"Damnit, they're still coming," Ry whispered to the rest of us as we hastily finished the shielding spell over the Wind Treasure. My eyes drifted upwards to see the twin airibles who had been buffeted by the wind only moments before, were now back on course, as if the wind had never even touched them. So strange, yet why should we worry about such things now? We had to be ready to fight, to protect, to do anything we could to get rid of those Sabir's and Galweigh's coming towards us.
"What the hell can we do now, Ry?" Yanth asked from beside him, his sea-green eyes darkened with worry for both our commander and for his quiet lover, Jaim. Yanth's eyes closed in concentration and upon opening them, I thought I glimpsed a tinge of frustration and pain. He wasn't used to being caught in something like this, and he couldn't find a way to deal with it.
A hand gently reached out and touched Yanth's silk-clad arm, and the blonde haired youth turned those pure eyes, full of innocent torment to his lover's own dark orbs. Gods above, I'd almost forgotten about Jaim until that moment. That was his gift,and his curse, though. "Yanth, stay calm," Jaim whispered to him, his mind obviously racing to all possibilities of what could happen and of what could be done to save any and all of us. His dark eyes were clouded with worry, but at the same time he still appeared to fade into the chaos going on all around the ship.
Two pairs of green eyes sought each other out, sending messages of hope and fear at the same time. Trev's luminous green eyes touched upon everyone, although he seemed not to realize it. Our childlike advisor who saw all loved Valard with his whole heart now, no matter the fact that he'd once loved Ry, our commander. That was no more, except as friends love one another dearly. Valard's darker eyes, narrowed in his thinking, seemed to contrast his lover's so greatly. I knew what he thought, how he wanted to know how he could save both his small lover and the one we all lusted after, Ry. Well, Trev and Jaim might not lust after Ry anymore, but that was their way.
Jaim, our dark strategist, our spy, he was one to give his heart away and never receive it once again, and be perfectly happy with it. Well, perhaps not perfectly, but close enough for now. It would just be his luck to fall in love with first our commander who none of us could ever have, and then Yanth, who was oblivious to the fact that he held Jaim's delicate heart in his hands, and his hands alone. And Trev, our seemingly childish advisor who probably knew more about everything that went on than the rest of us combined. He too had fallen for Ry, my cousin, at first, but had given his heart and soul away to Valard when the time had come for him to choose. It had happened so quickly, very few had seen it.
If only Valard and Yanth would realize it.
Perhaps they did though, the way they circled around their strategizing lovers protectively, not really noticing how those same lovers they tried to protect were in their own way shielding them with all their powers of mind and thought.
And of course, our commander thought nothing of this. Why should he? We were all near him, as was only proper. They had paired off, so as to protect each one of us better, while protecting him. It was only right that it should be this way. Did he ever stop to realize they always paired off in that way? Could he really be that dense? I wondered sometimes.
I saw the green spell fire a moment before the rest of them did. That was probably why I was the first one to react to that deadly mass of pure magic hurtling through the air towards the one person in the world I could say I loved and mean it as more than just a simple close friend. The one person who I would—and often did trust with my life, heart, and very soul. The one person who could damn me, and have me not really care about that fact. Ry Sabir. My cousin, my commander, my friend, my love.
Time slowed to a crawl as I moved forward, pushing Ry out of the way. A combination of shock and horror crossed over his perfect features, his flawless cerulescent eyes shadowed with a touch of realization and fear for himself and for me. His golden locks flew across his face in painfully slow movements, brushing and gently slapping his skin.
I glanced upwards once more, to see the fire coming closer, closer, ever closer.
I could've moved, but there was no reason to. Everyone else had someone to cling to. Jaim and Yanth. Trev and Valard. Ry and his newfound love, that Karnee girl, Kait. And now they would be safer, for they would tread with even more caution now.
My eyes met Trev's tormented orbs, as those pools of endless green begged me to move, to save myself. I sent a silent prayer to him, to understand why I did what I did. I hoped with all my heart he would be able to pull through all of this. He deserved happiness with Valard, he deserved to live out his life as he wished. He was strong enough, he would survive, I knew that, but I wanted to make sure he knew it as well. Poor child, please understand why I do this, please get through this, please do not let my death affect you, I would never forgive myself, Trev, please, don't let anything happen to you because of what I do today...
I shifted my gaze to Ry's,wanting to memorize that face for all time. I wanted his to be the last face I ever saw, the last thing I remembered before my eyes closed, and I began to travel the roads to the Veil. So beautiful, his face, its flawless face. Two sapphires carrying embers ofthe Karnee flame stared back at me, and even in their terror and pain, they seemed to come towards me, comforting me and telling me, I understand, I have always understood. Come back to me one day, my friend. Locks the color of gold were now streaked with sweat, but that made no difference to me. So beautiful...I wished I could kiss them once before I died. I wished I could touch him, have him hold me, just to know the feel of his arms for a single moment before I was torn away from this life. I didn't want to die without knowing what his kiss tasted like.
But I knew it was time to die now, or I would never be able to let go of him again.
He has Kait,
I told myself as I watched him and pain began to shoot through my body,
each nerve shocked with pain and began to welcome the fire. Now,
he won't be distracted by me. Now, I won't let anything happen to
Ry. Now, I can finally let go.
Good-bye, my friends...