The young man's eyes surveyed the town ahead of them as he slowly steered the ship up to the largest of the docks. It was one of several small trade towns that dotted mid ocean, competing with the main hub of Sailor's Island for business. Unlike Sailor's Island, however, towns like these were much less well-developed. All the buildings looked just shy of permanent, and wilderness still dominated much of the island.
He liked it better that way. Sailor's Island was too stable, too clean, too consistent. These fringe communities were where the real business in mid ocean was conducted. These were the places where he always found clients. A voice called up to him from the deck. "Aaaand, we're good!" The young man slowed the ship to a stop beside the dock, and right away the men on the deck began disembarking to secure the ship with rope.
He turned to the slightly older man standing behind him. "Ray. You've got the list of what supplies we need to pick up while we're here?" He asked.
Ray nodded at the younger man. "Aye, Captain. Shall I get the men on it?"
The young captain grinned. Ray was perhaps the only person in his crew he'd consider dependable. "Yes. And tell them if they slack off, they'll be answering to me."
"Aye aye, sir." Ray bowed his head before hurrying down the stairs to begin delegating tasks to his subordinates.
The young man, meanwhile, returned to the helm and leaned on the ledge before the windowsill, surveying the rest of his crew as they went to work. His ship, the Mastiff, looked like a pirate ship. It had been back when he'd first taken over. Now, however, they no longer flew the flag of the black pirates. Instead, they served as mercenaries.
Pirates for hire. He mused to himself as he straightened up and headed downstairs himself. By the time he got to the deck there were only a few stragglers left, and they hastened to finish their work when they saw him draw near. They finished quickly under his watchful gaze, and hurried off into town soon after. He found himself left alone with one other person, the oldest and nastiest of his crew.
"Don't you have something to do, Ayden?" The captain said with a glare.
Ayden snarled at him as he took a step closer. His unkempt beard made him look like a savage, and the expression suited him perfectly. He stood a head taller than the young captain, who was already quite tall himself. "Have you found us a new job? We've been driftin' for a week."
The captain crossed his arms and shook his head. "We'll take a job when I find one that suits me. I'm tired of escorting merchants and raiding towns." He smirked as he looked away from Ayden, towards the shanty town they'd just pulled into. "I want something a little more exciting."
"You're wasting time. Gold is what keeps this tub afloat. If you aren't takin' jobs, I'll take the reins for you before you can ground us." Ayden threatened.
The young man laughed at that, shaking his head once more. "You can take the reins when you can beat me in a fight. Until then, you'll do as I say."
The older man glared daggers at his captain for several seconds, and the younger man met his glare with a calm stare. They stayed like that, poised almost to attack one another, for most of a minute before Ayden looked away. "One of these days…" He grumbled before turning to stomp off the ship.
The captain watched him go. That lug was the only one left on the crew who was still willing to openly challenge him, but even he seemed to have had his wings clipped by now. Back when they'd first met, Ayden had tried to fight him every week. Now, he was all talk and hot air.
The captain wandered into town and began looking for work. He checked the bar, the inn, and the shops, but though plenty were looking for something, it was never anything new. Protect my shipment, kill this guy, scare that guy. He'd been doing that kind of repetitive work for most of a year now, and it was slowly killing him.
He ended up rambling down the trail out of town. It ran out a ways past the town limits, leaving him in relatively untamed wilderness. He knew some of the fringe towns had mining operations on their islands, but this one didn't. Most of this particular island was green and uncivilized. He strolled alone between the trees, listening to birds and insects clamor, occasionally spotting the shadow of an animal darting between trees and bushes.
It was peaceful, and for a while, it calmed him down as he simply took it all in. Dealing with other people was often tiresome and predictable, and it suffocated him at times. Getting away from it all was a small relief.
Still, soon enough he found himself growing restless again, and he almost wished he'd find a monster to fight. He was starting to get far enough from town for that to be a real possibility, and his fingers danced along the hilt of the sword at his hip as he casually surveyed his surroundings in the hopes of finding some kind of threat.
Nothing materialized to menace him, however, and a gentle breeze disturbed his dark hair as he scowled disapprovingly at the silent forest surrounding him. "Worthless…" He muttered as he trudged onwards.
Soon, a faint sound caught his ear, and as he drew nearer, he realized it was flowing water. He rounded a bend to find a small lake into which fed a tiny river coming from the north. The edge of the lake was even more lush than the rest of the woods, with a dozen different kinds of flowers lending it color.
But what caught his eye wasn't the sparkling water, or the greenery, or the flowers. He wasn't alone.
Sitting down and leaning against a tree, facing most of the way away from him, was a woman about his age. She was unlike anyone he'd ever seen before. Her outfit was shimmering white and gold, composed of a blouse and a relatively loose, but long skirt. Her hand was extended out in front of her, and he could see she was trying to attract a butterfly that was hesitantly fluttering in front of her.
But what struck him most about her was her hair. It was stark white like her clothes. It didn't look right on someone as young as her, and it immediately piqued his interest. He took a few steps closer before shouting, "Hey there, stranger."
Her head turned and her gazed snapped to his as the butterfly quickly departed. Her eyes widened, and a moment later she was on her feet, almost faster than he could see. She took a step back as her previous look of shock was replaced by one of suspicion, her eyes narrowing at him.
He raised an eyebrow as he took another step closer. "You alright?" This really was getting interesting quickly, he thought to himself delightedly.
She extended her hands to either side of her, and suddenly there was a delicate silver sword in each of her hands. He blinked. Where had those come from? He didn't have a chance to say anything else before she was rushing at him. Guess I'll find out later. He thought to himself as he drew his sword in a flash.
He ducked her first two swings, then aimed a slash at her leg through her skirt. She was out of the way before his sword was halfway there. He produced a dagger from his sleeve and quickly aimed it at her chest. Though he saw a flicker of surprise on her face, she dodged that too with plenty of time to spare. Damn, but she's fast. He observed as he pressed the offensive.
She kept dodging swing after swing like it was nothing, but every time she swung back at him, it was practically sluggish. Her only quick attacks were the ones aimed at his legs or his arms. She was trying to disarm or disable him, not kill him. He groaned inwardly. Someone this capable shouldn't be limiting themselves. It irked him like nothing else.
"You know," He said as he took a step away, giving them room to pace around one another looking for an opening, "Most girls I meet don't try to cut me up until at least a week after I meet them." He grinned at the irritation he saw on her face moments before she came at him again. This time her swings were a little faster, and he found himself just beginning to exert some effort in trying to block or dodge them. Still, it wasn't enough. She could do better than that.
He dodged a sweeping slash and ducked behind her, aiming a strike at her back that forced her to leap away. "You move amazingly well in that dress of yours. I wonder how well you'd move without it…" He said, giving her a lecherous smirk over his shoulder.
He heard her hiss in frustration as she rushed him even faster than before. He didn't have time to dodge this one, and he raised his sword to catch both of hers as they descended towards his chest. The two stayed like that, swords locked as each attempted to overpower the other.
"You are intensely annoying." She spat as she glared at him between their clashing blades.
He raised his eyebrows as he smiled at her, leaning a little harder into the contest and pushing her back a step. "Ah! She speaks! I was almost beginning to think you didn't have a voice."
He felt her railing back against the pressure he exerted. She really was getting mad now. "If you are truly this unpleasant, I cannot fathom how you have survived to this age."
"Don't worry." He said. "I'm only like this when I'm bored." He explained with a wink in her direction.
She growled and leapt away from him, letting his sword fall back to his side as he watched her seethe a few feet away. She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, they were distant and cold. He noted that they were silvery-white, just like the rest of her.
When she came at him this time, it was almost too fast to see. Her swings were a blur, and he found himself being pushed back as he struggled to avoid them. One cut after another bit into his arms, legs and chest.
He smiled to himself. This was strength. This was control, and mastery, and beauty. Time seemed to slow down as he watched one of her swords arc towards his neck. This is a good way to die. He reflected as he watched it draw closer, while his body reacted too sluggishly to stop her.
The blow never came. He felt a pressure settle into the side of his neck, but that was it. As he glanced downwards, he saw that she'd stopped her swing just as it met his throat. He sighed wearily as he eyed her. The distance was gone from her eyes. "Are you seriously not going to kill me?" He asked.
She gave him a wary look. "Not yet." She said, keeping her sword where it was.
"C'mon. It's not hard." He said, dropping his dagger and reaching up with the newly-free hand to try nudging her sword harder against his throat. "You just have to flick your wrist. Easy." He said, grinning at her. He could see in her expression that she wasn't willing to do it, and he was ready when she irritably flicked her sword towards his approaching hand.
"What kind of idiot gives his would-be killer tips on how to do it?" She said incredulously.
"I just don't want you to disappoint me." He said, taking a step back in the moment that her sword was away from his neck and raising his own blade defensively in front of him. "But I guess you're already determined to do that."
She gave him a confused look as she held her sword in a similarly defensive position, though she lowered the point menacingly towards him a moment later. "You know what I can do now. I suggest that you leave, and forget that you saw me."
He sighed again as he took another step back. At least he'd gotten a half-decent fight out of her, even if she'd proven disappointingly weak in the end. He grinned at her as he shrugged. "I'd be more than happy to forget this." He said.
She looked skeptical, but slowly lowered her sword to match the other one already at her side. "Then go."
He had to admit that he was a little curious about this strange woman, but for now, he wouldn't push his luck. He had a feeling he'd be seeing her again sometime soon. "Going." He said as he turned and began to leave, back the way he'd come.
"Wait." She said, and he had to wipe the smile off his face as he turned to look at her over his shoulder once more.
"What is it?" He asked. She kicked his dagger across the grass in his direction. It settled a few feet away from him, and he bent over to pick it up, hiding it in the concealed sheathe in his sleeve with a nod. "Thanks." He said with another wink.
She gave him an unamused look. Before he could turn away, she spoke once more. "What is your name?" She asked.
"What's yours?" He shot back.
She shook her head. "You lost the fight. You cannot demand things of me."
He chuckled to himself. She had attitude, at least. "Alright." He said as he turned most of the way away from her, twirling his sword once before sheathing it. "My name is Galcian." He said. He could see her processing that for the moment he watched her before he turned away and headed back into town.
He'd be seeing her again, alright. He wondered when it would be.
A week passed, and the Mastiff continued to drift. Galcian still hadn't found a job he wanted to take, and it was irritating Ayden more and more every day. The old sailor had been hounding him nonstop, and the younger man was seriously considering just tossing him overboard one of these days.
Still, they were going to need work sooner or later. Even Galcian could see that, and he found himself up late that evening as he leaned against the wall of the ship's main cabin, pondering where he'd go from here. In light of their dwindling fuel supplies, they'd opted to dock at an uninhabited island for the night, and he had the ship to himself as the rest of his crew opted to sleep on land.
He stared up at the stars as he thought to himself. He could settle for another boring job, but what was the point of that? He didn't need gold. Unlike the rest of his crew, he just wanted something to entertain him.
Maybe it was time to ditch the Mastiff. The crew was bothering him more and more lately. He'd been with them too long. He'd been in this line of work too long. It was killing him slowly, and he shivered as he considered just how comfortable he'd been getting with it all.
He was just considering sleeping on it when a light up above caught his eye. At first he thought it was a star, but it was moving. A comet? No, it was getting larger. As it drew nearer, he realized it was a small ship - even smaller than the kinds of personal ships he'd usually term "small." This one was practically lifeboat sized.
Except it wasn't a lifeboat. It was all polished silver, with a long, fin-like structure extending from the bottom. It drifted lazily downwards from above until it was level with his own ship, revealing the passenger standing in its tiny cockpit.
He blinked as he recognized her stark white hair and curious clothes. "Well, I'll be damned." He said with a knowing grin. "Welcome back."
The woman from the island closed her eyes as she took a deep breath, leaning on the railing surrounding her tiny ship's helm. "Hello, Galcian." She said, visibly trying to maintain her calm.
"What brings you back to me? Have you been following me in that little tub of yours?" He said, gesturing vaguely at her sleek silver ship. He hadn't really known why he thought he'd see her again. It felt like the two of them had unfinished business. He still didn't know anything about her, really. It excited him.
"I need to know some things about this world." She explained, opening her eyes to give him a flat glare as she did so.
He pushed off the wall and strolled over to the railing of his own ship to be face to face with her. "Well, you came to the right person. Nobody knows Arcadia better than I do." He said confidently as he matched her stare. "But information comes with a price."
She crossed her arms as she took a step back, evidently not pleased to be so close to him, even with the space between their ships dividing them. "You want to know about me." She guessed.
"Bingo." Galcian said, his grin persisting. "Think you can handle that?"
She looked away from him, and for a moment he could see her lost in thought. It was an oddly captivating expression on her, and it took him a moment to shake himself from staring when she responded. "I will tell you what I can."
"And I, in turn, will do the same." He said, bowing his head towards her. "It's only fair." He wiped the smile off his face as he forced himself to be a little bit more businesslike for now. "What do you need to know?"
"Ancient history." She explained. "Rumors. Stories. Folklore."
He tilted his head to one side as he listened. "What exactly are you looking for?" He asked. "That's a pretty broad scope of topics, lady."
She seemed to consider her words for another moment before she said, "What do you know about 'moon crystals'?"
He scratched his chin for a moment. He almost wished he had a beard for moments like these. "I've heard a couple stories about 'em. The most prominent ones are about one in Valua, and another in the Nasr desert." He said.
Her eyes practically lit up at his words, and she was suddenly leaning towards him again, as if to close the gap between their ships. "What have you heard?" She asked.
Was this what excitement looked like on her? He wondered. "Well, they say the one in Valua's irretrievable. It's supposedly under a massive, ancient seal in the southeastern part of the continent. Nobody's been able to get through it in centuries." He explained.
"The one in Nasr is a bit of a conundrum, too. It's supposed to be in a place called the Temple of Pyrynn, but it's been lost for ages. Most people think it's in the eastern desert, where the sandstorms are worst and where you wouldn't be able to just see it. A couple of traders report finding it, but they couldn't lead others back to it when they tried." He reported.
"I see…" She said, turning away from him as she seemed to lose herself in thought again.
"My turn." He said, waving a hand at her to try to bring her back from whatever she was thinking about. "Why do you want these crystals?"
Her shoulders stiffened as she heard the question, and she didn't look at him as she replied, "Who says I want them?"
He smiled as he set his arms on the railing of the Mastiff. "It's written all over your body language. I doubt you're a historian, so you must be looking to actually get the things for yourself. I want to know why."
He couldn't tell for sure, but he got the sense she was impressed. It made him feel a little proud of himself as she turned to face him again. "Alright… I admit, I am looking for the moon crystals. It's part of the mission I've been sent on by my superiors." She said.
He frowned. "That's a bit vague. What are you going to do with them? I've heard they're pretty powerful." He said. "Don't leave me hanging. I want the interesting details."
She sighed, and her eyes flickered away from his though she continued to face him. "In short, the moon crystals can be used to summon ancient super weapons called Gigas."
He blinked as he felt his smile returning. "And you're planning to summon these Gigas? Are you going to take over the world, or something?" He asked.
She shook her head fiercely. "No. I will do no such thing. I am taking them to prevent this from happening." She said.
Galcian stared at her for a long moment. He couldn't tell if she was lying. It was an odd thing to realize, considering most people couldn't slip a lie past him if they tried. This girl got more interesting by the moment. "I see." He said. "That's a little disappointing."
A frown creased her features as she stared back at him. "You are disappointed that I do not wish to bring weapons of mass destruction into the world?"
He shrugged as he turned away from her. "Well, yeah. The world is full of opportunities for great people to do great things. Some are good and some are bad, but all of them are impactful." He looked towards the quiet island where his crew was sleeping, unaware of anything around them. "Every time one of those people refuses to do one of those great things, the world just keeps on being boring and quiet. It stagnates, and it dies."
"Yours sounds like a chaotic and destructive philosophy, if ever I've heard one." She said disapprovingly from behind him. He heard a thud and a creak of wood, and when he turned around she was standing on the deck of the Mastiff a few feet away from him.
He eyed her up and down. She really was wearing the same thing she'd had on back when they'd first met. Maybe it was her only outfit. It certainly suited her. "Maybe. But it's kept me alive." He said without his usual trace of amusement.
She turned and began to walk around the deck, looking over the ship one piece at a time. "Is this where you live, then?"
He watched her go. She moved like the fighter he now knew she was. "Yes, it is. I've been running the Mastiff for about a year now." He said.
"And you share it with those other men, the ones on the island." She continued.
He glanced towards the island in question once more. "Yes, I do. Every damn day." He grumbled.
She turned her head to look at him, raising an eyebrow. "Are they not your friends? You've traveled with them for a year now."
Galcian laughed to himself at that. "I don't think I'd call them friends. You don't make a lot of friends in this line of work." He locked his eyes on her. They still had a bargain in play. "Your turn."
She looked at him with surprise on her face again, before what might've been a tiny smile tugged at the corner of her lip. "I suppose it is."
"Where are you from? Who are your friends?" He asked, standing in the middle of the deck and turning to follow her as she continued to survey his ship in detail. "And while we're at it, what's your name?"
She was quiet for several seconds as she stared up the main mast at the flag flapping distantly in the wind. It was covered with the face of the dog the ship was named after. "It would be very difficult to explain where I am from. Suffice to say that it's somewhere no one in Arcadia has ever been before, other than myself."
He blinked in confusion at her explanation, but said nothing as she continued. "I have no friends, or at least nobody I would consider a friend. The only people I've known before now are my teachers." She strolled to the edge of the ship, leaning on the railing he had been before as she stared at her own, curious ship. "And lastly, my name is Lila."
"Lila, huh?" He said as he ended up staring at her ship too. A strange-looking girl with a strange-sounding past, who was better than anyone he'd met with a sword. And she was looking for the moon crystals, which he'd often assumed were just myths. Still… "Not a bad name." He remarked.
That faint smile was back as she turned towards him again. "It is one of few things I can be grateful for." She bowed her head to him before leaping back to her ship with almost supernatural agility. "Thank you for your help, Galcian." She said. It had a note of finality that made him uncomfortable.
"Wait." He said as he hurried to the railing again. "You're going after the moon crystals now, right?"
She gave him a curious look as she leaned over the controls. "Yes, I am. That should be obvious." She shook her head as she turned her attention back to them, her fingers beginning to dance over an odd-looking set of buttons.
"Then let me help you find them." He said. He wasn't sure why he felt so desperate now.
Her fingers stopped moving. She didn't look at him, but she'd gotten that distant expression again, from back when they'd first fought. "I do not think that would be wise."
"Who cares?" He said. "It'll be fun. And as I said before, nobody knows Arcadia better than me. I can find those crystals for you, Lila."
She turned to look at him again. Her expression told him conflict was raging just beneath the surface, but he couldn't pick out the individual emotions. "I have little to repay you with." She said.
Galcian frowned. She had a point. She couldn't possibly have much in that little ship of hers. "We'll think of something. We're bound to run across something I can sell if we end up going places nobody's been to in centuries." He said as he came across his solution.
She was silent for the longest moment yet, and he wondered if she'd refuse him anyway. He really hoped she wouldn't. Finally, she sighed and shrugged. "I suppose it is the best way for me to approach this task." She admitted. "I will accept your aid, Galcian."
As soon as he heard those words, the young man felt himself returning to normal. His usual grin returned as he nodded. "Good. I'll inform the crew in the morning, and we'll set out right after."
She gave him a searching look, but he thought he could see a little bit of hope underneath it. "Then I will make preparations."
"Captain, this is idiotic. We're not gonna find the temple, we're just gonna get ourselves lost in the sandstorm and eaten by one of those big beasties that lives under the dunes." Ayden was in his usual mood as he listed off complaints to the young man standing at the helm.
Galcian rolled his eyes as he guided the Mastiff through the skies above the vast Nasr desert, towards the tumultuous eastern wastelands. "You always have so little faith in me, Ayden." The young man said, turning to the older man with an exaggerated pout. "You wound me."
Ayden scowled. "That girl can't pay us for shit, and if we do get outta the sandstorm alive, we'll be broke and nearly out of fuel to boot."
"The only reason you have fuel is because of the reserves I donated." Lila said as she climbed the last step to the bridge. "Honestly, why do you tolerate this oaf, Galcian?" She said irritably.
"You little…" Ayden began as he glared at her.
"He's good for carrying things, and sometimes I use him to scare children." Galcian said with a grin as he looked back at her over his shoulder.
She looked Ayden over again as the older man continued to glare at her. "Such insubordination really should not be acceptable."
"You heard the girl, Ayden. One more peep and I'll have to strand you in the desert." Galcian said as he spun the wheel a bit before stopping it a few degrees to the north.
Ayden opened his mouth to protest, then shut it a moment later. He let out a huff before storming down the stairs, leaving Galcian and Lila alone on the bridge.
"Thanks for that." Galcian said as he stared out at the approaching storm.
"Did I do something?" She said. He couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not.
He brushed it off. "We're about to enter the easternmost desert. Is your ship secure?" He asked as he turned towards her again.
Lila nodded seriously. "It's lashed to the side about as securely as your men can manage." She reported.
"Good. Can't have that thing getting lost in the storm." He said as he turned to the helm again, this time focusing on the navigation instruments embedded beside the wheel. "Hand me the map on the table there, would you?" He said, gesturing to the lone table in the room with one hand as the swirling sands began to block out his view of the sky.
She said nothing as she retrieved it, and a moment later the furled up parchment was in his hand. He wordlessly unrolled it, revealing a basic map of the terrain in the area. There were several spots that were clearly guesswork, but it'd be enough to go on. "Alright then." He said as he consulted the compass once more before turning the ship again.
Lila leaned against the bulkhead as she watched him work. "What are you doing?" She asked.
By now, the windows were covered in sand and visibility was nearing nonexistent. He found himself looking at the map and the compass more and more. "I've taken what I think are the most reliable eyewitness accounts about the location of the temple, and started comparing them to the most recent maps. If I navigate with the compass, I think maybe we can check each spot."
"Not a bad idea." She said, glancing at the windows. "How will we know when we've gotten there without any way to see it, though?" She asked.
Galcian smirked at her. "I've got the guys I like the least out on deck keeping an eye out. They'll call if they see anything."
"You're a very cruel captain." Lila observed.
"Cruel gets results." He replied.
The Mastiff scoured the wastelands for an hour without finding anything as Galcian checked location by location. He was beginning to think he'd have to throw in the towel when a shout from the deck roused him. It was almost drowned out by the noise of the wind. "Spotted something, starboard side!" One of the men reported.
"Well, shit." Galcian said with surprise as he turned the ship starboard and kept on in that direction. Lila quickly donned a pair of goggles from the table and hurried downstairs. A minute later she came back, pulling a white scarf down from her mouth.
"You've found it." She said.
The ship made an uneasy descent through the sand-clouded skies to the dunes below, and Galcian briefly lost his footing as the deck lurched to one side when the ship settled slightly in the sand. Thankfully, it didn't tip over or move any further, and he moved to the table to grab his own pair of goggles as he grinned at Lila. "Let me see it."
They stepped out onto the deck together, both of their mouths and eyes covered as they stared out over the railing. It was a bit difficult to see in the constant sandstorm, but it was clearly pyramid-shaped, with what looked like four large pillars arranged in a square in front of it. It was a few hundred feet away - an easy trek if they were careful.
He looked to Lila, who was still staring at the temple. He couldn't tell what she was thinking with her face covered like this. "How many people will you need?" He asked.
She turned to look at him. "Just me. I'll be fine by myself." She said.
Galcian rolled his eyes behind his goggles. "You don't have to take the crew, but I'm going too whether you like it or not."
She tilted her head to one side skeptically. "You really shouldn't. It's full of traps. I've studied ancient machinery and weaponry, so I can see it coming, but it might catch you by surprise."
"Don't underestimate me!" Galcian snapped, hopping over the side of the ship before she could object any further. He landed on the sand with a small grunt before straightening up. "Ray!" He called.
Someone appeared, leaning over the edge of the railing. "Yeah, captain?" Ray's voice replied.
"Two survival kits!" Galcian shouted back.
"Aye, captain!" Ray said, disappearing again. Lila hopped over the edge and landed beside Galcian a moment later.
"You're very reckless." She said. "I'm beginning to think you never consider your actions before taking them."
"That's how I keep things interesting." Galcian said, grinning behind the mask covering his mouth.
A moment later, two bags thudded into the sand in front of them. "Two kits, captain." Ray reported from his spot over the railing.
"Thanks, Ray. Try to keep the ship intact while I'm away." Galcian said, before grabbing the bag and slinging it over his shoulder.
"What are these?" Lila said as she took the other one in a similar fashion.
"Supplies. Food, water, tools. They're useful for when you're gonna be away from the ship for awhile." Galcian explained. "Let's go." He said as he began trudging through the sand in the direction of the temple.
Lila frowned after him before moving to follow him.
The sandstorm was clearing, Galcian realized as he drew near to the steps leading up onto the main terrace around which the four pillars were arranged. As he climbed the steps, he looked back and realized that no, it wasn't clearing.
The sandstorm was simply surrounding the temple on all sides, leaving the temple itself conspicuously untouched. "So the sandstorms out here are a defense mechanism?" He said incredulously, looking back at Lila as she climbed the steps a few paces behind him.
The white-haired girl shrugged. "I can't say for certain. It's possible they just shielded the temple from the storm, but at the same time it's very odd that this region is always covered in storms." She removed her goggles as the last of the sand swirling around them cleared. "Call it a mystery of the ancients." She said as she tugged the scarf away from her mouth.
"The ancients were crazy." Galcian muttered as he shook his head. There was a small dais in the center of the terrace, and the two of them ended up standing in front of it as the dark-haired man went to inspect it. "What's this?" He asked.
She set a hand on the dais, tracing her finger around the triangular indentation in the center. "This is where the moon crystal would be placed in order to summon the red Gigas." She said quietly.
Galcian blinked as he pulled off his own goggles, looking around the terrace. "Huh. So, where is it? This Gigas thing must be pretty big if it's a superweapon." He said.
Lila was wearing that tiny smile when he looked back at her again. "You're standing on top of it."
He gave her a confused look before staring at his feet, then slowly turning his attention to the large pillars. He realized they had faces carved in them. The pieces started coming together. "Ah. Clever. Hiding it in plain sight." He mused.
"It's hardly in plain sight when it's wrapped in a massive sandstorm." She said with an amused tone to her voice as she moved away from the dais. "Come. We need to enter the temple."
Galcian stared at the stone head of the Gigas for several moments more before moving to follow her. They had to climb a massive set of stairs to reach the temple proper, and the two ascended in silence. Both of them, despite their fitness, were out of breath when they reached the top. "I guess the ancients had legs of steel…" He joked as he caught his breath.
"This was not a place many people would have visited. Everything is a deterrent, to keep people away." She explained, evidently not amused. Before them, a doorway stood open to another staircase descending into the temple.
"Sounds like my kind of place." Galcian said. "Let's go." He waved Lila along as he headed for the door.
She grabbed his hand, stopping him from heading inside. He turned to give her a quizzical look, and her expression was deadly serious as she stared at him. "Do not rush. This is a dangerous place. The things inside will kill you in a heartbeat if you do not treat them with care."
Galcian chuckled. "Why are you so worried about me?" He teased her, before tugging his hand away. "If you want to lead the way and set the pace, you can."
Lila frowned at him, but didn't object any further as she stepped past him and through the doorway into the temple. When nothing untoward happened, she waved to him. "Alright, follow me, then." She said.
The two descended into the temple. It was dark, and eerily quiet. Galcian could tell that few things ever came here. "Wish I'd brought a light…" He said irritably.
"Hush." She said from a few feet ahead of him, feeling her way along the walls wherever the light from the scattered torches was too dim. Galcian scowled at her, but didn't say anything else, settling for wondering what magic was keeping the torches lit all the time. If they weren't embedded in the walls, he'd have considered taking one as a souvenir.
He heard a click, and suddenly her hand was on his chest, pressing him against the wall. "Stop!" She hissed. A moment later, he could hear metallic clinking as several dozen somethings struck the wall just ahead of them.
They waited until all was quiet, and then Lila's hand pulled away. Galcian stepped forward and knelt down in front of the wall, picking up several fragmented arrows, which had likely broken when they struck the wall. Well, that's one way to kill an intruder. He noted as he stood and began to follow Lila further along.
They kept narrowly evading traps as they delved further into the temple. Lila always seemed to anticipate them before he did, and though he wouldn't admit it aloud, Galcian was starting to feel frustratingly unnecessary. Would she have handled this just fine without him? He sighed and bit back a desire to complain as they followed another dimly-lit hallway until Lila stopped him again.
He hadn't heard a click this time, and no obvious traps appeared before them. He looked over her shoulder and blinked at the sight before him.
At the end of the hallway, about two dozen feet ahead of them, he could see lava pouring into a pit in the middle of a wide-open room. The temple was already fairly hot, but he realized it was even hotter here, still a ways away from the lava. "I don't think we can go that way." Galcian stated the obvious.
"I don't suppose so, but… how do we move forward?" Lila said with a frustrated tone to her voice as she stared at the room ahead.
"Not sure…" Galcian mumbled as he looked around the hallway they were in. It looked like just about every other they'd been in - cramped and dark, all made out of tightly-packed brick.
Except - he noticed there was an odd-looking mark on the wall a few feet behind them. As he moved closer, he realized it was in the shape of the Gigas's face. "Hey, Lila. Check this out." He said as he waved to her.
She stepped closer, and he moved aside to let her get a better look at it. "This looks like decoration, but it doesn't have a counterpart on the opposite wall. It also doesn't fit the style of the rest of the area…" She said contemplatively.
Galcian moved to lean against one of the walls nearby while she worked, but blinked in surprise as he felt it give a bit. He pulled away and stared at it. He'd felt it move, hadn't he? He glanced at Lila, who was still staring at the odd picture, before turning back to the wall. He reached out and set his hands against it before pushing.
It took most of his weight, but it slowly moved backwards. It had been cut to fit in seamlessly with the surrounding walls, but when he'd pushed it back enough, he realized it had hidden another passage from view. Lila's attention had been caught by the noise of his moving it, and as he stopped, she peered into the new passageway. "Ta-da." He said, a little breathless once more from the exertion.
"Good work." She said as she stepped into the newly-uncovered hallway. "I believe this will let us bypass the lava."
As Galcian moved to follow her, he wasn't sure if he should be proud of himself. He'd found this passage entirely by accident, after all. Still, at least he wasn't totally useless anymore. That was enough to put a bit more of a spring in his step as he hurried after Lila.
The two of them soon realized that there were no traps down this way. Galcian wondered if this area was meant for those ancients who were actually meant to be coming and going from the temple. It certainly felt different from the rest of the place.
Eventually, the hallways opened up to a much larger area, through which a series of suspended walkways led from place to place. They had no railings, and the drop to the floor below was a long one. "Take it slow…" Lila said as she led the way out onto the first walkway. Galcian followed her, measuring each step and watching her he walked. Lila, meanwhile, seemed to be focused on looking around for potential traps.
That meant that she didn't see the weak spot in the floor before she stepped on it, and she let out a cry as the stone beneath her left foot crumbled away. She began to lose her balance and fall.
Galcian rushed forward and caught her hand, nearly losing his own balance as he struggled to haul her back onto the walkway. Though they teetered dangerously for a moment, he managed eventually to stop moving. "Are you okay?" He said with strain in his voice.
"Y-yes…" She replied, one foot dangling while the other was set on the edge of the walkway.
"You're going to have to haul yourself the rest of the way up." He said.
Lila took a breath before setting her dangling foot against the stone and grabbing the floor in front of her, using the leverage to pull herself up and over the edge. Galcian helped pull her the rest of the way, until at last she settled back on the floor.
They both caught their breath for a minute before she looked up at him. "Thank you." She said, getting onto her knees from the lying position she'd assumed when she'd gotten back up.
Galcian nodded as he sat before her. "Yeah. I guess traps aren't the only thing to worry about in a place as old as this." He said.
Lila stared down over the edge at the abyss she'd nearly fallen into, nodding slowly. Then she got unsteadily to her feet. "Let's keep going."
She really was determined to get this job done, he reflected as he rose to his feet as well. "Right behind you."
With both of them watching the floor ahead of them now, they managed to avoid any further incidents. As they passed through another doorway, they found themselves descending a very long staircase. Eventually, they reached what looked like a dead end, but a glowing red panel embedded in the wall immediately caught both their attentions.
Lila set a hand on the panel, and it glowed faintly as the wall in front of them slid aside. The two of them moved forward and into a spacious room that ended in what looked in an altar. On top of the altar sat what looked at first like a radiant red light.
Lila sprinted off towards it without another word, and Galcian shouted after her, "Be wary of traps!", fully aware she wasn't listening at this point. Thankfully, nothing emerged to kill her, and he sighed as he followed her a moment later.
When he got there, Lila was holding a red crystal in her hands, shaped like a triangular pyramid. It shined with a brightness more intense than any moon stone he'd ever seen, and he could faintly see intricate geometric patterns carved into the translucent surface of the crystal. "I'm guessing that's our red moon crystal?" He said with a grin.
Lila said nothing as she cradled it in her hands, staring at the radiant red light that shined forth from within the crystal. It was warm, but not hot like the red moon stones usually found around Nasr. He wondered why as he stared first at the crystal, then at her. "Hello? Lila?" He said.
She continued to say nothing, and, frustrated, he leaned forward and prodded her shoulder with two fingers. "Wake up." He said.
She suddenly looked at him with wide eyes, and he realized she was breathing unsteadily. He watched as her fingers began to shake, before the shaking slowly spread to the rest of her. Eventually, the crystal fell from her hands to clink against the floor.
Galcian stared back at her. "Lila? What in the moons is wrong with you?" He said, kneeling down to grab the crystal.
She swatted his hands away from it. "Don't touch it!" She snapped, and when he looked back at her, she was wearing an expression he'd never seen before. It looked… rabid. Furious, afraid, disturbed. She didn't look like the distant, always-composed girl he'd come to know in the last few days.
"What is going on?" Galcian said as he stood up and glared at her. "You said you wanted to get the moon crystals. You've got your crystal. Let's take it and get out of here." He raised his hands with an exasperated expression. "What are you freaking out about?"
One of her silvery swords was suddenly in her hand, and she levelled it at him as she took a step away. "Don't… don't question me." She said. She looked away from him.
Something was broken in this girl, Galcian realized. All of her distance and calm were an act, or a shield to protect her. She was deathly afraid of something, and he began to suspect he knew what it was. "Do you not want to complete this mission of yours, Lila?" He asked.
She flinched, ever so slightly. "Don't presume to know anything about me."
Galcian looked back and forth between Lila and the moon crystal. She was unsteady, and he already knew how to summon the Gigas. He briefly considered killing her and taking the crystal.
Then he realized that wouldn't be the more interesting choice. He knew what would happen if he decided to take the Gigas as his own. What he didn't know was Lila. And, he realized, that was what he really wanted to know.
He slowly, deliberately, knelt down and took the crystal in his hands. She turned her head to look at him again, glaring at him. "I told you not to touch it." She growled.
He raised one hand in a placating gesture as he stepped back to the altar. "Easy, now. I'm just putting it back." He said, and with that he set the crystal back where it had been a minute before. "It's obvious you don't want it." He said, turning away from her as he did so. His back was exposed to her. This would be the moment where he'd find out whether Lila was a killer, or something more interesting.
Nothing happened for several moments, and Galcian looked back over his shoulder at her. She'd lowered her sword and was staring at the floor. "Lila?" He said quietly.
"I'm sorry…" She said, and it was so soft that he almost didn't hear it. Her long white hair veiled her face, but he could see teardrops falling past it to land on the cold stone floor.
Galcian scratched his head uncomfortably as he watched her. He really didn't have much experience dealing with this kind of thing. Sometimes, though, that was where the best moments came from. He took a step closer to her. "What are you sorry about?" He asked.
Her shoulders shook. The sword vanished from her hand. "I can't do what you sent me to do…" She said, her voice still difficult to hear.
He frowned. He hadn't sent her to do anything. "Are you talking to your bosses? Because I'm pretty sure they're not here."
Lila slowly raised her head, wiping tears away from her cheeks with the back of her hand. "No, they're not. But they will be very disappointed to find that I have failed."
Galcian glanced towards the altar. "I mean, you haven't really failed. The crystal is right here. What's stopping you from taking it?" He asked.
She stared at the crystal, and he shivered as he realized there was absolutely no life in her eyes at that moment. "The cost." She said.
"The cost?" He said quizzically. She didn't answer him. She just kept staring for a minute more, before turning to him. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again there was desperation in them.
"I know it's a lot to ask, Galcian, but… Can we just leave? I don't want the crystal anymore." She said. She looked like a scared little girl, just barely constraining her fright.
Galcian frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. He couldn't say he wasn't a little disappointed - this girl never seemed to follow through when he expected her to - but he also couldn't deny that he was interested in hearing the full story. "Fine. We'll leave the crystal behind, but you better tell me everything about the situation, and soon." He said.
That faint smile appeared again, and she nodded. He wondered if that was the happiest she could get. "I will. I promise." She said.
Galcian sighed. "Lead the way, then." He said, and she hurried back into the hallway they'd come from before. He looked back at the crystal for a long moment. He doubted he'd have time, but maybe someday he'd come back for it. Then he turned and followed Lila back the way they'd come.
It took considerably less time for them to get out of the temple than it did for them to enter, now that the traps had all been activated. They passed the time in silence, hurried by Lila's quick pace through the dark corridors. Galcian's legs were burning by the time they exited out onto the landing at the top of the massive staircase.
"There… we're out." He said, breathing heavily. "You sure were in a rush to get out of there." He noted as he watched her. She wasn't out of breath, and it made him upset. It took a conscious effort to bite back a snappy remark when she didn't reply. "What are you looking at?" He asked as she stared into the distance.
"Your ship is gone." Lila said, gesturing to where the shadow of the Mastiff had been before. Now it was an indistinguishable patch of storm.
"What the hell?" Galcian growled as he rushed forward to the top step, looking around. Maybe they were circling the area. Or maybe they were in trouble. But as his search turned up nothing, he began to come to different conclusions.
"Have they abandoned us?" Lila said quietly, and the searching expression in her eyes only compounded his frustration.
"Ayden…" Galcian snarled, just picturing the way that boisterous oaf would've turned the crew in his favor. The captain's gone, dragged us into this sandstorm and left us behind. Let's get outta here. Ayden's imagined voice rang in his head. "Of all the times to screw me, he picks now… That stupid bastard!" He shouted, making his throat hoarse.
"Galcian?" Lila's voice rang with concern.
He turned to her, glaring daggers. "He's screwed us, Lila. He stole my ship, and my crew, and I bet he just feels so proud of himself for putting one over on me. When I find him, I'm going to cut him open, I swear to…" His ranting was cut off as coughed, once, then twice. "I should've tossed him overboard months ago, I should've…" The coughing interrupted him again, and this time he turned away from the white-haired girl who continued to watch him worriedly.
Galcian clutched a hand to his chest as he was wracked with coughing and wheezing. Not now, dammit, not now… He thought to himself, but his body was unconcerned with his interests, and he felt his legs getting unsteady as it became difficult to breathe. Pain flared in his chest, and his vision started to waver.
Then a hand was pressed against his back, and from it he could feel an odd warmth radiating out into his skin. The pain that had been building began to subside, and slowly he managed to stop coughing and steady his breathing. From behind him, he heard Lila chant, "Moons, purify this man's body."
"W-what are you doing?" Galcian asked her.
"Healing you." She explained. "Why didn't you tell me about this?" She asked.
"About what?" He said evasively.
"You're sick. Dying." She said calmly, and the warmth on his back flared briefly.
"It's none of your business." Galcian snapped, but he started to regret the words as soon as her hand pulled away. Though the coughing didn't come back, the warmth faded, and his lungs already felt a little heavier.
"I believe it is my business if I am to keep my end of our agreement." Lila said. Galcian stared at her. She was back in her shell again, all calm and serene. But he'd seen what was underneath it. He wasn't going to let her stay in it for long.
"What, telling me about yourself?" Galcian shook his head. "I'm a little more concerned with the fact that we're stranded out here, right now."
Lila frowned at him, before turning to look out at the sandstorm swirling around the temple. "We could walk."
He looked at her incredulously. "Through the desert? Are you crazy? We'll die of thirst before we get anywhere."
Lila's little smile returned as she hefted the bag on her back. "We've got supplies. And I don't think we have any other options at the moment."
Galcian glanced at the sandstorm too, before turning back to his white-haired companion. "I mean, there's always dying." He said. She gave him a confused look, and he sighed as she seemed to miss his humor as always. "Okay. You have a point. Let's get out of here." He relented as he shouldered his pack, pulled his goggles back on and covered his face once more.
Lila did the same, and together they set out into the storm. It quickly became difficult to see or navigate, and after a minute they could barely see one another. As Galcian continued to forge onwards, he suddenly felt a set of fingers poking at his, and glancing back he saw Lila was trying to grab his hand. "What are you doing?" He asked. His voice was nearly drowned out by the wind.
"So we don't get separated." She replied, taking his hand without waiting for his reply.
Galcian eyed her for a moment before shrugging and continuing, walking side by side with her as they persisted in traveling one direction. Sooner or later, they had to break out of the wastelands.
The space between them was quiet as they walked, and soon the intensity of the storm began to decline. Galcian squinted as he saw sunlight starting to filter through the dense clouds of sand. "We're almost out, I think." He reported. Lila nodded at him from behind her scarf and goggles, and together they hurried onwards.
They both breathed a sigh of relief as the winds continued to abate, until eventually they found themselves in open desert, with the sun beating down on them. Almost immediately Galcian pulled off his goggles and mask. "It's so hot…" He said with a groan.
Lila followed suit a moment later, staring out at the horizon. "We need to find a settlement." She said, turning to him. "Do you know where the nearest one is?"
Galcian rubbed at his forehead as he thought. "Uhm… assuming we're at the western edge of the sandstorm, the closest one should be a couple miles southwest of here." He said.
"That's a long hike." Lila replied, looking concerned.
"That's what I was thinking. But, as you said… we don't really have a choice, do we?" He said as he gestured vaguely southwest. "Come on. Let's get moving, and maybe we'll get there before it gets really dark."
He took another step before realizing that she was still holding his hand. When he tried to tug it away, she held it tighter. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Uh, Lila?"
She looked away from him. "What?"
"We're out of the sandstorm. You can let go now." He said.
"We might get separated." She said quietly.
He blinked. "How? You can see for miles out here. I doubt you'll lose me now that we're out of the storm."
She was quiet for a beat before she let go of his hand. "Fine." She said. "Lead the way." She muttered with a dismissive wave of her hand.
Galcian stared at her. She was getting stranger by the second. This girl was a bundle of contradictions. Now was not the time to stand around and wonder about that, however, and he turned around with a shrug. "On it." He said, before starting to head southwest. Lila quickly caught up to him and began to walk alongside him.
They traveled across the dunes for an hour, and the sun began to wear on them both. Galcian was sweating through his clothes, and he could only guess that Lila was too. She confirmed this when she slowed down, forcing him to turn to look at her as she spoke. "Can we take a break…?" She said.
"I think I'd like that." He admitted as he sat down in the sand, grabbing the bag off his back and opening it to retrieve a canteen. He quickly opened it and took several swallows of the water inside before setting it aside.
Lila did the same as she sat down beside him. "I thought I had a lot of stamina, but I'm already flagging…" She said wistfully.
"Everything takes more energy when you're overheating. I'm feeling it too." He said as he squinted out at the dunes. It was getting a little harder to see where they were going. Were they even still heading towards the town?
"I see." She said in a remarkably matter-of-fact tone for the situation they were in. They were quiet for several seconds before she spoke again. "I never really imagined I'd end up in a situation like this." She said.
He gave her a look. "I don't think anyone anticipates getting stranded in a desert. That's one of those things a lot of people go out of their way to avoid."
She shook her head. "I get that. I'm not quite talking about it that way. It's more like…" She stared at her hands, before bringing them close together. "Up until recently, my world was very small." She said. "Even when I started exploring Arcadia, it only felt a little bigger." She slowly widened the space between her hands as she spoke.
"But now, walking through it like this, and especially after having met some of the people who live here, I feel like I'm really getting a true appreciation for the size." She spread her arms out wide as she finished, before leaning back and bracing herself on her palms behind her. "The sky looks so much larger when you can't fly through it."
Galcian looked up. The afternoon sky was very blue, but the distance was beginning to be tinged with purple as the evening neared. "What kind of world must you have been living in before this?" He asked. "Sounds hellish to me."
Her expression had gone distant again when he looked back at her. "In some ways, it was. But now isn't the time to explain things, I don't think." She said softly.
"I guess not." He admitted, before fixing her with another pointed stare. "But don't think you're getting out of an explanation."
"Of course not." She said as the familiarity returned to her eyes.
Galcian slowly began to rise to his feet. "C'mon, we should probably-" He cut himself short as a distant sound caught his ear. It sounded like an old engine, the kind typically found on some of the smaller trading ships. As he looked up, he caught sight of just such a ship a short ways above them.
Lila had apparently followed his gaze, and she quickly stood up beside him. "A ship?" She said.
"Yeah. We need to get his attention, quickly." He replied, and he quickly hurried off in its direction, waving his arms and shouting. Lila hastened to follow him, and eventually began shouting herself.
Slowly the ship turned around towards them and began to descend towards the desert. Galcian breathed a sigh of relief as he watched it near. Lila caught up to him a moment later and watched it with him. "Does this mean we're getting out of here?" She asked.
"Hopefully." He said.
They ended up in Maramba as the sun set. The captain of the little trading vessel stood alongside them on the docks. "I'm still very curious about what you kids were doin' way out in the middle of the desert." He said with a bright smile at the two.
"It's a very long story…" Galcian said, rubbing tiredly at the back of his neck.
"Surely you can at least give me a summary. I just saved the two of you didn't I?" The merchant wagged his finger at Galcian. "Don't be ungrateful."
Lila quickly took the man's attention as she stepped up beside Galcian. "It's fairly simple, really. My bodyguard is just very close-mouthed." She bowed her head to the merchant as she continued. "I'm an archaeologist, and I was searching for the Temple of Pyrynn over in the wastes. He accompanies me everywhere, so he came along for the ride."
The merchant crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at her. "But what were you doing out there without a ship?"
It was Galcian's turn to interject. "It was stolen. Pirates, you know?" He said, making a point of looking irritable. It wasn't hard when he thought about Ayden.
That seemed to allay the man's suspicions, and he scowled. "I know what you mean. I swear, they get bolder every year." He sighed and shook his head. "Well, I'm glad I could give you two a helping hand. Be careful if you decide to go out in the desert again. It's a dangerous place out there."
"Yeah." Galcian said.
"Thank you." Lila said as she bowed her head to him. With that, the merchant departed into the town, leaving the two of them alone on the docks. She turned to Galcian with a confused expression. "Now what do we do?"
Galcian glanced out over the ships nearby. "Well, for now, we're stranded. We should stay the night in Maramba and figure out what to do next."
"Will we be staying at an… inn?" She said, as if searching her memory for the word.
He gave her a slightly quizzical look before nodding. "Yeah. Probably. If we can afford it." He said.
"I don't believe that will be a problem." She said, reaching into the pockets concealed in her blouse and producing several small, glittering moon stones.
Galcian's jaw dropped. "You've been keeping quiet about those this whole time?" He asked, baffled.
"I barely knew any of the crew of your ship. I had to keep something for emergencies." She said.
"Whoever sent you was ridiculously prepared…" Galcian mused, before shaking his head. "Whatever, let's get a room."
It only took a portion of Lila's stash to get them a night at the inn, and as soon as they stepped inside, Galcian hurried over to his bed and sat down on the edge, leaning back a moment later. "Ugh… what a long day." He said with a weary sigh.
He heard the door shut, and a moment later Lila was standing over him, giving him a curious look. He gave her a flat look in return. "What?" He asked.
"You shouldn't sleep yet. We still have things to discuss." She said, still staring at him.
He closed his eyes as he groaned. "I wasn't planning to sleep, I just…" He sighed again and shook his head before hauling himself up into a sitting position once more. "Okay. Okay, let's talk about this." He said, gesturing for her to sit on the other bed facing him.
She did so after a moment's hesitation. "So… where should we start?" She asked. She looked nervous.
With sleep. Galcian pushed away that thought as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay. So you need to tell me everything about your past, because it's setting off all kinds of alarms in my head. Can you do that?" He asked.
She flinched, and clasped her hands together in her lap, staring down at them. She fidgeted several times on her bedside before replying. "Do I really have to?" She said, her voice unusually meek and distinctly sad.
He hated to admit it, but it hurt him to hear that voice. "Look, it's obviously troubling you. The way you reacted with the crystal tells me something was very wrong with the way your bosses treated you. I can't be of any help to you if I don't know what they did."
She stared at her hands for a minute without saying anything. Then, in an even quieter voice than before, she said, "I'm not sure you can help me, Galcian…"
He leaned forward as her words sent a flash of anger through him. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? I'm all you've got right now, in case you didn't notice."
She flinched again, but didn't pull away. She didn't seem angry, just sad. "I know. And I'm very grateful that I have at least that…" She said, "But I don't know if anyone can help me." She lifted her head and smiled at him, but there wasn't any happiness in it. It made him start to doubt he'd ever seen her happy. "It's not your fault, you know?"
He felt all the anger and all the energy drain out of him at once, and he slumped forward as he stared at the floor. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." He finally said.
Suddenly her hand was on his shoulder, radiating the same warmth as before. He shivered. "Healing me again?" He said tiredly.
"It's the least I can do to thank you for the things you've done for me." She said softly. He felt her hair brush against his cheek.
He could vaguely see her kneeling in front of him in his peripheral vision. "I haven't done anything for you, Lila…" He protested weakly.
She didn't try to argue it. She just stayed there with her warm hand pressed against his shoulder, sending that curious magic through him. "When did you first get sick?" She asked.
Normally, the memory was painful, or angry, but right now it was neither of those things. It didn't make him feel anything at this moment. "I was fifteen, living in upper city Valua. The doctors said there was nothing they could do for me. My parents wanted to keep me indoors and shelter me. I didn't want that, so I ran away and started doing my own thing. Trying to live life as much as I could before it caught up to me, you know?" He said.
"It must've been hard." She said, sympathy in her voice.
"It was. But I lived a lot in just a few years." He said with a faint smile.
"You're going to live a lot more." She added.
He shivered again. "Can you really heal me completely? That seems like, like… fiction." He said. It just didn't make sense to him.
"I'm a master of silver magic. I can heal you." She said with certainty in her voice. "It will take time, but I can heal you." Eventually the warmth faded, and her hand withdrew.
"All out of juice?" He said, lifting his head for the first time in awhile. Her face was inches from his. It was the first time he'd really gotten a good, long look at it, and he made a point of memorizing every curve.
She smiled that little smile again. "For tonight. We'll do this every night until you're cured." She said.
Now that she was done, he felt another wave of exhaustion wash over him. His eyelids began to droop. "Sounds… good to me." He said, not able to think of much else to say.
Her hand on his shoulder pushed him back onto his bed before she disappeared back to hers. "Sleep." Her soft voice was the last thing he heard before he did just that.