be answered was how far he and his allies would need to go to succeed.
He had nearly forgotten why he had ventured out of the settlement when the form of a man came into view. He was sitting on the snow, his back resting against a boulder, with his eyes drawn to the sky.
The edges of his lips parted for a moment, but he quickly remembered Eilon's warning. His gaze fell to the ground, and he bent over to pick up a small stone; it zipped through the air as it struck Kiri's boot.
The man looked up, surprise forming on his face before lending its place to confusion, then recognition.
"Did they send you for me?" Kiri sighed. "Your name's Eren, right?"
Eren slung Torfir's arm back over his shoulder as he nodded.
"Oh, right," he murmured. "You're the one with the — uh — throat wound. Did you end up going mute?"
Eren laid his hand flat in the air before rocking it from side to side slightly.
"A little bit, huh. Sorry to hear— sorry to see that. I'll… I'll head back with you right now, just give me a minute, please."
Eren nodded, walking over to join him at an adjacent log. He plopped down onto the wet snow and let himself freely breathe the fresh air. There was silence between the two of them, and he was not exactly against it. It was not like he could actually participate in a conversation, and he did not have anything he wanted to talk about, even if he was able to. All he could do was sit and listen to the falling rain.
"Before Baku and I arrived, we spotted a couple of horses roaming the area; likely got loose when things started going to hell in the Ashlands," Kiri muttered. "That's why I came out here; I thought maybe if I could round up a few, it might help the rest of you on your trip back to Azra. Haven't seen one, though, and… and Jira mentioned he had heard howling; wolves nearby, he assumed. So there's a good chance some of the horses were gutted already. I might've come too late."
He sighed loudly as he finished explaining himself but quickly cut it short when he turned towards the other man.
"It's nice out here too, though. You could never find a peaceful moment like this back in the Ashlands— no matter how hard you looked for one. Although I have to admit, it was nice to feel so invisible ther
e; no one cared who you were or what you wanted. That's… a different kind of peace, I think."
Eren stared at him, wondering what compelled him to speak so openly with someone he had met not three hours earlier. Then he remembered what had happened elsewhere across Solton while he defended Eilon and what that might have meant to the man sitting a few feet away from him.
"You know, I never imagined that we'd come out of that mess unscathed," Kiri muttered, much to Eren's surprise. "But I didn't think we'd lose as much as we did. With Andros at the front and even Richard with his strange abilities— I thought we'd walk away with most of what we carried in. Not end up… not end up here."
Eren raised his eyebrows when he met the man's gaze, but he just shrugged.
"Don't worry, I'm not expecting a reply," he chuckled, dryness plain in his tone. "Even if you were able, I'd prefer it if you didn't, really."
The snow shifted beneath Eren as he twisted his body to face Kiri, slowly nodding as he did it.
"I just… I don't know, I suppose I've got a few things I've been thinking about. A lot of people back on Summerstone had a grudge against me, but it didn't matter much, not really. I'd duck off somewhere and come and go as I pleased. There were always those who pestered me, but…"
He paused for a moment, his eyes darting away from Eren's as they intently scanned the specks of frost adorning his boots.
"But, things were bearable. I had an older brother who would inherit everything I didn't care about, and they would bother him with whatever nonsense sprung up every day. It was easy for me, being the second son, I would've been ignored in the end anyway," he continued, his voice beginning to fall to a whisper. "But he died in some freak magic accident. Even then, we all knew what that meant: I would take his place in everything— lands, titles, marriage, responsibilities. Everything."
Kiri's apparent solemness melted away as he laughed to himself, shaking his head to no one in particular while his eyes burned into his boots.
"My dad, though, the clever old schemer he's always been, found a way to give them what they wanted," he smiled. "Most of us were stunned when the respectable Jira accepted the offer to found a settlement— until he declared I would be the one to help lead the charge. When the king agreed, I got a clean escape, and the Lord's youngest son was set to inherit everything."
Kiri turned back to Eren, his smile straining as it stretched across his face.
"And guess what, we left our home and came here, all because Jira's son was too problematic. Too much of a disgrace. A deviant," he whispered, his voice cracking as he spoke. "All that, just for more of the same. So, like the coward I've always been, I left; I did nothing but run from the one person who did more for me than I ever cared to realize, and now he's gone."
The man closed his eyes for a moment before turning his attention back to Eren.
"I know better than to think I'm alone in my grief right now, though. Everyone seems to be losing someone these days," he sighed. "I… I noticed that Lucian fellow's absence when you all got here. We didn't talk much, but he seemed kind. He was memorable, with the red hair and all. A bit jaunty, too, I thought."
The pair laughed as he finished talking, though an ache cut through Eren's chuckle as soon as it arrived.
"Has there been… has there been anyone else you lost?" the young man meekly asked.
Wind followed his question as the two stared at each other silently.
"Oh, that's right," he muttered. "I— I'm sorry, I forgot you can't-"
"Aven," Eren groaned, his throat searing as he did. "I… knew him… less… than two weeks… but… he was like my… my brother."
There was understanding in Kiri's eyes as he watched him choke on his own words; it was a bitter understanding, but it was there, nonetheless.
"There's this, uh, belief, among the people of Summerstone — and anyone, really, that recognizes the Fourteen — that there are three realms," Kiri started. "The First Realm is where the Gods reside; the Second Realm is our world— this land of ice and fire and stone and sea; the Third Realm is the domain of the dead. Cathus, the God of Death, is supposed to be the one who presides over it."
He paused for a moment and scratched at his wrist, his eyes blank as he thought on his next words.
"Now, the idea is that His right hand, the Angel of Eternity, travels between our world and the next carrying the dearly departed to their final rest. Now, of course, like with any notion of faith, there is a place for the wretched and the vile, but that doesn't matter to me right now," he continued, his hands gesturing in the open air before him. "What matters… is the paradise that lies ready for those who earned their place within it. I mean, we'll never know who was right, about which Gods are real, or what their place in this world is— and even if the Gods do live, we won't know if the afterlife is what people say it is… but the thought that those we've lost can rest happily for all times… it brings me some measure of comfort…"
Kiri trailed off as he spoke, but his gaze sat on Eren, expectantly waiting for a response. The latter sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. Faith had always been a paltry aspect of his life; it felt like such an irrelevant thing to put effort into and a waste of energy when there was so much more to do. However, whether or not he now yearned to be reassured by the presence of greater power, he knew better than to stomp on Kiri's own desires.
"It's an… alluring… sentiment," he murmured, holding his hand to his throat while he spoke.
"I know," the other man agreed. "That's why I hope it's true."
The frost at his feet fell away as he kicked at it, rising off the ground and reaching down to lend his hand to Eren.
"I'm sorry you had to drag yourself out here for me," he mumbled. "It's probably time we get back to the village."
Eren accepted his hand and was pulled off the snow before the pair began to make their way back to Solton.
Eren squinted his eyes as they approached the edge of the village and was surprised to see three horses prancing about behind Richard, with Ranger dutifully watching over them. He sighed a breath of relief when he caught a glimpse of his friend's eyes— they were back to their brilliant blue sheen. They seemed focused on the stranger standing between Khora and Edmund as he chatted to Andros.
"I'm starting to think this whole disaster will come to be known as one of the greatest battles of the Fourth Age," the man declared, setting his hands on his hips contently.
"I do not mean to upset these drifting notions of yours, Roland," the Sentinel grumbled. "But I have witnessed true battles, and the histories will not take more than a page to describe this one."
The man fell quiet as Andros' words swept through him, seemingly undermining his triumphant spirit. The comment was not dwelled on, though, as the group brought their attention towards Eren and Kiri when they approached.
"You found the horses," the latter muttered, astonishment light in his tone.
"It's… it's more like I called out to them," Richard returned. "I sensed one and asked that it join me. The other two came to my call, as well."
"Impressive," Kiri whispered.
"More impressive is the fact that Eren was the one to find you," Edmund poked. "I guess he can be productive when he has no choice in the matter.
Khora laughed at the observation and turned her eyes to Richard, who smiled as he watched the encounter unfold.
"It's not nice to poke at someone who can't defend themselves," Kiri scolded, albeit a grin sprouted on his face as well. "So, what was it I'm needed for?"
"Eilon wanted to get some healing potion vials or something you had, I think," the young boy told him.
"Oh, these?" he asked, pulling something from a pouch on his belt.
In his fingers rested four vials, each filled with a bluish, luminescent liquid that sloshed against its container lazily. They almost seemed to overpower the shadows that rested in the edges of his hand as they gleamed brilliantly.
"I pulled them from my stash when the batt
le ended, but I… I suppose I forgot to hand them over."
"Luckily, they haven't been needed just yet," the wizard called out.
Eren turned to see him approach, his injured arm still clung to his side loosely as he walked.
"Please, hand them off to Jessa," he requested. "The gravest of the injuries have been tended to, and it seems the worst has passed— but it is still something I'd like to have on hand."
"Of course," Kiri nodded. "I'll head there now."
He rushed off towards the healing house, only to run into Baku on the way; they slowed to talk as they made their way to the others.
Eren smiled at them wistfully and turned his attention back to the rest, only to find Andros staring at him intently. He had not felt nervous in the Sentinel's presence before, but now that his gaze was strictly fixed on him— that sentiment changed. He almost felt a compulsion to open his mouth and confess to crimes he had not committed, as well as plead forgiveness for unseen slights. The only certainty was that Eren felt panic drip into his mind; though, he was not sure if the feeling was inspired by the man's stature or the fact that Andros seemed a lot like some of the angry priests he had met in his adolescence.
"Andros, I believe this is yours," Khora said, handing him a flail she had been holding. "Jira… he lent it to me during the battle. It served me well, though its magic reserves were spent."
The Sentinel took the weapon in his hands and looked it over carefully. He brought it close to his eyes before gripping its handle tightly; blue runelight flashed across the weapon's surface an instant later.
"Richard's burst of power…" he muttered. "The Viper swallowed some of its energy… it has been restored."
He lowered his hand, extinguishing the flail's arcane glow, and turned to glance at Eren.
"You," the Sentinel began. "Your blade was broken during the battle, correct?"
"Yes… one of… those large… bastards… shattered it," he strained, afraid to leave Andros without a direct answer.
"I want you to take this, then," the Sentinel revealed, presenting the Viper to him. "Years ago, I pulled this weapon from the corpse of a warlock that had attacked me, knowing that I had to keep such a thing from reaching dishonest hands. However, it has no place in my life, so… I'd like to give it to you."