Writer's block: Can't… do it… too much schoolwork… so tired… must… take… a break…
Me: *puts Lo-Fi music on repeat* I think the heck NOT, asshole. I am FINISHING this chapter because the readers DESERVE their FANFICTION!
Writer's block: But-
Me: *whips out my sharp stick* Begone, THOT
Well, I had to drag my ass to find time to finish this, because final semester exams are a BITCH, but I DID IT! Only a few more weeks until winter break! Hang in there!
Now for my review replies!
Wildgirl6: It's a major pet peeve of mine when people jump to conclusions without proof. Can't have that, no ma'am! Also, what show are you referring to? I'm kinda curious!
Guest: Your hopes will be answered, my friend! Thanks for reading!
Catreallychaotic: A good idea indeed! Also, our favorite feline will return! :3
Lily: You're perfectly fine, my friend! Hope you continue to enjoy!
Now, are you guys ready? This is the chapter to end all chapters! (Not the last one, I still have more coming, I promise).
Onwards, my friends! Enjoy!
The elves stood in silence. Many of their mouths were open in horror and shock, staring disbelievingly at Runaan as he pointed to Deimos. The only sounds that could be heard was the calling of the songbirds, who carried about their days, uncaring of the bombshell that was dropped onto the elves of the Silvergrove.
Deimos' eyes were wide. He stared at Runaan, who met his eyes squarely, his jaw set. Deimos' gaze flicking back and forth. Between the hardened gazes of Tiadrin and Lain, the stunned gaze of Lady Luna, and…
As soon as Deimos found his eyes, he quickly looked away. The emotion boiling behind Ethari's brown irises was incomprehensible.
The silence was suffocating. Then, as if breaking a spell, Deimos' posture suddenly relaxed.
Deimos exhaled a breathy laugh. "Are you serious? Are you serious?" He laughed again, the ugly sound making Runaaan's skin crawl. "In what part of your head did you even think I could do such a thing?"
A shadow passed over Runaan's eyes. He glared hatefully at Deimos. "Don't even try to deny it. I know what you have done."
Deimos' gaze grew serious. He held his chin high, crossing his arms. "I have done no such thing." There was a cold fury in his gray eyes. "You're demented to think that I would ever commit such a crime."
Runaan bared his teeth. "I'm not!" He snarled, "you claim innocence, but you're nothing but a liar and a coward! Think about it!" Runaan faced away from Deimos to the rest of the elves gathered in the field. "Is there anyone here who saw Deimos attending the Blue Moon Festival?"
Stunned, the elves looked back and forth between themselves. They muttered under their breath to each other in thought. Now that he had mentioned it… was Deimos at the festival? As they tried to remember if they saw his face amongst the crowd, they found that none of them had seen Deimos that night.
"The Blue Moon Festival is one of the most important celebrations of our culture. No elf in the village would even think of not attending it without an excuse. Or," Runaan's eyes flashed, "a motive."
Deimos scoffed. "You're talking nothing but nonsense!" He insisted. "Yes, the Blue Moon Festival is an important celebration, but that does not mean it is criminal to miss it."
"But isn't it strange," Runaan put out, "that the leader of the assassins, the chief swordsmanship instructor, one of the most important people in the village, was not at the festival? When in all of his other years, he was?"
Deimos' lips pressed together. The other elves murmured nervously amongst themselves. What Runaan was saying was insane… but not untrue. Deimos was an important figure in the village, and he had spent years building his reputation for following the rules and traditions of the Silvergrove to the letter, since he first began his training.
So why was it that he didn't attend the festival this year?
"Your argument is sound, Runaan," Luna reluctantly spoke, "it is… unorthodox for Deimos to have missed the festival…"
Deimos' eyes widened in disbelief. "You can't be serious!" He stepped forward. "With all due respect, my lady, these accusations are borderline raving mad!" He pointed a finger to Runaan. "He's lost his mind if he seriously believes I could have burnt the forge down!"
"Then what were you doing that night that was of so much importance that you skipped the Blue Moon Festival, Deimos?" Tiadrin spoke up, her cyan eyes blazing. Deimos blinked at her, astounded, before curling his lip.
"I can tell you for certain, girl, that I was dealing with issues that needed to be resolved." He narrowed his eyes at her. "It should be of no concern to you."
It did not go unnoticed to Runaan how Deimos phrased the question. The way he spoke, almost blatantly saying what he had done between the lines, made Runaan want to flip into a violent rage. He stood rail-straight, his teeth clenched hard enough to snap bone. If looks could kill, Deimos would be dead on the ground in a puddle of his own boiling flesh.
"Deimos, you don't get it." Luna's authoritative voice made Deimos' mask of haughtiness fall from his face. "It is of major concern to all of us what you were doing the night of the blue moon. The crimes that you have been accused of are not impossible."
Deimos frowned. "I have told you what I was doing." He defended himself. "The accusations you speak of are false. Besides," His gaze shifted to Runaan. Gray eyes boring into turquoise, Deimos' mouth ticked in a smirk. "There is no possible way for you to prove any of your so-called evidence."
"Actually," a new, unfamiliar voice spoke from behind the gathered crowd, "there is."
The villagers all turned sharply towards the voice, and stepped aside as a figure weaved through the elves, stepping into the light. Deimos' eyes widened, and Luna bowed in respect.
"Lujanne." She greeted the mage. "It is good to see you."
"Likewise, my lady." The aging elf returned Luna's bow. Her turquoise robes brushed over the grass, and her braids waved in the air as she lowered her head in respect. Straightening up, she cast a disdainful glance to Deimos. "Although, I wish the circumstances would have been better."
"What are you doing here?" Deimos no longer held his calm facade. His eyebrows pulled into an annoyed frown, but unease flashed in his eyes. "You should be guarding the Moon Nexus!"
Lujanne laughed brightly. "What, you think I can't return to my home every once in a while? You always were so terrible!" She chuckled dryly. "Besides, the blue moon enriched me with some extra magic, so my illusions will hold for many days. I thought I would come and have a nice glass of moonberry moscato, maybe flirt around a bit, but apparently," she lowered her eyes to his, her teal irises void of humor. "I must be the harbinger of justice."
Deimos visibly clenched his jaw, beads of sweat running down his head. "What, you think I burned down the forge as well?!" He exclaimed. "That's ridiculous! You haven't even set foot in the Silvergrove for years! You should have no say in this matter whatsoever!"
Lujanne tilted her head, her lips pursing. "True, true, I only got here yesterday. Phoe-Phoe was quite tired from the journey here, so I stayed with her. I only just learned of the destruction of the Master Craftsman's forge this morning, and I followed the others here when commotion arose. Even without the accusation of burning the forge on your head, you'd still be in deep trouble for wounding a student during… what was it you called? 'Training.'" She shook her head in disappointment. Deimos swallowed harshly when she met his gaze again.
"However," she continued, "that wasn't the justice I had in mind."
"What are you proposing, Lujanne?" Luna inquired. Chuckling, the moon mage gave Deimos a hard stare.
"There is only one way to know how the fire started," She stated, "and only one way to prove your innocence, Deimos." Her teal irises flashed. "A living history spell."
All the elves of the crowd gasped. Runaan's eyes widened in surprise. Tiadrin and Lain looked at each other in disbelief.
Deimos' expression dropped. "A… a living history spell, you say?" He said.
"Indeed." Lujanne smiled. "It's quite a simple spell, really. And with the residual magic of the blue moon, it would be almost effortless to cast. And it will, without a doubt, show us what happened."
Luna put a thoughtful finger to her chin. "You… are right." She hummed. "This is the best possible way to find out the truth. Magic does not lie."
Beside her, Runaan's mind was racing. Not even ten minutes ago, he was trying to desperately rake together what little evidence he had against Deimos, and speak it in a way that made it impossible for him to deny. He had no witnesses, or any physical evidence. But a living history spell… a spell that reveals the exact moments of the past…
It sealed his fate.
Deimos cleared his throat raggedly. "That seems unnecessary, my lady." He crossed his arms, the mask of annoyance back on his face. "Such a spell for this trivial of an accusation is ridiculous-"
"On the contrary," Luna interrupted him, straightening the hems of her sleeves, "it is a most necessary course of action."
Deimos spluttered incoherently. "Wh-what?! Why?"
Luna narrowed her eyes at his tone. She exchanged a glance with Runaan. She saw that he, too, found Deimos' reluctance extremely suspicious. They weren't the only ones, either. The villagers whispered to each other, eyeing Deimos with apprehension and doubt.
"Because these accusations are too great to ignore." Luna answered him, lifting her chin as she folded her hands elegantly in front of her lap. "Runaan has put forth compelling evidence against you. You do not have an alibi that any of the others can confirm. A living history spell is the only way to see the events that transpired on the night of the blue moon."
"Besides," Lujanne added, "if you are innocent as you claim, Deimos, then there is nothing you have to fear." Lujanne narrowed her eyes. "In fact, you should be happy I am performing this spell. It would save you. Why are you not?"
Deimos was silent. His mouth quivered like he was wrestling his voice.
"Is there a reason, Deimos, you don't want us to see?"
More silence. Deimos' jaw was hard set, and he clenched his hands into fists behind his back. He kept his gaze on Lujanne and Luna, but he could feel the burning brown gaze of Ethari boring into his soul. All the eyes on him felt as if his skin was being stripped away. He pressed his lips into a thin line.
"I didn't think so." Lujanne huffed. She twirled gracefully around and began to make her way to the hill where Ethari's forge once stood. "Come now, everyone," she clapped her hands, beckoning the rest of the villagers to follow her. "Let us be off."
"Wait, the other elves here don't need to be present," Deimos protested, jogging to catch up with Luna, who held her robes as she made her way uphill. "This isn't right."
"You're right," She agreed. "In a proper trial, all of the villagers are present, as well as all members of the Council." She turned her sharp silver gaze to his. "Shall I go gather everyone else?"
Deimos' mouth shut. Muttering an inaudible 'no, my lady, that won't be necessary,' he focused his gaze to forward on Lujanne's white hair. Tiadrin had to cover her mouth to suppress a snicker, and Lain ran a hand through his hair, inhaling through his teeth.
As they walked towards Ethari's forge, Runaan fell in step with Ethari, glancing at him worriedly. Ethari was quiet, looking at the road as they walked, a subdued, conflicted expression on his face. Runaan bit his lip. He couldn't imagine the thoughts that were running through his head right now.
"Hey," Runaan whispered to him. "You okay?"
"No," Ethari shook his head. "No, I'm not." His face held a thousand emotions, none of them good. Runaan's heart twisted in sympathy. He opened his mouth to try to console him, but shut it when he realized there were no words that would bring peace to Ethari right now. Runaan pressed his lips together in frustration. He wanted to do something!
Suddenly, he remembered a piece of a story he had been reading.
I knew Ash couldn't be comforted. He had just received the terrible news that his only family was dead. There was nothing on earth that could make him better. I knew the feeling. However, I could give him something that I didn't have: support. Sometimes, just the presence of someone you care about with you, being the rock that helps you stand, is the greatest comfort of all.
Runaan glanced downward to Ethari's hand. Snapping his gaze forward, taking a deep breath, he slipped his hand into Ethari's.
For a moment, Ethari's pace faltered. His arm twitched at the unexpected contact, and his brown eyes momentarily flicked to Runaan's face. Runaan glanced back, a look of comfort and support in his turquoise eyes. Ethari, for one more heartbeat, was unsure.
Then, his fingers tightened around Runaan's. Runaan gave his hand a squeeze. 'I'm here with you.' The silent gesture spoke where words could not.
The elves soon arrived at the stone stairway that led to the forge. Lujanne in the lead, they climbed the steps, an atmosphere of foreboding around them. Ethari held Runaan's hand tighter. Runaan held back.
Soon, the elves emerged onto the area of flat land where the rest of Ethari's home stood. All of the scorched debris had been removed, but the air still smelled of ash and rain. Lady Luna, Runaan, Ethari, and Deimos all stepped to the front of the line as Lujanne examined the blackened ground where the forge once stood.
"Is this the general area of the main forge?" Lujanne asked Ethari, gesturing to the back of the burnt ground.
"Yes." Ethari's voice was thick. "The back was where it was."
Lujanne hummed in acknowledgement. She folded her hands as Luna stepped forward, clearing her throat and raising her hands to her subjects.
"My people," Her voice was loud and clear, "we are about to witness what happened on the night of the full moon. Lujanne is going to perform the spell. Once it is complete, and we know the truth, we will decide how to move forward from there. Is this acceptable to you?"
The Moonshadow elves called out in agreement with a chorus of 'yes's. Folding her hands behind her back, grim resolution heavy in her heart, Luna nodded to Lujanne, signalling to her to begin the spell.
The elves watched as Lujanne stepped towards where the forge once was. Deimos crossed his arms, a bead of sweat tracing his cheekbone. He wiped it away like he was swatting at a gnat. Runaan felt Ethari remove his hand from his grasp. He quickly glanced to see Ethari clutch his scarf, his eyebrows tightly knit together. Runaan shuffled closer until their shoulders were almost brushing, assuring Ethari he was still there. Hardening his heart, he turned his gaze back to Lujanne as she raised her arm, two of her fingers glowing with a white-silver light.
"Historia Viventem." Drawing the glowing silver-white symbol in front of her, she waved her hand and activated the spell.
For a moment, nothing happened. The air was still as the elves waited with bated breath.
Then, swirling clouds of light grew up from the ground, forming the shimmering ghost of Ethari's forge. Runaan bit his lip as he saw Ethari's expression become pained as the shadows of his past reminded him of what he had lost. As the magic fully took hold, the distant echo of the faraway festival could be heard. As the spell wore on, Runaan kept throwing glances at Deimos. Although the elf still held his usual mask of displeasure, he could see the fear in his eyes, brighter than ever before.
Suddenly, a specter appeared behind the crowd. Ethari's eyes widened in foreboding. Unconsciously, he reached down and grasped Runaan's hand. Runaan blinked at the gesture, but instead of pulling back, he held his hand in a firm, steady grip. As the figure walked through the Moonshadow elves, it pulled down the star-woven hood that was covering its face. All the elves gasped as the person's identity was revealed.
Runaan's heart flooded with rage. "I knew it."
The spectral Deimos walked with grim purpose through the halls of Ethari's forge, passing by the rooms until he reached the end, where Ethari's main forge was. Runaan sucked in a breath when the spectra reached within his clothing and produced a bottle of liquid. Pulling off the stopper with one quick motion, he poured the liquid onto the floor of the forge, covering almost the entire back hall. After the bottle had emptied, spectral Deimos flicked his hand, which held a tiny flame on a wooden match.
He paused. Holding the tiny flicker of fire, just waiting to set it loose to consume the place Ethari held most dear. After waiting one heartbeat longer, he finally let the match fall.
Instantly, the liquid exploded into flame. From the magic, the fire appeared white, and it climbed hungrily at the wood that made Ethari's home, quickly ascending up the walls and burning through the ceiling. The spectral Deimos watched the flames, transfixed, before turning around and fleeing the fire, running through the shell-shocked elves, before disappearing. As the living history spell finally faded away into nothing, it left behind the reality of Ethari's burned forge, and the truth of what happened during the blue moon.
All eyes turned to Deimos. He no longer held what little composure he had. He was taking steps back, his mouth moving incoherently, glancing back and forth between the elves of the Silvergrove. When he met the brown eyes of Ethari, he flinched.
Ethari's face was a porcelain mask. Completely and utterly blank… except for his eyes. They burned in twin infernos of… he couldn't even tell. Anger, shock, betrayal, it didn't matter. They burned and burned and burned. The turquoise irises of Runaan's held a hateful finality. In a heartbeat, Deimos' soul plummeted. It was the look of grim victory.
"The truth has been revealed," Luna's voice was like a knife made of crystal. She turned her silver eyes to Deimos, her gaze piercing. "The accusations were true."
Deimos' mouth moved, but no sound came out. His eyes flicked back and forth between the shocked and angered faces of the elves that were gathered on the hilltop. His mask was gone. The only expression on his face was pure and absolute terror.
"I…" He stuttered, "I…"
"You intentionally set fire to Ethari's forge," Luna continued, advancing on Deimos, "the forge of the Master Craftsman, the most important forge in the Silvergrove. You destroyed his tools, month's worth of his work, and the forge that Jormun and Chila dedicated their entire lives to building and maintaining for the good of all the elves in the Silvergrove."
Deimos swallowed harshly. His gray eyes flicked from the furious face of Luna, to the tired disappointment of Lujanne, to the hate of Runaan. Ethari had lowered his head, his face hidden behind his hair.
"Deimos…" Luna's expression, for a heartbeat, gained a deep, deep hurt. "Why? Why would you do this?"
Deimos stopped moving. He stared at Luna, the conflict on his face almost pitiful. He shook his head helplessly, the only sound he made being the crunch of dirt beneath his feet.
"I… I didn't… I just…"
"He blamed him."
Luna's gaze turned to Runaan. His eyes were staring at something she could not see.
"What?" She whispered.
"Deimos used to train Ethari." Runaan spoke loud enough for all to hear. "He wanted Ethari to become a ruthless killer, like he was. But Ethari didn't want that. He wanted to take up the forge. So he left his training." Runaan turned a scathing glare to Deimos. "He didn't appreciate it."
Luna's eyes widened. "No…"
"When I commissioned Ethari to remake my sword so it would better suit me, Deimos believed that Ethari was making me weak." Runaan continued, closing his eyes when the other elves made sounds of angered disbelief. "Because I was no longer acting like the version of me he created. Because I wasn't a destiny-focused idealist."
Runaan looked back to Ethari. "Because… Ethari made me realize that there's more to life than your destiny."
Ethari glanced up to Runaan, staring at him through his hair. He blinked, his brown irises filled with wonder. Runaan held his gaze for a moment, almost smiling, before turning back to Deimos, his face once again bearing a hard glare.
" 'I must uphold my duty, for the good of the Silvergrove'. Isn't that right?" Runaan asked him. "Traitor?"
Deimos sucked a breath. He stared in horror as the elves began to toss around the word. "Traitor. Traitor. Traitor. Traitor." Their voices mingled in a chorus of shouting, their anger finally taking root and growing as Deimos stepped back again.
"You do not deny it." Luna's voice was stone. Her hands clenched into fists. Cold fury radiated from her entire being. "Of all the reasons… of all the things you've done… and you justify it for the good of the Silvergrove?!" Her silver eyes exploded with rage. "In what way or manner was burning down the most important forge in the Silvergrove good?! You set us back months because the work of our Master Craftsman was destroyed, all because your idealistic paranoia led you to believe that AN ASSASSIN CANNOT HAVE ANY PURPOSE OTHER THAN KILLING?!"
The elves yelled in a furious uproar at Luna's cry. Deimos' backbone finally broke. In terror, he whipped around in an attempt to flee the crowd.
Unfortunately, he was never going to get far.
A giant feline creature stood in Deimos' path. It's pure white teeth and pink gums were exposed as it snarled savagely in his face. Deimos barely had the time to scream in surprise before the creature lifted one of its giant paws and slammed Deimos on the ground, pinning him down. Deimos struggled in vain against the great beast, who roared loudly, silencing the elves. The creature's snow-white fur was thick and ruffled, burned away in some places. Its tail lashed about angrily, and its metallic eyes stared at Deimos without pity.
"What-" He coughed harshly as the feline pressed down on his back, forcing his chest to collapse. "What is this thing?!"
"That thing," Luna stated, moving towards him as the rest of the elves stared open-mouthed at the beast, "was almost a casualty of your crime. You don't have the right to speak of her like that." Luna met the creature's eyes. Her gaze softened just a little when the feline stared back, silver meeting silver. "It's good to see you've recovered… Selena, was it?"
The big cat growled in reply, shaking out her fur, her large ears swiveling forward. She closed her eyes and purred as Luna pet her head.
Deimos craned his neck, staring at the creature in disbelief. "This thing is-?! But how-?!"
"A little known fact about werecats," Luna mentioned, ruffling Selena's fur, "they actually have three forms, as opposed to only two. One is the small, elven form they're known for. Another is about the size of a normal Xadian cat. And the third…" Luna looked down upon Deimos, "the third is the form you see now. Only achievable when the moon is full or mostly full. It's quite rare to see." Selena huffed, her long whiskers twitching in amusement.
"Bring him to the middle of the crowd, would you?" Luna asked the werecat. Selena growled in reply, then swiftly bent her head down and seized Deimos by the back of his robes. Shaking him harshly to deter him from escaping, she followed Luna to the edge of the crowd of elves, who backed away as Selena dropped Deimos onto the ground, licking her teeth.
Snarling one last time, she turned around and bounded to Ethari, who stood in quiet awe as she, as smooth as water, morphed into her elven form. She rounded him until she was standing behind him, holding his arm as she stared at Deimos, who struggled to his hands and knees. As he threw one last, disbelieving glance at the werecat, she bared her teeth and hissed, her ears flattening against the sides of her head.
"There there," Ethari hushed her, scratching her head. "I'm glad you're okay, Selena." Selena purred, smiling, before rubbing her face against Ethari's arm affectionately. Runaan sighed, inwardly happy that the werecat had finally recovered.
"Deimos of the Silvergrove," Luna's voice drew the two elves' attention back to the crowd. "As head of the Silvergrove Council, leader of all the elves in the Silvergrove, I declare you guilty of the destruction of the forge of the Master Craftsman."
Deimos' face held nothing but pure terror as two Moonshadow elves surged from the crowd and seized his hands, securing them roughly behind his back.
"The punishment for the crimes you have committed, both spoken and unspoken…" Her silver eyes locked on Deimos' gray ones, finality boring into horror. "Shall be the most severe we can bestow."
"Deimos," Lady Luna's words echoed across the Silvergrove, "I sentence you to banishment. Forever."
"Hey," Runaan sat down next to Ethari on the edge of the cliff that lay by Ethari's home, overlooking the village. "Are you okay?"
"I don't know." He answered, sighing heavily. "It's- it's just all so…" He gestured with his hands, indicating the events that had just rocked the whole of the Silvergrove to its core.
"Yeah…" Runaan sighed.
"I'm angry, I'm hurt, I'm glad that Deimos got what was coming to him, but…" Ethari rested his head in his hands, "in a way, I was almost hoping that he didn't do it. It would have been easier if the fire really was just a terrible accident."
The other elves, after subduing Deimos, went to his house and searched it. They found more of the flammable liquid, which turned out to be napalm, a forbidden liquid, as it was a danger to the forests that the Moonshadow elves called home. It only sealed his fate further. After consulting the other members of the Council, informing them of his crimes, the punishment for Deimos' crime was unanimous.
He had become ghosted, forever banished from the SIlvergrove and all who resided in it.
"And to become a ghost…" Ethari whispered, barely loudly enough for Runaan to hear, "to be banished from your home and your people forever…" He shook his head, sighing. "I can't imagine what that would feel like."
Runaan was silent. In all honesty, after what Deimos had done to Ethari, Runaan felt no sympathy for him. He was cruel and selfish, forcing his own ideas on others, going as far as to burn down Ethari's forge to try to get his way… it was unspeakable. In a way, Runaan was pleased to see him banished.
But for Ethari, it was different. Ethari saw good in everything, and was forgiving to a fault. He believed in second chances. He may have also wanted Deimos to be punished, but if it were his choice, Runaan was almost certain that he would not have chosen ghosting.
"But enough about me," Ethari turned to Runaan. "Are you okay? That cut looks deep."
"It's only a scratch, really. I've been hurt worse." Runaan assured him. Remarkably, it was true. The cut had stopped bleeding a good while ago, and the strong stinging pain had been reduced to a slight, almost unnoticeable ebb. With the experience Runaan had with cuts and scratches, he knew it would be very unlikely to scar.
Ethari searched Runaan's face, before nodding. "If you say so. I trust you."
Runaan's mouth opened a little, before he shut it. "O-oh. Thank you…" Blushing, he looked down to his sand-scuffed boots. "Don't worry, I'll stop by the healer's tree later and get it patched up."
Despite himself, Ethari chuckled. "You better." Runaan's mouth ticked in a smile as he looked back over the Silvergrove, blush feathering his cheeks.
"So… what happens now?" Runaan wondered. Deimos was out of the picture, forever. He had his sword, which was resting snugly on his back. Selena was back in Ethari's care, napping peacefully in her werecat bed. After all that had happened, after achieving the goals he had set…
What should he do now?
He glanced back to Ethari. Ethari, with his perfectly messy hair, purple scarf, and soft, warm brown eyes. Ethari, with all of his strengths and all of his flaws. Ethari, who had suffered so much, and still looked at tomorrow with hope in his eyes. Who could still laugh and teasingly threaten Runaan to make sure he took care of himself. Who still, even after days and days of knowing him, still made Runaan's heart flutter.
Runaan swallowed, his turquoise irises filling with resolve.
There was only one thing left to do.
"I read Phoenix Fires, by the way." Runaan mentioned. He clasped his hands, making circles with his thumbs. "I finished the last book this morning."
Ethari glanced at him, a hint of surprise on his face. "You did?"
"Yeah." Runaan nodded. "It… it wasn't half bad."
"Say what you really mean, Runaan," Lain's words echoed in his head. "Show him how you really feel."
"Actually, it was… really good." He admitted.
Ethari blinked at him, smiling a little. Even though there were dark circles under his eyes, and he was so physically, mentally, and emotionally drained, his smile was still so beautiful. "You really liked it?"
"Yeah." Runaan breathed deeply. The air still smelled like damp ash. However, the scent was slowly being carried away on the wind, replaced by the forestry smells of pine and rain.
"I'm normally not into sappy love stories." Runaan continued. "Too many of those couples in their romance novels could have solved literally all their problems with simple communication."
Ethari chuckled. "Good point. It does get kinda repetitive after a while."
"But, the thing with Furea is… he reminds me of myself." Runaan stopped twiddling his thumbs. "He focuses on becoming what he wants to be, but he conformed too much with other people's visions of what they wanted him to be. He was the white phoenix, the prophesied savior of the world. He was so set on the big picture, he didn't notice how all of the other people were changing the details."
Ethari nodded, his expression becoming sad. He knew firsthand how much Deimos' crazy ideals and expectations hurt, but it was different for Runaan. Runaan wasn't even aware of the pain he was going through until he figured out Deimos was the one who set the forge alight. When he had been betrayed by his teacher, all of the meticulous and thorough damage Deimos had dealt to the young assassin all came to light. All the scars from the cuts he received after being 'too slow' during training. The endless hours of practicing, studying, and lectures. How Deimos had ingrained the hate of feelings so deep in Runaan's psyche, it would live with him for the rest of his life.
Ethari shivered, the cold glare of gray eyes resting on his neck. He could almost feel Deimos watching them. He was certain that he had not left after his ghosting, and was haunting them. The shadows and pain he had left over both of the boys would remain for a while, but at least, he was no longer able to add to the damages.
"Also…" Runaan bit his lip, facing away from Ethari. "The way he fell in love was… was more realistic than anything else I've ever read."
Ethari smiled, raising an eyebrow teasingly. "Oh yeah?"
Runaan nodded, blushing. "It wasn't love at first sight. They spent weeks together, getting to know each other, becoming friends before Furea realized he was in love with him."
Ethari nodded in agreement.
"Ash wasn't at all put off by Furea's position as the white phoenix. He treated him the same way he would treat any one of his friends. He was up front, compassionate, and he saw past Furea's walls. Furea deeply appreciated that."
"Yeah, that was a nice touch-"
"And when Furea realized he was in love with Ash, he became awkward and confused, like any real person would. His nervousness nearly ruined the festival they were attending, but Ash simply continued to be himself and helped put Furea's mind at ease enough for him to actually enjoy the festival."
Ethari's eyebrows knit together. "Wait, there wasn't a festival in the third book-"
"And even when it all went downward," Runaan forged onward, refusing to stop now, "even when Ash had the only remnants of his family burned to ashes, even when Furea discovered that someone he had trusted had betrayed them, he still stuck by Furea's side. He gave Furea the weapon he needed in order to finally defeat the traitor who had controlled his life for so long. He… He…" Runaan breathed deeply, then let it out.
"He set him free. He opened his mind, and… he set his heart free."
Runaan exhaled. For so long, he had yearned to say those words. The feelings he had kept bottled up for so long finally poured out, leaving him feeling lighter. He had been adverse to his own emotions since as long as he could remember, but as he let them go, he felt so, so much better.
Ethari's eyes were wide. His mouth hung open as Runaan slowly met his gaze. All of a sudden, his thoughts of what had happened to him were gone. The only thing he could see was Runaan's beautiful turquoise eyes as he looked at him. Gone was the assassin that Deimos had tried to create. Now, he was just… Runaan.
"You…" Ethari's voice was softer than a butterfly's wing. "You…"
Runaan pressed his lips together, then nodded. "Yeah…" To Ethari's awe, he chuckled to himself. "Ever since we met, you've been… different to me. You talk to me like I'm just me, not the elf destined to be a hardened assassin. You make me feel like… like my life could me more than what people expect of me. You make me feel so…" He waved his hands, trying to express his emotions that words could never describe. He sighed. "No one ever made me feel the way you make me feel."
Ethari stared at Runaan, speechless. Runaan curled and uncurled his fingers as the quiet between them stretched further and further. The setting sun cast an orange and pink light across the Silvergrove, the warm colors dancing in Ethari's brown eyes.
Slowly, ever so slowly, Ethari brought a hand to his mouth. For the first time in a long time, he smiled widely behind his fingers. His cheeks flowered pink, and he laughed breathlessly.
"Really?" He asked in wonder. It was almost too good to be true.
Runaan's lips pulled into a smile. "Yeah… I like you."
Ethari felt his heart sing. He covered his mouth, laughing breathily. "I… me too! I feel the same!"
Runaan's eyes widened. A smile spread across his face. "You… you do?!"
Ethari nodded vigorously. "Yes! Yes, I do!" He laughed brightly, Runaan's heart soaring at the beautiful sound. "You have no idea how long I've been wanting to tell you!"
"And I you!" Runaan joined in the laughter. The birds in the trees burst into song, and the flowers bloomed, looking up towards the twilight sky. Even the earth seemed richer and more vibrant than ever before. It seemed the whole world was alive.
Slowly, the two elves ceased their laughter. They fell into a calm silence, smiles on their faces. Runaan had never felt happier in his life. Ethari felt the same. They gazed down to the village they called home, watching as the lights bloomed into being within each of the houses, and the elves went about their way. It was the first time they watched their home from the cliffside, and it would not be the last.
"So…" Ethari spoke after a while, "you and I… we're…"
"Yeah…" Runaan whispered. Slowly, he slid his hand over Ethari's, intertwining their fingers. "We're… together."
The two elves met each other's eyes. Warm, almost amber brown met cool, ocean turquoise. Though no words were spoken, they shared so much through just their eyes. Ethari brushed his hair from his face, smiling happily. Runaan's eyes followed Ethari's hair as it fell right back into its place.
He moved. His mind no longer controlled his actions. Reaching up, Runaan lifted the hair and tucked it gently behind his ear. Ethari breathed as Runaan's hand lingered, cupping his face. The two of them gazed into each other's eyes. Their hearts beat in their chests as Runaan held Ethari.
Slowly, the two leaned together. They could almost feel the pulse of each other's hearts. The world around them faded away, until only just the two of them remained. Nothing hung between them.
Closing their eyes, they closed the distance between them. Tilting their heads, breath mixing together as their lips met for the very first time.
…
It
Finally
HAPPENED!
After nine chapters, after over fifty-thousand words, our two elves have finally confessed their feelings and shared their first kiss! WOO HOOOOOOOOO!
Does that mean their story ends here? HECK NO! We still got a ways to go before calling this fanfiction complete, y'all! Don't worry, I have so much more planned for our favorite, now official couple! See you guys next week!
~TheMistDragon