by Shakyra Dunn
“There is none.” Rem became intrigued, remaining silent as she continued, “In this world, we create our sins. Whether we strive to renew the world by eliminating magic or allow things to continue as they are, there is no true order. Eventually, Adrylis will be run to the ground. There is nothing that we can do to stop it now that calamity has arisen.” Amiria’s eyes were distant, and she had taken a slight grip on her hair. She was sinking further into despair, and all that Rem could do was sit back and watch. “We’ve been drafted into this ordeal when all that we wanted was to become Warlords. We could never have expected this.” She slammed her fist down. On what, Rem wasn’t certain.
From inside of the shed, Leilana sat up, the warbled voices from outside pulling her awareness in several directions. Intruders? She reached over to the nightstand, taking her staff into her hands before approaching the front door. She paused when upon hearing Rem’s voice, lowering her hand. Not intruders, but he was clearly engulfed in a deep conversation with someone. Maybe he had a friend out here that came to meet him? Why would he keep it a secret?
Rem closed his eyes. “Amiria…” Leilana’s heart skipped a beat at the girl’s name.
As if her name rolling off his tongue was naught but thick air spewing at her, she continued, “We were so foolish, thinking that we could waltz into this world and hope for good luck. It’s not easy. It was never meant to be easy, and we were silly to believe that it would be-”
Rem was clutching the orb in his hand for dear life, ignoring the dull ache in his skull. “Just stop it.” His tone was forceful, though not argumentative. “Don’t go around blaming yourself for being naïve. That had nothing to do with you at all.” Amiria’s lips were parted, and she was looking forward. Subconsciously, he knew that he had somehow manifested the orb’s power further and that she was finally able to see his face, but the thought was shifting out of his mind faster than he could process. “You still have a chance to regain everything that you’ve lost—time, patience, friends, and so much more. Life is too short to be spent in worry.”
Amiria’s eyes relaxed, her concerned expression reverting to a lax smile. “You’re right. Sometimes life is spent wallowing in sorrows. We often forget about what is to really come from experiencing new beginnings.” She glanced behind her. “I should go now. Have a good night, Prince Remiel.”
“Amiria, wa-” The orb shut off, a single crack appearing in the middle of the crystal. He was squinting at the new development, pocketing the orb after a few moments. Leilana stepped back from the window and crawled back into bed next to Sien once Rem began sitting in silence, deep in thought. Maybe it was best to let him handle things on his own.
Rem sighed, rubbing his temples. This was the first time that he and Amiria had such an in-depth conversation. There were so many things that he wanted to ask her in the few moments that they shared together but finding the heart to approach the situation was a more pressing manner. His eyelids were growing heavy, his muscles at ease now that he was back on his feet and off the bulky log. He stretched his arms up before returning to the shed.
By the time that Leilana stirred, she was met with crackling fire and the faint aroma of eggs. Her stomach was growling—hopefully whoever was doing the cooking for the day was open to sharing. She looked around and noticed that Sien was already out of bed with Rem nowhere to be found. Solus was sleeping in, bundled up on the floor. It was an unusual sight, given that Solus was almost always the first one awake, but it was also safe to assume that his day ran long, and he needed the rest.
She stepped out and closed the door gently behind her. Sien and Rem were sitting on the log outside of the shed, talking amongst themselves and eating their breakfast of scrambled eggs and pork links on wheat buns with a side of strawberries and grapes. The firewood was still burning, which eased them into a state of comfort given that the early morning winds of autumn were picking up. Leilana hugged her arms close to her chest as she took a seat next to Sien.
“Morning, Leidibug!” Sien beamed. “Sleep okay?”
“I suppose it was adequate.”
“The more that you hang around Solus, the more that you start sounding like him,” Rem pointed out while handing her a plate of food, to which Leilana graciously nodded, flipping her fork around to stab into the eggs, putting them up to her lips after blowing some steam off the delicacy. The balance of salt, pepper, and cheese was impeccable, the eggs practically melting in her mouth. Her face was gleaming at the balmy contact on her tongue, and Sien couldn’t help but grin, thrilled that her cooking skills were appreciated.
“Is Solus gonna join us for breakfast?” Sien asked Rem.
“Probably not. He needs to sleep, he deserves it.”
“That guy really does know how to keep on his toes, it’s rare to ever see him sit down. It’s almost like he isn’t human,” Sien joked.
“What are you prattling on about?” Solus called, nearly causing Sien to drop her food. The young attendant was leaning over the windowsill, his hair pulled into a messy bun at the top of his head rather than the usual low ponytail they had grown so accustomed to. Leilana couldn’t stop staring at him, the new appearance difficult to process. “How long before we set off?”
“We were going to wake you right after breakfast,” Rem proclaimed. “But since you decided to join us sooner than we thought, we can leave whenever you’re up to it.”
Solus pushed himself off the windowsill. “I’ll start gathering our supplies.”
“Wait, Solus, let me help you,” Leilana piped up, making a bee-line for the door. Solus had paused while reaching for the sheets left in disarray on the floor upon hearing the door open, his back to the girl. Leilana sped past him, reaching up towards the clothesline while standing on the tips of her toes to retrieve them. He grinned at the sight. Normally, he was used to working on his own, but having an extra pair of hands was nice now and again.
“Are you sure that we shouldn’t switch positions?” he joked, seeing that the girl was struggling to stretch far enough to gather their dry clothes. Receiving no response and having had enough of watching her, he stood up, reaching over her to remove the clothes from their pins, shaking them out afterward. Leilana crossed her arms in response, pouting. Solus chuckled, placing her clothes in her hands for her to pack away, resting a hand on her head. “It’s all right. You still have plenty of room for a growth spurt. I appreciate your assistance nonetheless.”
He stepped away to continue cleaning up the shed, and Leilana held up her own hand to rub the spot he had so gingerly caressed. His lingering fingertips danced through her curly locks, and though the moment they had shared was brief, almost passive, it sent chills running down the back of her neck.
Solus finished packing away the sheets, his hands placed on his back to straighten it. Leilana grabbed him by the arm and turned him around to pin him back towards a wall opposite the window, taking him by surprise. She was blushing as she met his gaze, both hands wrapped around his wrists, holding him steady. Slowly, she was leaning forward with puckered lips, her eyes closing shut. So naïve, he thought. His expression was laced with confusion and curiosity as his eyes darted between her face and her steadily loosening grip on his wrists. She had never been this bold before, but it was charming to see that his feelings were being reciprocated.
He set to prying his hand free and tilted her chin once he was no longer chained to her, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her closer. She couldn’t help breaking her guard, her breaths quickening at the control and dominance that she had finally gathered up the nerve to pursue around him suddenly being swept away from her. It was hard to look him in the eyes—they were filled with such hunger and unspeakable amounts of lust were seeping from his soul. They had come to this point several times over, and never got far before someone else decided to time an interference.
“Feeling a bit risky today, are we…?” he whispered, pressing his nose against hers. Leilana cleared her throat, trying to avert her gaze
from his, but Solus was quick to pull her back, continuing to hold on to her chin. “No, no,” he cooed. “Be honest with me.”
“It’s your fault,” she admitted, reaching up her hand, grazing his fingers with her own. He bit down on his bottom lip to rid of dead skin. What a cheap excuse in his mind. “You just make me feel like I can be brave about this.”
“‘This?’” he repeated. “Do you mean love?”
“I-I think-” Before she could finish her sentence, his delicate lips stole away whatever words were forming. She was the first to break free after a minute of still air, the salt on his tongue still fresh. Far was it from disappointing to experience, but now they were both processing the same thought.
“My apologies,” he said quickly, watching as she rested her index and middle finger on her lips. “I didn’t think much on-”
“Stop apologizing.” She took a grip on his shirt collar and pulled him back in for a second kiss, much quicker than their last shared union. Solus sucked on his teeth as she released him, setting to cleaning up the shed again, tucking a few loose strands of hair out of her face. He straightened himself again and fought the urge to pin her to the bed and continue kissing her.
Oh, so that was how she wanted to play. Just a regular old kiss and don’t tell. He was dying for things to go further than a few hits and misses, and here she was playing it off as something to be expected. Was she teasing him? She was the one that started this, and now he was left wondering and waiting for an opportunity. This alone was one; Rem and Sien didn’t have to know a thing.
“Don’t even think about it,” she proclaimed cheerily, stepping past him with a couple of bags in her right hand, tapping his nose with her index finger. Solus narrowed his eyes, smirking. Yep. She was totally teasing him. He needed to think more about his advances.
“Are you two done fooling around?” Sien asked, reading over a pamphlet that Rem scooped up from the previous town that they had settled in for a few hours during their ride. Leilana and Solus were both baffled by the proclamation, but before they could retaliate, Sien was throwing the pamphlet aside to be swept up by the mid-morning gales. “Can we get walking? I think that everyone around the world has been waiting long enough for action that isn’t purely romantic or sentimental. Me included. I want to get into some more fights before we hit raggedy war-time.”
“Your choice of words is rather peculiar,” Solus mumbled.
“Not that she’s wrong though,” Rem retorted, tossing a bag of cooking supplies to Solus for him to carry. Solus was baffled by the new weight but shifted it over his left shoulder to manage more accurately. “You two were taking a long time, I almost wonder if Sien was right.”
“No, she wasn’t,” Solus replied, deadpan. Leilana covered her face with both hands to conceal her blush. Rem was tripping over his words, trying to find some flaw in his handling. “Now that we’ve established that, we walk.” He started down the solitary road back into the forestry. “I will lead. The closest town is an hour and a half away. We must make haste.”
“Why are we making haste again?!” Sien called after him, racing into the trees. “Are we being watched?! Solus! Don’t leave me in the dark!”
Rem glanced down at Leilana, crossing his arms. “I’m sure that you already know the rules about a human and an Arcana mating. You don’t need me to remind you, do you?”
“Didn’t Solus already explain his decision to you before we got this far?” she retaliated. “Nothing is set in stone regardless. I wouldn’t worry about it.”
“It may be his decision, but as his friend and his master, I have the right to question his judgment. And sometimes I wonder if it was right to let things play out to this point. I don’t want Solus to have too many distractions.”
“The way that you speak is rather hypocritical,” Leilana began, walking ahead. “Because you have no problem making late-night calls to Amiria, and yet you’re trying to question Solus’s behavior over the same actions.”
Rem froze. He was sure that no one had heard him, but now that the elephant in the room was being addressed, he did feel like a hypocrite. All this time, he was thinking of himself, and it was beginning to consume his thoughts. He wanted Solus to continue balancing his time, as he always had, but he also sought his happiness, and Solus had found that in Leilana. With a slight scoff and fists clenched so tight that he swore that the blood would rush out if he released his tensions, he chased after his companions.
The trek went on for around an hour before Sien was groaning, complaining and trying to find some level of entertainment to keep herself quiet rather than agitate her traveling companions further. In the end, she involved them in a spirited game of truth or dare. Spirited to her, at least.
“All right, Sol, your turn!” Sien replied, pointing both fingers at him. “Truth or dare?”
Solus raised his head and stopped focusing on his thoughts, if only for a moment. Leilana was looking at him from the side, trying to determine what was plaguing him, but the more that she observed his movements, the harder that it became to study him. There was something that he wasn’t speaking of, and maybe it was better to let him come to terms with it.
He pondered his answer before saying, “Truth.”
“What was your favorite pastime in Linmus?”
“That’s difficult,” Solus admitted, cupping his chin with his right hand, his left arm behind his back. “I would have to go with cooking. It was always comforting to be surrounded by different aromas in the kitchen. I wasn’t the best, but it was intriguing to see what the chefs could come up with next. The meals were so decadent, and I envied their skill.”
“So poetic,” Sien swooned.
“Are we done with this game now?” Rem asked, rubbing his temples. “It’s beginning to get on my nerves to hear it.”
“No need to kill the mood, Prince,” Sien countered. “Just because you’re feeling a little lousy doesn’t mean that we all have to share that behavior.” Rem shot her a glare before continuing down the road with his head held high and his eyes straight forward.
Leilana was considering talking to Rem, apologizing for her words, but as she thought it through, maybe it wasn’t the best decision. Rem tended to rescind into a guarded, misunderstood and brooding nature whenever he was afflicted with statements that struck him to the core. Maybe being called a hypocrite for judging Solus was too much for him to handle and he was reflecting that by taking it out on others in few to no words.
Solus trained his ears on the rustling tree leaves, resting a hand on Rem’s chest as he was walking to stop him in his place before drawing his sword. Rem held up a hand and cast a barrier around what appeared to be a forlorn shadowy wolf. It was squirming and snarling, ripping the barrier apart with its teeth. Leilana sped past the two, slamming her staff against the wolf’s back to deter it, her shoes skidding against the ground as she slowed to a stop, scoffing at the sudden turn of events. It had been some time since they’d stumbled upon the beasts under the control of the Order of Helix.
“There may be more,” she told them. “I’m gonna go on ahead and sweep out the area.”
“Leilana!” Solus exclaimed, holding out a hand towards her as she sprinted off, disappearing into the trees. They weren’t far from their oasis, and all that remained from this path was an open area. Solus knew that it wouldn’t be hard to find her from there, but something was nagging at him to follow.
“I’ll go after her and make sure she doesn’t get hurt,” Sien assured them before taking off as well. Rem and Solus glanced at one another. How insane would they have to be as men to let their two female companions go running headfirst into danger without a second thought? Rem was the first to spring into action. Solus was about to step forward when a sudden grab of his shoulder thrust him back into a tree, a sword inches from his neck.
“We meet again, Solus Brenner.”
“Didn’t you have a bow and arrow last time?” Solus spat, trying to keep his eyes trained on the teena
ger that set him on his set path just yesterday. “Jack of all trades, master of none, and all that. Would you like to give me answers this time, or shall we fight fair?”
“There is no fighting fair with me.”
The slow-moving blade tore through the thin line of flesh around Solus’s throat, but he didn’t flinch at the blood dripping down, refusing to give his opponent the satisfaction of seeing him struggle. He grabbed the boy’s wrist and bent it backward, causing the man to howl in agony. Solus pressed his foot to the man’s chest and kicked him out of the way, sending him stumbling. The boy reached for his sword, and Solus stomped his foot near the teenager’s hand to try and delay the process, but in retaliation, he swept his hand out and struck Solus’s already aching knees. Solus faltered at the new pain, hitting the ground with a thud, his head spinning at the sudden impact.
The boy took hold of his sword, holding it up above Solus’s head as he was struggling to regain himself. “I am Kinaju, son of the Necromancers!” Solus snarled, his fingertips on the hilt of his weapon. “On the name of my ancestors, I shall destroy the Vesarus family, and you along with it!” He was still so naïve, so unaware of what kind of steps he was taking. One person could never take down the Vesarus bloodline.
Solus blocked the oncoming strike with his own blade, one hand tight around the hilt of the broadsword while the other was planted on the ground. Kinaju sneered at the older boy as he brought himself to a stand, his stance unchanged, no concentration lost despite his movements. His strength was deplorable to witness. Kinaju’s hands were trembling around the blade, becoming so loose that he feared that it would fall from his grasp.
“You will do no such thing,” Solus hissed. His eyes were burning with resolve, the sparks of indignation fierce enough to bring Kinaju to a simmer. Solus saw his chance, gripping his sword with both hands before thrusting Kinaju’s weapon into the air. The blade landed on the ground several feet away from them. Solus pointed the blade at Kinaju’s chest, and the boy took a step back in defense, holding up his hands. “You will never be skilled enough to defeat me, let alone Remiel.” He tossed his own sword to the ground in front of him.