Landslide

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Part 2
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The evening breeze blowing in from the lake held a chill as the two travelers disembarked at Coronet and made their way through the town to the inn, clutching their cloaks around them. "Is it childish of me to be longing for your stew again already when we've hardly been on the road a week?" Tir sighed to Gremio as they approached the door.

Gremio smiled to himself as he pushed the door open, and waved Tir on through ahead of him. "I wouldn't call it childish, Young Master - charming is more the word I'd use."

Tir smiled slightly in return, and waited inside for Gremio to lead the way to the counter. "Though really, anything hot would suffice at the moment, I believe."

Approaching the front desk, Gremio was about to ring the bell to summon the innkeeper, but paused as he heard a handful of men in the dining room downstairs singing a drinking song. One voice rose above the others, though every bit as off-key, and Gremio glanced towards the stairwell. "...I know that voice..." he murmured thoughtfully. "But who...?"

Tir raised an eyebrow and turned towards the stairs as well. "You don't think..." he pondered. "...And where there's one, there's bound to be...two..."

"What do you mean?" Gremio asked, puzzled.

Tir laughed softly. "If that obnoxiously drunken singing is who I think it is, than certainly his dearest friend must be here too!" He tugged at Gremio's arm. "Come on, let's go see..."

Gremio followed, and was not entirely surprised when one glimpse of the crowd below allowed him to recognize the voice after all. "...I might have known."

Unlike Gremio, Tir grinned, perhaps more than he had in a long time, and went running excitedly down the stairs into the dining room. "Viktor!"

"So we went on down after good ol' Brown - the booze we could not miss! And we hadn't been there ten minutes or more, 'till we were quite pissed!"

Reaching the end of the verse, the large man glanced over to see who was calling his name, and grinned widely, stepping away from his new drinking buddies as they continued the song. "Hey! Been awhile, McDohl!"

Tir laughed as he came to a stop beside Viktor, grinning up at him. He looked as if he'd like to give his old companion a hug, but wasn't sure it would be entirely appropriate. "Viktor! How have you been? We ought to have a chat, perhaps you can join us for dinner?" he suggested, pointing over his shoulder at Gremio.

Viktor laughed as well, and swept away any doubt Tir had by opening his arms to gather Tir into a bear hug as he glanced over to Gremio. "Dinner, huh? What's he making?"

Tir laughed and hugged Viktor back. "We just got here... I think we were just going to eat dinner here at the inn."

Gremio frowned slightly again, wondering if Viktor was mocking him. "Yes, I'm afraid I won't be doing the cooking tonight..."

At the sudden break in his friend's so-called singing, Flik had looked up from where he'd been sitting more quietly in a corner, drinking his own bottle of beer and watching the scene. He smiled as he got to his feet to make his way through the crowd near the bar towards the other two. "Tir! Gremio!"

Gremio's frown softened slightly as he saw Flik approach; he'd gotten along with Flik much better than Viktor during their army days. "Ah... imagine bumping into you two here! What on earth are you doing in Coronet?"

Flik shrugged slightly, reaching out a hand to Gremio in greeting. "We tend to go whereever the wind blows us since the war ended several months ago. No need for us to be wound up in all the political reshaping that comes afterwards."

Viktor smirked at the two of them, somewhat unevenly. "Not when there's good beer to be drunk."

"Yes, and Viktor's fond of partaking in that as often as is possible," Flik said, rolling his eyes slightly and shaking his head. Gremio had accepted Flik's handshake, trying to ignore the off-key singing that continued even without Viktor's influence. "So I see..."

Tir looked from one friend to another and crossed his arms over his chest. "Please, I'd like to talk, but I'm also starved. Won't you join us for dinner someplace a little quieter?"

Viktor nodded emphatically. "Yeah, I could use something a little more substantial than beer," he agreed.

"There are a few tables in there," Flik suggested, gesturing towards the private dining rooms on the other side of the inn, "and at this late hour, we might be able to sit awhile without troubling anyone. I'd love to hear what the two of you have been up to since we saw you last."

Gremio looked vaguely uneasy, but nodded. "There's not much to tell, to be honest... Surely the two of you have more interesting stories than ours. Or at least more colorful," he muttered, glancing off to the side at Viktor, who seemed to be saying something to make one of the serving girls blush.

Suddenly realizing that Gremio probably didn't want to reveal their plans in a public place, and perhaps not at all, Tir nodded slowly. "Yes...we... haven't done very much of interest. We fished all summer."

Gremio smiled, glad for the change of subject. "We did catch a few very large fish, however," he added.

Flik nodded, giving the two of them a slightly curious look and then leaned over to elbow Viktor sharply. "Bear! C'mon, let's go... enough flirting with the serving girls for tonight."

Turning back to his friends, Viktor raised an eyebrow, and gave Flik a knowing grin. "Someone else you want me to flirt with?"

Flik colored slightly and shook his head. "We can talk about that later - besides, I thought you were hungry."

Viktor's smirk deepened, and he elbowed Flik back clumsily. "Again? Your appetite's getting as big as mine."

Biting his lip, Flik grabbed Viktor by the arm, half dragging him towards the door and ignoring his comment. "Let's go..."

Tir peered at them curiously, but shrugged, following them towards the door. "We spent so much time fishing... I... have little appetite for fish anymore."

Gremio had narrowed his eyes, also looking after Viktor and Flik with curiosity, but shook his head. "I'm sure they'll have something other than fish on the menu... or at least a recipe we're unfamiliar with," he realized. The possibility brightened his spirits somewhat, and he followed Viktor, Flik, and his Young Master into one of the smaller rooms with more interest.


Later on, Gremio had indeed ordered grilled fish with seasonings he'd never tried before, and he nodded thoughtfully as he pondered the flavor. "I know this spice, I'm sure of it..."

Tir was picking at his chicken, never fully satisfied with something that wasn't prepared by Gremio, and watched the interaction between Viktor and Flik with interest as the two mercenaries recounted recent events, often disagreeing on the details. "Did you two meet up in Coronet as well...? Or are you traveling together?"

Viktor laughed, as nearly everything was amusing in his current state, and he shoved another bite of his own chicken into his mouth. "We've been traveling together since the war ended... and by that, I guess I mean the first one."

Nodding thoughtfully, Tir continued to push his food around his plate without eating very much of it. "I suspected as much..."

Flik had remained mostly quiet, letting Viktor tell their stories until an inaccuracy popped up, but now he spoke up. "I'm sure trouble will find us again before long... It always seems to."

Gremio bowed his head slightly, staring down at his plate. "It does, at that... it's been quiet for us since that incident with the City-State, but that was certainly an odd coincidence that we should happen to meet another young general, and be caught up in a war from another land entirely - and a former enemy, at that. The Empire used to have skirmishes with Jowston, as you'll recall, before the Toran Republic came to be."

Flik shrugged. "Some would say it's a part of fate, of the Stars of Destiny being connected... but..."

He glanced over at Viktor, as if expecting him to interrupt and object to this idea, and Viktor didn't disappoint. "If that was the case," he started, shaking his head, "how come we haven't met up with that weird little Qlon kid again? Nah, it's just like you're always saying - I have this habit of sticking my nose where it doesn't belong."

With an unsettled expression on his face, Tir looked up from his food. "You don't believe in any kind of fate, Viktor? You truly believe we make every part of our destiny ourselves?"

Viktor nodded, swallowing another mouthful of chicken and rice before responding. "I can't say for sure, I guess, but I know I make choices every day, and even if they sometimes don't count for much, they're still my decisions, aren't they?"

Tir nodded thoughtfully, finally setting his fork down and reaching for some bread instead. "Then... we have only ourselves to blame if we are unhappy with our life decisions?"

"I don't know if I'd go that far..."

Flik was only half listening to the talk between Viktor and Tir, and turned to Gremio who had been silent for most their dinner, aside from his pondering of the recipes on the inn's menu early on. "What do you think of this talk, Gremio?" he asked. "Do you agree with me that there's some amount of fate in life? Or do you think it's as Viktor said, and only our own motivations and actions decide our paths?"

Pausing for a moment, Gremio thought about it before responding. "...I would have to agree and disagree. We may make our own decisions, but there are other factors governing the workings of the world, and sometimes there is simply nothing to be done about our troubles. I think the truth is that none of us is perfect or omnipotent."

Flik nodded. "I will not disagree with that. Although I've made my own decisions, I do believe I've been drawn into..." He hesitated, and glanced briefly at Viktor. "...Or been stumbled across... by things that I had no control over."

Leaning back in his chair, Tir sighed softly. "Maybe sometimes our actions..." He stole a glance at Gremio in much the same way Flik had eyed Viktor. "...May be prompted originally by things we have no control over, and thus it becomes a little of both."

Viktor chuckled. "It's not like only bad stuff happens that way - sometimes things turn out different than we expected, but better. It's all luck of the draw." Sparing an arm from his eating, he dropped it around Flik's shoulders casually, knife still absently in hand. "Don't give me that look."

Blushing slightly, Flik looked down at the table, but did not move away from Viktor either. "...I wouldn't change things, anyways. We are who and what we are because of what's happened. Change one thing and the four of us might not even be sitting here together."

Gremio nodded, not paying much attention to the two mercenaries as he thought the matter over. "There are things I would change... but the wonderful thing about life is that we have the opportunity to do just that - or at least attempt to."

Tir nodded distantly himself, having finally given up on his half-eaten dinner. "Nothing's impossible to change when you... when you really believe you can change it."

Looking over to Tir, Gremio smiled fondly. "I certainly hope so."

Flik glanced from Gremio to Tir, puzzled by the seriousness they were giving the matter. "Is there something in particular you're alluding to?"

Gremio looked flustered suddenly, as if he'd nearly forgotten they were not alone. "Ah, well... that is, yes, in a sense... We're on a bit of a quest at the moment, you might say."

Even more curious now, Flik leaned forward with interest. "A quest? What kind of a quest?"

Tir chose that moment to drop his fork on the floor, and leaning over to retrieve it, sent his plate flying with a crash as well. "Oh my..." he mumbled, looking at Gremio worriedly.

Gremio gave Tir a strange but grateful look as he bent down to assist him in gathering the scattered utensils and food. "Don't trouble yourself over it, Young Master - you can have some of my dinner if you like, or we can get another plate made up..."

Tir nodded, fumbling with his napkin. "I'm terribly sorry, Gremio... I didn't mean to be so clumsy."

Shaking his head, Gremio raised his own napkin to dab at a bit of sauce on Tir's shirt. "No trouble at all, it's all right..."

Viktor took another drink of his beer, watching them with amusement, and glanced over at Flik curiously as he bent over to retrieve a piece of bread from where it had tumbled under his chair. Flik was unsure of whether to pursue his previous question. "Are you still hungry, Tir?" he asked. "You can have some of mine, as well. I'm not really hungry enough to finish it, and I may go walk off what I've eaten anyway."

"Like you've got anything to walk off," Viktor commented, poking Flik under the table. "You're already torturing me all night with your skinny elbows, always poking me in the ribs..."

Flik gaped at Viktor slightly, and glanced over at Gremio and Tir. He couldn't really hide from that comment as he had from the others, and so he gave up. "Heh... right... Though it's only revenge for the fact that you steal my half of the blankets and keep me awake with your snoring."

Gremio suddenly looked up at the two of them, realizing what they were talking about, and stared at them in surprise. Having recovered from the clumsiness he'd displayed to change the topic, Tir smiled slowly at Viktor and Flik, thinking that his earlier assessment of them might have been true.

Viktor laughed, ignoring everyone but Flik as he nearly pulled the smaller man into his lap. "I don't snore, and I wouldn't keep you up even if I did - it's my job to wear you out till you can't stay awake no matter how much I snore."

Gremio's face slowly turned red as this new bit of information began to really sink in. "...My..." he murmured under his breath.

Flik was now blushing furiously, not so much because of being embarrassed over Viktor, but simply from the look of astonishment on Gremio's face. Shaking Viktor off lightly, he stood up abruptly. "Despite Viktor's opinions, I do believe I'm going to take a walk now..."

Laughing again, Viktor grabbed him around the waist, giving him a lopsided but devious smirk. "I can think of a better way t..." At the look on Flik's face, he paused, and glanced back over at Tir and Gremio, who were still staring. "Uh... heh. Forgot..."

Flik smiled, shrugging apologetically towards Gremio and Tir. "There really isn't any good way to tell anyone," he admitted, "so..." He leaned down to kiss Viktor's cheek lightly. "I'll be down by the docks if you need me... try not to drink too much more tonight, okay?"

Viktor kissed Flik back with a purposely loud smack, and shook his head. "I'm not making any promises."

Tir had been watching the entire exchange with great amusement and suprisingly little astonishment. As Flik made a hasty retreat, he turned to Gremio. "Gremio, if you don't mind securing our room, I think I would like to catch up to Flik and have a word with him."

This time it was Gremio who dropped his fork, still staring after Flik in astonishment. "...I... uh... yes..." he murmured quickly, rather uncomfortable all of a sudden at the idea of being left alone with a drunk Viktor, after this particular awkward revelation. "I was just thinking the same..."

Smiling at Gremio, Tir then turned to nod to Viktor. "Viktor, it's been... fun... and I'm sure I shall see you again before we set off."

Viktor nodded back. "Hey, you bet. By the way, you're actually old enough to drink now, aren't you?" he asked with a grin.

"Yes, I am..." Tir replied with a soft chuckle, "even if I don't look it. Are you asking me to have a drink with you later?"

Gremio flushed a deeper red, but this time it was not from awkwardness. "Young Master, I believe you were going to go after Flik?"

"I think he could use a drink a little more than you could," Viktor told Tir with a smirk, rolling his eyes at Gremio.

Tir grinned at Gremio, seemingly oblivious of the glare he was aiming at Viktor. "Then perhaps all four of us shall have a drink sometime...but yes, I'm going to go after Flik. I will see you both later."

Gremio stood, still glaring at Viktor, and nodded tersely. "Yes... I will see you later." Turning away, he stalked back towards the stairwell before Viktor could say anything.

Tir grinned at Viktor, who was just as amused as he was. "Don't worry, he'll be fine. See you later," he called, running off towards the door in hopes of catching Flik before it got too late.

Viktor just laughed again, and went to rejoin his newfound friends in the pub, joining in as they reached the chorus of another rowdy drinking song.


"Might I have a word with you, Flik?"

The surprisingly soft voice startled Flik from his thoughts and he looked over his shoulder and nodded at Tir. "Of course, Tir," he replied with a smile. "I wasn't really doing anything more than thinking, enjoying the sunset..."

Tir nodded, stepping forward to seat himself on the end of the pier, glancing down to watch the water lap gently against the wood in the dusky light. "Gremio mentioned during dinner that we were on a... a quest of sorts..."

Flik nodded, unsure to why Tir was bringing this up, but curious none the less. "Yes, amidst Viktor's drunken stories and my passing recipes to Gremio that we've picked up, I do recall that being mentioned."

"I would ask a favor of you, but not as Master McDohl of the Liberation Army... simply as an old friend."

Flik was startled by this statement, but not so much the request as the way it was presented. He turned towards Tir, pulling one leg up underneath him and resting his hands in his lap. "Forgive me for saying so, Tir, but you startle me with how much you've really aged."

Tir smiled, shaking his head with a laugh. "It has been a few years, Flik... but I do suppose my age doesn't show until I open my mouth." Despite his words, his stance was still that of a boy, sometimes shy, as he sat Indian style, elbows on knees and chin in hands. "I thank you, all the same."

Flik laughed too, and when Tir said nothing else, he prompted. "There was a favor...?"

"Yes," Tir said with a nod. "I want you and Viktor to accompany us. And I know I haven't stated our purpose or destination, so feel free to delay your response until I do."

"Ordinary I'd immediately say yes, simply for the fact that you are an old friend, and if you need our help..."

"Consider my words first..." Tir sighed, unsure of how to begin. "I suppose the simple explanation would be best..."

After Tir had gone, Flik remained by the water for a long time, trying to process the magnitude of what he'd just been told. Most lights in the village had been put out before he returned to the inn, finding Viktor mostly asleep in their bed.

"You're late..." he said groggily, leaning on one elbow as Flik came in.

"I was talking to Tir, and then I...was thinking."

"You're always thinking." There was silence as Flik draped his cloak over a chair, then reached to pull off his boots. "...What were you thinking about?" Viktor finally questioned him.

"The idea of being immortal," Flik replied softly as he slid into the bed beside Viktor.

"Huh?"

"Nevermind..." Flik mumbled softly as Viktor looped an arm around him to pull him closer. "We can talk about it tomorrow..."


Uncharacteristically, Viktor found himself awake before dawn the next morning, and much more sober than he'd been a few hours before. Having determined that Flik was not in his bed (or the other in the room), Viktor grabbed his cloak and headed out to the dock, where he found his friend just where he'd expected to find him - sitting on the end of the pier with a mug of something in one hand, staring out over the water. "Hey, good. I was afraid you were up in some tree or sleeping in the dirt again."

Glancing over his shoulder, Flik smiled at Viktor, though he'd tried to put those incidents out of his mind, and turned half away from the lake. "I'm never going to hear the end of that, am I?"

"You know me and my selective memory," Viktor told him, his grin growing wider as he sat down across from Flik.

Chuckling softly, Flik set down his mug. "You only remember something when it's useful to you."

"I wish," Viktor laughed. "But remembering stuff that's funny is good enough."

Flik nodded thoughtfully. "I have a memory for names, dates, places, faces... I've never had a memory for jokes."

"No kidding. You seem to remember every time I've screwed something up, though," Viktor commented with a smirk.

Flik folded his arms over his chest and smiled at Viktor. "Nah... no more than you can remember all the idiotic things I've done over the years. Major events, major screw-ups, major fights..." His voice lowered thoughtfully. "...Major make-ups..."

Viktor nodded vaguely, sobering a bit. "...Uh, anyway... not to change the subject - not that I'd mind that, really, but still - I pretty clearly remember you saying something last night that really made me wonder."

"Through the haze of booze..." Flik sighed, nodding slightly as his expression faded immediately from grin to frown. "Yes... I figured we'd need to talk about it sooner rather than later... how much have you figured out yourself?"

"Not much," Viktor admitted, shaking his head. "But Gremio seemed pretty distracted last night, acting even fussier than usual, and he didn't say a word about why, except to mention some quest. So all I know is what you said... something about being 'immortal'."

Flik sighed again and leaned back to look up at the stars. "I only know what Tir told me. Apparently he and Gremio had a long overdue talk the other night... Tir's been bothered a lot by the rune lately, and, in my opinion, Gremio's apparent relationship with Rina." At the expression on Viktor's face, he paused and nodded. "Yes, that Rina. Also," he continued, "I think he's just spent the past few years watching everyone get older..."

"So..." Viktor frowned. "What, did he try to pass the Soul Eater off to you? You're not really thinking about it, are you?"

Flik shook his head. "No, no...Tir would never do such a thing. When he confessed all these feeling of being lonely and such to Gremio, Gremio offered a solution... one that surprised even me."

Viktor narrowed his eyes, suspicious, as Flik's explanation began to sound more like what he'd been expecting. "...Yeah?"

Biting his lip, Flik finally looked back at Viktor. "Gremio wants to seek out his own true rune."

Viktor nodded, looking dubious. "Heh... do they actually know where they can find one? Not like you can just head to the nearest runemaster..."

Flik nodded in agreement. "This is the scary part...apparently Gremio's been doing research on this for a long time now. I don't think he ever expected Tir to accept the idea, but... maybe after all these years, the two of them can't bear the idea of Gremio growing old and dying... and leaving Tir behind. They are going to search for them off of any leads Gremio has, which are several."

Crossing his arms across his chest, Viktor snorted. "Yeah, that'll be a walk in the park. Just like it was for Windy. Only took three hundred years to find the damn thing. And we won't even get into Sierra tracking Neclord, right?"

Flik winced and reached to pick up his mug again, taking a sip before finally muttering his next statement. "Tir asked me to go with them - asked for both of us, actually."

Viktor thought about this for a moment, and then burst out laughing incredulously. "What the hell...? Why?"

Flik also pondered it for a moment before replying. "I'm not exactly sure... They can certainly hold their own, but maybe they feel better with some added assistance, not knowing who or what they might come across. I would not, at this point, put it past them to take a rune from someone who shouldn't have it..." Flik admitted, "but that's a different subject altogether. I can't claim to know exactly how they plan to go about this yet..." Flik sighed. "But I've tentatively agreed to go with them - for now, at least."

Viktor just stared at him in disbelief, then finally dropped his head into his hands. "Unbelievable," he muttered. "Absolutely un-fucking-believable."

Setting his mug down again, Flik rested his chin in his hands as he regarded Viktor curiously. "...Why does this bother you so much?"

"True runes aren't something to mess around with," Viktor grumbled. "And hunting for one? Taking them from whoever they think doesn't deserve one? How's that different from Windy or Neclord? Even if it's not for power?"

Flik nodded. "I'm not disagreeing with that. I happen to believe... and maybe it's overly spiritual of me... that true runes find who they want to find. I believe there's some kind of greater scheme of fate to the world. I don't have a bad feeling about this." He paused, meeting Viktor's eyes. "And yet you haven't asked me why I said I'd go."

Viktor finally looked up at him again, grouchily settling his chin in one palm. "So why did you say you'd go then?"

"Several reasons," Flik told him, frowning slightly. "First... you know I've been looking for an excuse to wander for awhile. I've been restless... maybe it's the time of year. I know you've wanted some adventure too," he pointed out, "or you wouldn't be prowling around the docks all day and drinking all night." He shrugged. "We can always stop and settle down anytime we want to."

He had a point, and Viktor scratched his head thoughtfully. Flik knew him too well for him to hide his wanderlust so easily. "Go on."

"And... I guess there's part of me that wants to protect them and keep them from doing something stupid," Flik finished. "Like I said, I don't have a bad feeling about this... in fact, for all the reasons not to go, I still feel compelled to do so. And I've tried to never ignore that feeling when it strikes, and it has yet to truly be wrong."

"I dunno," Viktor grumbled as he stood to pace back and forth on the end of the dock. "You might not have a bad feeling about this, but something about it doesn't smell right to me..." Having a sudden epiphany, he stopped, turning back to face Flik. "Hey, how about I just give Gremio that stupid sword of mine? It claims it's a true rune, anyway, and I'd just as soon not have to deal with it myself."

His words had a completely different effect on Flik than he'd expected. Flik opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, before he finally managed to stammer out a reply. "I...I can't believe I totally didn't think of that." He stood up and peered at Viktor. "It's only been a few years...is it possible you haven't aged at all and I just don't notice?" He paused again, thinking, and sat down again in a huff, looking completely disconcerted by the revelation.

Slightly startled by Flik's reaction, Viktor just shrugged. "Uh, to be fair, I really haven't had it all that long... I mean, I did ditch it twice already, just since we first found that piece of scrap..."

"But true runes..." Flik thought out loud with a frown, "they tend to bind themselves to their keeper very deeply from what I've seen, their fates become intermingled... I don't know if you could just hand that sword off after all that's happened, and yet I... I can't believe I simply never thought about the possibility that you might be rendered ageless right now, and I'm not. I suddenly understand all too well how Gremio must feel..." Falling silent, Flik gazed at the water and said nothing more.

Viktor growled, irritated with himself, since he'd inadvertently caused yet another problem. "Well, I've gotten rid of it before, haven't I? I just sort of... had to go find it again..."

"Because fate had a job for you," Flik said, shaking his head, "and it wasn't finished. You know the fate of that sword and you are woven together, even if Neclord is now defeated. If it wasn't, why didn't you just return it again right after the war?"

Viktor threw his hands up in disgust. "I did! ...Well, pretty soon after, anyways..." he corrected himself. "Remember that side trip we took to Tinto?"

"Yeah...."

Viktor smirked grimly. "I tossed it down in the mines. Way down deep. I figured maybe it would rust, or screw around with Abizboah and his uh... wife. Or whatever. Or just get lost and not be able to find its way out. It would have worked, I bet, if that miner hadn't happened across it, and decided to return it..."

Flik refused to even look up, and Viktor sighed, sitting down next to Flik and dropping an arm around his shoulders. "Hey... I don't even know for sure the thing's a true rune, that's just what it says. And we know how that thing likes to brag."

Flik tried to manage a smile, but still refused to look at him. "I don't know...."

Forcing a grin, Viktor reached over to touch Flik's cheek lightly. "...In fact, you know, I think it must be lying. You've talked about getting older, right? Wasn't more than a couple weeks ago you made some comment, like that was the reason I was getting worse hangovers than I used to. See? The damn thing's just making things up... I don't even know what it is, really, but it's probably no true rune."

Flik sighed as he finally turned to look up at Viktor. "Maybe we should ask Gremio...with all the research he's done, he's bound to be closer to the truth than anyone else we know. And I think it's time you knew whether or not it's telling the truth."

"I couldn't care less," Viktor said with a shrug. "As soon as I find a good way to get rid of it, it's out of my hair permanently, true rune or not." He paused and chuckled grimly at the idea Flik had proposed, shaking his head. "...Gremio, researching true runes. Who'd have thought...?"

"I'm kind of surprised I didn't see it... Gremio is a lot sharper than most of our comrades really gave him credit for," Flik commented. "I do wonder about Tir's actual feelings, because that is something he refused to discuss... but yes, the wisest thing to do is sit down and talk to both Gremio and Tir, not just about your sword, but also about their plans."

"You better believe I'm going to talk to Gremio about this," Viktor grumbled, distracted. Still resting his fingers on Flik's cheek, he abruptly leaned down to plant a light kiss on his lips. "Flik, don't worry about it. There's no way I'm going to live forever." He grinned widely. "In fact, when I die, I'm going to make it a point to die in some crazy way that'll make you laugh too hard to cry when you remember."

Flik winced, but then smiled slightly, almost absent-mindedly, and it was obvious to Viktor that he was thinking again. "Of course you would.... but not if I go first."

Viktor shook his head. "You are younger than me, remember? And a hell of a lot more careful." His grin softened into a smile. "Plus, if you ever get in some kind of situation where it looks like you might go first, I'm going to be heading straight in there to make sure that doesn't happen, no matter what the cost."

Flik did grin this time, and reached a hand up to ruffle Viktor's hair. "And then we'd end up in so much trouble we'd probably both get killed... or we'd manage to escape, like we always do."

Chuckling a little, Viktor squeezed Flik lightly with the arm around his shoulders, as the first light of dawn started to creep into the sky, reflected in the lake. "Yeah - if nothing else, I've got luck on my side, which means so do you."

"It'll all work out..."Flik mumbled, half to Viktor and half to himself.

Though distracted by his own thoughts, Viktor nodded. "...Yeah." It had to. But how to make it work out... well, he'd have to talk to Gremio about that.