It was weird, getting used to life after. Everyone could use Source now, there was no Divine, no Gods, and Kath was no longer special. It wasn't so much the loss of all that power that bothered him. Honestly it was as bit of a relief, not having so much responsibility, but what were you supposed to do once you've saved the world? It was kinda hard to top that.
And then there was Ifan. Kath couldn't help but worry that perhaps Ifan was seeing him differently now. What if he'd only been interested in the Kath that had all that power and strength? Who fought to save the world and accomplished great things? Well, Kath had complained every step of the way, that couldn't have been attractive, but still.
Kath had sort of taken Ifan's presence for granted. It felt like they'd always done this together and that they always would, but there was nothing forcing them together now. Their other companions had already wandered off, how long until Ifan did as well? Their lives had been so different before Fort Joy, what if they weren't able to find some sort of common ground now and simply drifted apart?
For the moment, Kath and Ifan were traveling around, fighting Voidwoken and helping elves that the rest of the world would have simply forgotten and abandoned. After their most recent excursion, Kath couldn't help but watch the way Ifan interacted with the elves. His voice was soft, eyes fond, no doubt missing when he could call their forests home, and how could Kath compete with that? Not that Kath could really bring anything to the table anyway. But if Ifan did decide to go back, they weren't likely to accept Kath, an outsider, so easily.
He kicked at the ground awkwardly, standing a little ways back with his arms crossed and waited. When Ifan finally finished his goodbyes and turned, he raised an eyebrow at Kath's dower expression but said nothing. Usually they'd banter pleasantly, but today they walked on in awkward silence. It was because of Kath and his foul mood, but he couldn't help but blow it out of proportion, wondering if it was just proving his point, more evidence that Ifan would eventually leave.
Kath was so preoccupied he was paying less attention to the surrounding area than he should have. It wasn't until he heard Ifan call out his name, sounding alarmed, followed by a bone-shaking rumble that he finally looked up. To his right, at the top of a steep hill, a pile of logs had come loose and were crashing down the hill towards them and there was no outrunning it, no time to get out of the way.
Kath was vaguely aware of figures up there and he realized they'd stumbled into a trap. It was odd, being on the receiving end of one for once. He braced himself but suddenly Ifan was in front of him and before he could do or say anything, the logs were on top of them and everything went dark.
When Kath came to, he was lying face-down in the dirt. Why did this always seem to happen to him? He tried to bring his hands around so he could push himself up, but they seemed to be restrained behind his back. Typical. That was going to make things difficult, especially since his head was still spinning, a pain in the back of his skull where he must have hit it.
Forcing his eyes open as he rolled over carefully, he spotted Ifan through the gloom sitting nearby, hands and feet also tied, a snarl on his face. Following his gaze, he discovered that they were in the middle of an empty warehouse, angry-looking individuals armed to the teeth either keeping watch at the exits or sitting nearby. Kath guessed the man currently whittling casually was their leader given that was the one currently holding Ifan's attention.
"Don't suppose you'd mind loosening the ropes a bit," Kath said blearily. He didn't have the time or patience for this nonsense. Maybe they'd be up for leaving and coming back when his skull didn't feel like it had been cracked in two? "It's just that they're frightfully uncomfortable and I was enjoying my nap."
"You'll be a lot more uncomfortable soon enough," the leader said, barely sparing him a glance.
"And why is that?" Kath asked, gingerly sitting up and trying to make himself as comfortable as possible given the situation.
"We know who you are, Godwoken. We were hired to hunt you down. It's time you got what you deserve."
"Oh, you hear that Ifan?" Kath said and a grin tugged at Ifan's lips. "It's about time we were thanked properly for all that mess."
"Thanked?" one of the others snarled. "You killed the Gods, you've doomed us all, cursing us in the process!"
"Eh, the Gods were dicks, they had it coming," Kath said dismissively which only infuriated the second speaker more. Thankfully several of his colleagues restrained him when he tried to lunge at Kath, who pretended not to notice. It wasn't that he wasn't taking the situation seriously, he just didn't see a point in being polite if they were likely to kill them anyway. It also kept them occupied while he slipped one of his hidden lockpicks out of his sleeve.
"Do you even hear yourself?" the leader asked, hate in his eyes as he finally looked up at him. "You're lucky we've been instructed to deliver you in more-or-less one piece or we would have killed you already."
"You hear that?" Ifan asked, joining in. "They aren't even the ones in charge. Don't waste your time."
"Wake me when someone actually worth talking to arrives," Kath said, looking disinterested, giving a huge yawn for effect, careful to keep his lockpicks as quiet as possible as he worked.
"Oh no, we're still going to have fun with you before then," the leader said. "Take a look at your friend here. I don't like the way he's been staring at me. Perhaps we should make it so he won't be looking at anyone anymore."
"I'm sure I can find other ways to demonstrate my contempt," Ifan said, unphased.
"Of course you go straight for the eye," Kath muttered, trying to suppress a thrill of panic. They could threaten him all they liked, but the moment they turned to Ifan, the bravado in him completely melted away, the fear for his life freezing him to his core. Ifan could handle anything they threw at him of course, but there was no way Kath was going to sit by and let anything happen to him. His hands were shaking, he needed to get himself under control before his lockpicks clinked against the restraints and gave him away.
"What was that?" one of the others asked, taking his bait.
"It's just such a standard thing to do. So boring Besides, he's largely harmless. I'm the one who should have become your god."
"The blasphemy and disrespect-" one of them said, releasing Ifan and taking a step in Kath's direction.
"I used to be a shopkeeper," the leader said. "But I was robbed and they used Source to burn my livelihood to the ground. This is all your fault."
"You're right," Kath said, fury replacing his indifferent tone. "I was the one who gave you the power to fight back. You don't want a god, you want someone to do everything for you."
"What did you say to me?" the leader snarled, finally approaching Kath, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and lifting him up off the ground.
"Failing that," Kath continued. "You just want a scapegoat, someone to blame for everything that goes wrong in your life because you're useless."
"How dare-"
But that was as far as he got. Ifan had apparently gotten himself free because he grabbed the nearest bounty hunter by the front of his shirt. "Surprise," Ifan said, headbutting him hard enough to send them stumbling to the ground, blood pouring from a broken nose. And then his wolf was there, materializing from nothing and lunging at the leader, biting deep into his arm causing him to drop Kath with a cry of pain.
Kath landed heavily on the ground, his lockpicks finally popping the lock on the restraints at the same time. He pulled his hands free and slammed them together, sending a blinding light flashing around him causing the bounty hunters to stagger back, momentarily stunned. Thankfully, that was all the time Kath needed. He pulled a dagger from his boot, grateful no one had found it when they'd tied him up, and sliced through the rope around his legs with one quick movement. He scrambled up and ran to ifan's side, grabbing their packs discarded to the side as he went. Ifan called up as much source as he could to sent out a wave of ice as Kath ran up to him.
"Nice one," Kath said and Ifan grinned at him. But then he stumbled and Kath quickly caught his arm. "You good?" he asked, hoping the fear in his voice wasn't too obvious.
"Just my leg," he sad.
Kath looked down and could see a dark stain spreading across his leg. Helping to support him, the two of them ran for the exit. One of the hunters reached out to grab them, still looking dazed and barely able to see, but a dagger in his hand dissuaded him and then they were free, escaping out into the night.
Darkness was Kath's specialty so it was a simple task for them to vanish into the sleeping city, even with Ifan's limp. Afrit joined them at some point, loping at their side like a deadly shadow. An old abandoned stable they stumbled across seemed like as good a place as any to settle in for the night. Truth be told it was probably one of the nicer places they'd stayed lately.
As soon as they were in, Kath dumped their bags and began barricading the doors and windows, watching out of the corner of his eye as Ifan lowered himself to the ground with a wince.
"How you doin'?" Kath asked when he'd finished and finally moved to crouch beside him.
"It's fine," Ifan assured him. "Just a cut. Branch nearly went through my leg when those logs fell on us."
"Well that's what you get for trying to take a hit for me," Kath said, taking his dagger and slicing through the leg of his pants so he could dress the wound properly.
"You're welcome," Ifan said with an unrepentant grin.
"I'm not thanking you!" Kath snapped. "I don't want you jumping in front of me at any sign of danger."
"I know, I know," Ifan said with a chuckle. "I acted without thinking. When you hit the ground though-" he added, turning serious. "I'm glad you're okay."
Ifan ran his fingers through Kath's hair as he finished up the bandages. He sat back on his knees and leaned into the touch with a sigh.
"I'm glad you're okay too. I guess we need to be a bit more careful, yeah?"
"Where's the fun in that?" Ifan said with a smile.
They settled in for the night, Kath curled close against Ifan's side. They were safe for now. Afrit would warm them if anyone approached.
Ifan woke to the sound of shouting outside. Afrit was whining quietly, probably because a quick glance around revealed that Kath wasn't here, but otherwise there was no immediate danger. He sifted around the rubble until he located something he could use as a cane and headed for the exit. He scratched his wolf behind the ear before sliding the door open a fraction and peered out into the streets beyond.
He spotted a few soldiers hurrying down the street. Not the bounty hunters, then. That was good at least. Although it was incredibly likely that they were after Kath. Let the man out of his sight for only a moment and of course he'd piss off an entire city. Hopefully he could find Kath before they did.
Kath was wedged awkwardly under the eaves of a low house in some back alley, hidden by a tarp and a pile of firewood. It was a pretty good hiding place, the guards shouldn't be able to find him here, but he also wasn't sure how long he'd be stuck here. He hadn't meant to get caught, it was a silly mistake really. He just hoped he could get back before Ifan woke.
He sat there, eyes closed as he tried to remain as quiet as possible. He tensed when he heard the sound of footsteps nearby and tried to keep his breathing silent. Then, suddenly, the wet nose of a dog pressed in under the tarp, snuffling at him.
"Shh, go away!" he hissed to no effect. He tried to push the creature away. "Go away, I'm trying to hide!"
"Are you now?" a deep voice asked, startling Kath so badly he lost his hold and fell, landing sprawled on the ground at the feet of the speaker. Craning around he saw Ifan staring down at him, an amused glint in his eye. Afrit immediately ran up and began licking his face. "Not exactly the place I would have chosen but I suppose it's worked so far."
"Ifan!" Kath exclaimed, scrambling to his feet, absently petting Afrit who continued to nuzzle against him. "What are you doing up and about?"
"It's a leg injury," Ifan said. "I'm not dying, I'm perfectly capable of moving about."
"Well, if it gets any worse because you're straining it, don't expect me to do this again."
"Do what?" Ifan asked suspiciously and Kath held up a potion. "You- got this for me?" Ifan asked, accepting it gingerly.
"Stole it more like," Kath said, trying to brush it off as nothing, hoping he wasn't blushing despite how warm he suddenly felt. "Damn bounty hunters took all our money so I had to improvise."
Ifan burst out laughing, clapping Kath on the back. "It's really not that serious, but I appreciate the thought. Just don't get yourself caught on my account."
"Whatever," Kath said and now he was sure he was blushing. "Just help me get out of the city in one piece, will ya?"
Finally they were back on the road, away from the guards and hopefully the bounty hunters as well. Now that they knew people were looking for them they wouldn't be so easily taken off guard. Still, despite all that, Kath continued to be preoccupied. He felt responsible for their capture. If he'd been paying more attention maybe none of it would have happened. So of course, instead of addressing the issue, he rambled.
"I've been thinking," he said absently. "We can't really say, 'thank the Gods,' anymore since, you know, we killed them. So what do we say now? Thank the Godwoken? Just, thank us since we were almost gods?"
"After yesterday you're still hoping for someone to thank you?" Ifan asked, eyebrow raised.
"Well, no, I don't give a fuck if anyone is grateful or not. Whatever happens I don't regret what we did. I was trying to have a silly conversation and you've ruined it, by the way."
"You obviously have something on your mind," Ifan said, shooting him a grin. "Are you going to tell me what's bothering you or do you want to keep brooding?"
"No, I just," Kath said, but there was no point in denying it now. "Do you want to go?"
"Where?" Ifan asked. "Do you have some place in mind?"
"No, you know what I mean," Kath said, gesturing wildly as he talked, avoiding eye contact. "Look, I know I'm irritating and hard to get along with."
"Kath."
"I know I'm always getting us into trouble and you got hurt because of me,"
"Kath!"
"And I get that you're probably angry and had about enough—"
"I love you."
"But I didn't mean for— wait, what?" Kath looked up finally to see Ifan smiling at him, fondness and amusement evident in his eyes. Ifan laughed loudly at his sudden stunned silence, dropping his arm heavily across Kath's shoulders and hugging him close against his side.
"Are you seriously telling me that's news?" he asked.
"No, I don't know," Kath said awkwardly, but grateful for the contact. "If there's one thing I've learned it's that people leave. And that people tend to like the memory of me more than my actual presence."
"Not gonna happen," Ifan said. "Every day with you is an adventure. Why would I want to be anywhere else?
"We're just wandering around now with no real course. Is that enough for you?" Kath said because of course he couldn't let it go, he had to keep poking until he made things worse.
"I think I've laughed more at your side than I have in my entire life," Ifan said, still smiling. "I can't ever remember being this happy. There is nowhere else I'd rather be. My home is with you. Besides, I like what we're doing. And we're helping people. Besides, anything is worth watching you grift your way through greedy nobles."
"Oh," Kath said, not really sure what to say to that, feeling very warm suddenly. And happier than he thought possible. "By the way, I love you too."
"I know," Ifan said, grinning at him and placing a kiss on his cheek, beard scratching gently. "Still, it's nice to hear you say."
Whatever happened, Kath decided he needed to say it more. For now, he stopped and turned to him. He tugged at the front of Ifan's jacket who grinned at him, leaned down and kissed him deeply, Kath wrapping his arms around his neck and pulling him close. Kath had never been any good at thinking about more than just the now. But he wasn't alone anymore, he had someone he could count on and no matter what happened, they had each other. The future didn't need to be unknown and frightening because Ifan wasn't going to simply leave him alone.
Kath didn't want to admit it, but he'd been having trouble sleeping after everything that had happened. He was currently propped up against a tree, gazing into the fire as he fiddled with his flute. Ifan looked content enough, sprawled out with his arms wrapped tightly around Kath's waist, head buried against his chest. He really could sleep anywhere.
Kath set his instrument aside and watched Ifan sleep instead. He ran his fingers through his hair, smiling at how Ifan, even in sleep, leaned into the touch with a rumbling sigh. Kath hated how bad he was at this, at conveying to Ifan how much he loved him. He cared so much, but didn't know how to put into words how he found himself short of breath at the site of him, or the way he felt warm to his core in moments like these.
Kath snuggled down a bit, holding Ifan closer, deciding it was about time he at least tried to sleep. They had lots to do tomorrow, after all. He may be bad at this, but he wanted to do better. For Ifan. Maybe in the next town he could steal something nice for him.