AN: This saga was meant to be shorter than the first, but it appears to be around the 80k mark. I really am abysmal at estimating how long or short a story is going to be. Numbers are meaningless. Anyway, this saga is slowly winding down. Hope you enjoy~

Chapter 21:

The labyrinth was silent and still. It was almost unnerving, in a way. After the chaos of what had occurred, Drayce was still on edge. And would likely be overly alert and cautious for some time yet.

Thankfully, his cautious was met with nothing by peace as they walked quickly along a long-forgotten path. The foliage around them were familiar, but dense. Truly, it had been some years since this part of the labyrinth had seen visitors.

And as they stumble across a stone formation nestled within the twisting roots and branches of the trees, it was for good reason.

"This is it," Kamali said simply as he moved through the think undergrowth toward the curious structure. Of course, Drayce and Zohar were right behind him.

It appeared to be a simple stone monument. Carved by hands, not by nature. Covered in moss, worn by the weather and growth that surrounded it. Yet, broken chain links were scattered over the altar and the surrounding area. The metal, though old and rusty, gave clear indications that they had fractured recently.

Those chains were likely what was keeping the Cursed Blade sealed all these years.

"Hm," Zohar murmured to himself as he inspected the faded and weathered engravings upon the stones. "These are symbols of sealing, though the writing is not that of Celestian."

"They appear to be that of the Therian language," Kamali explained. "To think they knew rituals of sealing."

"It is likely that they needed to learn in order to seal the Cursed Blade."

"That is very true."

Drayce momentarily turned away from the two celestians to gaze down the path they had just trodden. And in the direction where the Shining Lotus had revealed itself. And a revelation struck him in return.

"The Cursed Blade was located closely to the Shining Lotus. That wasn't a mistake."

"No. It is likely a precaution," Zohar agreed, prompting Drayce to turn to face him once more. "The volatility of the Cursed Blade would go to endless lengths to reach the Shining Lotus. Whoever created this altar did so with the thought of limiting causalities in mind."

Drayce could only nod. "Yeah."

He felt it was a conscious decision made by the Turquoise Lotus Father himself.

Kamali crouched in front of the altar. He pushed aside the moss and undergrowth. As the vines and flowers were removed, a small enclave within the altar was revealed. And inside, numerous scrolls and leather-bound books. They appeared in relatively good shape, despite being half-open to the elements.

He cautiously picked up a scroll. He unfurled it slowly, the paper protesting quietly. "It's…therian. I can't read it here, unfortunately."

"They likely hold the answers we need," Drayce assumed. Well, hoped, really. "So, let's grab everything we can and get out of here. It's been…a rough day."

To put it lightly.

… … … … …

Drayce didn't truly allow his caution and alertness to relax until everyone had gathered together and they used the Ariadne Threads to whisk them all back to the entrance of the labyrinth. The sounds of a bustling city, even at night, was reassuring in a way.

As they gathered themselves and headed silently down the stairs that would lead them directly into the city, Drayce noted that there was a large gathering of guards some yards in front of them.

And he recognised two of the figures immediately; guard Virgil and guildmaster Egar.

Even with the large black helmet that adorned his head (and honestly, seemed to impair much of his sight), Egar appeared to be the one to notice Drayce and his guild first. He turned toward them, prompting Virgil to do the same.

"There you are," he said in a form of greeting.

"Are you all right?" And Virgil promptly asked with a frown.

"I was about to ask the same," Drayce returned with a small smile. Of which promptly faded and he sent the friendly guard an apologetic look. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

But Virgil shook his head. "I'm glad you're all right," he said with genuine relief. However, a rather disapproving frown marred his features. "You were rather reckless, though. Throwing yourself at the bandit to distract him like that. You could have gotten hurt."

The corner of Drayce's mouth twitched into a half-smile. Honestly, scolding him from concern. "And you could have gotten shot. I couldn't let that happen."

"Shot?" Egar interrupted, his voice quite firm. Protective in a way. Especially when he turned sharply in Virgil's direction. "Seems you neglected to tell me that."

Virgil winced and looked away. Looked away sheepishly.

Despite the large helmet, Drayce could tell that Egar was scolding Virgil in a rather…familial way. A sigh resounded from within his helmet and he turned back toward Drayce. "Those bandits?"

Drayce shook his head. "I don't know where they are, unfortunately."

Egar wasn't very pleased. He didn't place any blame toward him, Drayce was fairly certain of that. "Very well. I'll increase patrols around the city as a precaution." He folded his arms across his chest and turned his head in the direction of Drayce's guildmates.

And he stilled.

"And that is…?"

Drayce glanced over his shoulder, to where Caelem stood with Blayke. It was fairly obvious that it was the blade in the turquoise coated sheath that had his attention. "I assume Ramus told you?" he asked when he returned to face him once again.

"As much as he could," Egar replied.

Likely, all the information that Drayce had provided for Ramus himself.

"That's the Cursed Blade," Drayce answered simply. Context and what had occurred could wait for the time being. "We need it to be sealed in one of the council's vaults."

"Very well," Egar replied immediately as he unfolded his arms. "I shall speak with Prince Ramus."

As Egar turned to regard his squadron of guard, Drayce ventured back toward his own guild. He immediately looked over at Caelem once more. He appeared fine, holding the Cursed Blade tightly in one hand, while the other kept the Shining Lotus close. He did look a little anxious, which was hardly a surprise.

"Are you all right there, Cal?" Drayce asked.

Caelem turned his face toward him and nodded his head quickly. "I'm fine. I can only feel the Shining Lotus."

Good. The Cursed Blade was still silent.

"Drayce!"

Drayce jumped slightly at the sound of his name. He immediately recognised the voice and he spun around in the direction it resonated from.

It was Ashton.

He was making his way toward him. Quickly.

Drayce met him half-way and pressed himself against his chest as Ashton quickly wrapped his arms around him tightly. He gripped the front of Ashton's vest as the dedicated caretaker wrapped an arm around his waist, and another firmly around his shoulders. It was a tight hug. A warm hug. Almost desperate from relief.

He couldn't imagine how worried Ashton must have been, stuck at the Crescentia and waiting.

After a long moment, Ashton loosened his hold on him and took a half step back. He didn't remove his arms completely, however. He gripped Drayce by his upper arms to keep him in front of him as he spent another moment visually inspecting him for any injuries.

There was obvious concern on Ashton's face. It was something Drayce hadn't really seen before. A panicky concern. He almost looked…frightened.

"You're ok?"

"I'm fine." Though, he did feel a sense of guilt for worrying him so much. Not that he did it on purpose, of course.

"What happened?"

Drayce just started to ramble. "I didn't have a choice. Keane, he had a gun to Tokala's head. He wanted the map. I couldn't just-"

Ashton interrupted him by promptly pulling him in for another tight hug.

Drayce rested his chin on Ashton's shoulder and he peered at the other man from the corner of his eye. "Are you mad at me?" he asked softly.

"No," Ashton said as he pulled back from the hug once again. He uttered a sigh as he reached up to gently stroke the side of Drayce's head. "I'm mad at myself. I should have seen this coming. I should have known, when it comes down to it, you would become a martyr."

"No treasure is worth more than someone's life." A creed for every Pendragon.

"I know," Ashton sighed. "I'm glad you're ok. We couldn't…" he trailed off as a truly pained expression appeared on his face.

It lasted only a second before he promptly replaced it with a look of parental concern. He idly brushed the red strands of Drayce's hair from his forehead. And Drayce allowed him to fuss. It helped to ease Ashton's concern. And honestly, it helped ease Drayce's own worries.

"You're exhausted," Ashton said after a moment.

Drayce couldn't deny that. He could, however, deflect it. "I'm not the only one."

A flash of purple from the corner of his eye promptly Drayce to turn his head. His gaze immediately fell onto that of Shashi as he spoke to his brother quietly. He took a moment or two to fuss over Kamali much like Ashton done with him.

"Shashi…" he murmured, gaining the celestian's attention. He felt the need to apologize to him, but before he could form the words, Shashi shook his head.

"It's all right," he said in a comforting tone. "Despite circumstances, you did what was right. We'll be more careful next time, yes?"

"Yeah," was all the response Drayce could muster.

He certainly hoped nothing like that would happen again.

"Ashton," Shashi said pointedly as he turned toward the Earthlain. "It's time for us to do our jobs."

"Right," Ashton replied with a sharp nod of his head. He quickly returned back to Drayce, his grip on his arms tightening ever so slightly. "We'll escort Caelem to the Council Hall and help in the sealing of the Cursed Blade. You're going to head straight home and get some rest."

Upon hearing Council Hall, Drayce barely suppressed a wince. He wondered if Ramus knew of what happened.

"Everyone else, help the injured to the Crescentia, too," Ashton continued to issue out commands. "We'll deal with the documents later."

Everything that Ashton said made complete sense, so no one bothered to argue with him. Not even a token fight. Instead, they all nodded.

Ashton finally released his hold on Drayce's arm. "We'll take care of everything else from here."

Drayce nodded. While he was indeed curious to learn how they were planning to seal the Cursed Blade, and maybe even watch them conduct the ritual. But he was also kinda tired. And he had quite the headache. He was also more concerned for the rest of his guild. Especially the four newcomers.

Besides, he trusted Ashton and Shashi. They were both scholars, talented ones at that. If anyone could find a way to render the Cursed Blade safe, it would be them.

Kamali chose to accompany his brother to the Council Hall, to help in the sealing and to keep Caelem company since he was no doubt going to be centre of attention by scholars and royal officials alike. And Caelem didn't seem to appreciate crowds too much.

Blayke likely would have gone, too, but he also wanted to keep an eye on Drayce and the others. Not to mention he was needed to help carry the important documents and scrolls back to the Crescentia. Besides, Drayce would perfered if he stayed at the Crescentia, too. So he could help watch over Faelen. The poor kid was likely to be feeling shaken after what had happened.

So, with the everyone having chosen a destination, they parted ways; Egar and Virgil escorted Caelem and the others to the Council Hall, while Drayce took the lead, aiding Runihura to walk as he did so.

Even though there was blood visible through the white bandages, Salim refused to relinquish his hold on Tokala. The young therian looked rather fragile in his arms, though it was no surprise he refused to release him.

He certainly looked very frail lying in Salim's arms like that. Limp. Unmoving. If Fiorello wasn't the one to reassure him that Tokala would be fine, Drayce would be far more worried than he was. Oh, he was still worried. But not the panicky kind.

As they entered the foyer of the Crescentia, Fiorello promptly began to order everyone around.

"Take Runihura to the clinic. Salim, take Tokala to his room. You two, place those documents in the living room for now. Zohar, escort Drayce upstairs to his room after he's done. No buts."

Of course, everyone listened without complain. It was likely going to be a long night for the botanical genius. He had three patients in need of healing, after all.

And Drayce was determined to make sure he wasn't one of them.

Drayce helped Runihura to limp his way to the clinic and over to a bed. Palash stayed close to him the entire time and promptly held onto his hand when Drayce helped Runihura to lie down onto the bed.

"Don't worry; you're safe now," Drayce reassured the both of them.

Palash looked up at him, still somewhat skittish. But Runihura appeared too tired to properly respond. It was no surprise, really. Being in pain drains the energy. Drayce understood that pretty well himself.

A warm hand settling in the small of his back prompted Drayce to raise his head and look over his shoulder.

"Come," Zohar said simply as his hand slid to rest against Drayce's side, gently nudging him toward the door of the clinic.

Drayce honestly didn't have it in him to protest. Besides, he'd only be in the way. So, he nodded his head and allowed Zohar to guide him. "Fiorello, don't push yourself."

Fiorello, however, waved his hand in a shooing motion in his direction. "Now, no fussing over me," he said as he gathered some supplies from the medical cabinet. "I've had busier days."

Well, best leave the dedicated botanist to do his job.

Zohar kept his arm around Drayce's waist as he wordlessly guided him up the stairs to the second floor. While the silence wasn't exactly uncomfortable, Drayce did feel as though Zohar was pondering about something. Possibly internally struggling with something.

That, of course, concerned Drayce.

He decided to wait until they reached the privacy of his room before he questioned Zohar about what was bothering him. And, thankfully, his room was only a few steps away.

Zohar kept his hand on the small of Drayce's back as he guided him silently through the door to his room. He only removed his hand when he turned to close the door behind them. It was when he turned around to face him that Drayce decided to give him a softly concerned look.

"Zohar?"

He didn't respond at first. Instead, he reached into the pocket of his trousers to pull out a small bottle of ointment and a wadding of bandages. "Allow me to dress your injuries."

"Injuries?" Drayce was rather confused by that. It wasn't until Zohar reached out to gently take one of his hands in his that he remembered. "Oh right, my wrists."

They were a little bit sore. He had worse, though.

Zohar placed a hand on his shoulder and guided him over to the bed. Drayce dutifully sat down as Zohar sat down next to him. They both fell silent as Zohar set about carefully tending to the minor grazes and lacerations to Drayce's wrists.

His hands were very gentle. Warm. One hand would tenderly hold Drayce's hand, his thumb lightly brushing against the back of his hand, while the other worked to delicately dab the healing balm to his wrists. The ointment stung a little, but the way Zohar's hand held his was distracting.

It was…fascinating, in a way.

He had such large hands, crisscross with minor scars here and there. Yet they remained gentle with him.

"Is…something else wrong?" Drayce asked as Zohar finished tying the last bandage.

Again, Zohar didn't immediately respond. Instead, he uttered a sigh and took to his feet. He walked over to the dresser to place the ointment and bandages down, likely to return to them at a later date.

"…I joined your guild in order to protect you," he finally said as he shook his head in a disappointed manner. "And yet I failed."

Drayce's gaze softened. He remembered that. The reason why Zohar wanted to join his guild. He told him that he wanted to protector him. So, today…

Zohar…

"I'm still here, aren't I?" Drayce said as he, too, stood to his feet and made his way over to the necromancer. "That was…just a minor anomaly. Don't worry about it."

With his back toward him, Zohar fell silent. And Drayce felt a small spike of fear appear in his chest.

"You're not…leaving, are you?" he asked, worry abundant in his voice.

"No, of course not," Zohar replied immediately this time. Even turning around to face him.

Drayce released a breath he hadn't realised he had been holding. "That's a relief," he said with a shaky half smile. "So…"

Zohar raised his hand to gently cup the side of Drayce's face. "You need to take better care of yourself," he said as he slid his fingers through his hair beside his ear and lightly trailed his thumb along his cheek bone.

"…Maybe," Drayce relented as he leaned into Zohar's hand, his own reaching up to grasp at his wrist. Not to pull him away, however. But to keep his hand in place. "I'm sorry if I worried you. I…"

"I know," Zohar responded simply.

As Zohar gently glided his thumb along his cheek again, Drayce abruptly (and unfortunately) remembered the moment that Keane had rubbed his thumb harshly over his bottom lip.

Keane's touch left him feeling cold. Nauseated at times. Even angry. He felt indignant. Violated in a way.

But Zohar's hands were different. Gentle, comforting. They made him feel…warm inside. Safe even.

"Your touch is different…"

Zohar tilted his head to the side in question. "Hm?"

Drayce flushed lightly. He hadn't meant to say that aloud. "Ah, it's nothing," he quickly replied.

He then paused as a strange…need washed over him.

"…Can I try something?" he asked.

"Yes." There was no hesitation in Zohar's reply.

Drayce, however, did hesitated for a moment. He felt a little foolish. Yet…a bit of comfort for himself wasn't wrong, was it?

Wordlessly, he rested his hands against Zohar's chest. He then pushed himself forward to rest himself full against his chest also. Zohar's arms soon encircled him and pulled him closer, gently guiding Drayce to nuzzle his head under his chin while he in turn rested his cheek against his hair.

"Sorry," Drayce murmured. "Just for a little while."

Zohar's arms tightened around him. And they were as comforting as his hands. "Did he do anything to you?" he asked protectively.

"Not really. It's…I just don't like him touching me. At all."

Drayce didn't realised he had tensed at the thought of that bandit until Zohar slid a hand along his back to thread his fingers through his hair. Somehow, he was able to pull him even closer to him. Hold him tighter, yet not hurt him in anyway.

"This…is so different," he murmured as his eyes slid closed on their own accord.

He…liked it. And, well, he needed it, too.

It honestly wouldn't be too hard for him to fall asleep like this.