Devic (y) could see his breath coming out in great clouds as he
hurried through the underbrush of the forest, once again up and running
after he had collapsed from exhaustion around noon. The sun was just going
down, casting a golden light over the forest, a chilling breeze blowing
past the trees. Devic was hungry, mostly because he had not had anything to
eat in almost two days and his feet had long since gone numb, so they
didn't hurt anymore. Every once and a while, he would come to a halt and
lean up against a tree panting for air. He had no idea how far he had run
but for some reason the feeling wouldn't leave him that some unknown
creature was following him and he needed to escape. Whenever he stopped he
felt as if he could hear pounding footsteps behind him or more maniacal
laughter drifting through the foliage of the titanic trees that constantly
surrounded him.
He slumped to the ground, unable to get his feet to move a singe foot further and wiped a tear from his eye. Maybe he should just let whatever it was catch him...Whatever it was planning ob doing with him it had to be better than this. Didn't it? He was about to give up and fall asleep when a familiar surge of adrenaline took hold of his body and the fear of being hunted surged up through his veins.
He wouldn't give up, he couldn't; he wouldn't let himself. Crying now, the twelve-year old struggled to his feet and began to trot through the trees again, following the sun west. He didn't know where he was going, but west seemed as good a place as any to head. Besides, when he was home, his house always seemed to be right under the sun when it set, and he wanted to go home. He let himself be thrown into instinct as he dove through a briar bush, jumped to his feet and continued to jog. Devic found that it was better not to think about anything anymore, except maybe how the light passed through the branches in the trees. This way, he could ignore the small stabs of pain from scratches and cramps as well as the fear of stopping.
About an hour passed like this, but Devic felt his legs grow heavy and his eyelids droop. The sun was completely down now and most of the ground had been doused in darkness. He shook his head, trying to clear it; Don't fall asleep, Keep running, Don't stop...
Suddenly the ground seemed to fall away from underneath his feet and he began to tumble down a steep slope covered in thorny bushes and tree stumps. He cried out as he felt his back getting scraped up and reached out with his hands to try and catch something to stop his quick descent. Devic felt dizzy and couldn't tell which way was up or which way he was falling, or if he was even falling anymore and was jolted back to reality with a sickening bump as his fingers managed to grab hold of a slim branch connected to a wild rose plant.
The thorns pricked the palm of his left hand as he hung, letting himself become reoriented and holding back the urge to throw up. After a moment, he managed to realize that he was only a few feet away from the bottom of the hill and slowly slid himself down the rest of the way on his stomach.
When he reached the level, grassy ground, he collapsed into a crumpled heap and as soon as his head touched the ground, he was instantly asleep.
***
Alex awoke just as the sun was setting behind the edge of the horizon and groaned as aches and pains shot through his muscles and he closed his eyes again and leaned his head back against the tree trunk. Finally the dull pain stopped, or at least subsided, and he opened his eyes again and looked down at Phi, who was still asleep, her head pressed up against his chest. He grinned tiredly and was about to settle down and wait for her to wake up, but started as the sound of hoofbeats faintly reached his ears.
He glanced around, carefully eased Phi off of his lap, leaning her delicately against their tree and crouched down, trying to pinpoint the direction where they were coming form. After deciding that they were coming closer from the north, he crept over and peered through some thickets, trying to spot a road.
However, what he found was more of a dirt path that wound past the trees and he spied the riders first. He ducked down as the first horse trotted by, seeming to be in a hurry, followed by a large group of thirty or more men. He crawled on his hands and knees back over to where Phi was and gently shook her shoulder, leaning close and whispering, "Phi, wake up. But try to be quiet, there are riders passing by, I'm not sure who they are..."
She opened her eyes slowly and stared up at him curiously and he pointed towards where he had found the path. Phi nodded, still a little dazed, and grabbed his hand as they hunkered down trying to get closer without being seen. They just made it and managed to catch the last four horses bringing up the rear.
Without warning, Phi let out a gasp and plunged out onto the path, running for one of the last horses. Alex called at her to come back but spotted what she had seen and rose shakily to his feet.
On the horse that Phi had dashed over to were two riders: a tall man with curly brown hair and a small boy...Luke!
The rider shouted out in surprise as Phi rushed his horse seemingly out of nowhere and had his hand on the hilt of his sword, but he froze as Luke screamed happily and threw himself into Phi's arms.
Phi was crying with relief and collapsed onto the ground, holding Luke tightly to her chest as the small boy wrapped his arms around her neck and buried his head in her shoulder. The rider called out in Tortallan, "Stop!" and the procession of horses halted and looked behind them to see what was going on.
By this point Alex had rushed over and it was his turn to be cried on by their youngest as Phi, tears streaming down her face, clutched her husbands hand. Luke stopped sobbing and sniffed, his nose running and his face filthy, "I thought-I thought you forgot about me!"
Alex hugged him closer, tears pricking his own eyes and shook his head fervently, "No, never...We would never forget...Where is Devic?"
Luke sniffled again and was about to reply when a man rode up to them, his face serious yet curious at the same time. Alex and Phi looked up, seemingly aware for the first time that there were other people there besides their son. The man frowned down, his expression thoughtful, and when he spoke, his voice was firm in educated Tortallan, "Who are you? How do you know this boy?"
Alex stood up, handing Luke to Phi who coddled him in her arms, and spoke back in rusty Tortallan, bristling with protectiveness, "We are his parents, and who might you be?"
Right before the man could reply, a light suddenly appeared in Phi's eyes and she gaped at him, "Oh my god! It's Devic!"
The man looked taken aback, "Yes...But how did you...Who are-"He leaned in as if to examine them more closely in the fading light and suddenly shocked recognition spread across his face, "Great Mother Goddess...Phiona? Alexander?"
Alex looked shell-shocked for a moment, then a smile spread across his face and he murmured, "It's been a long time Devic..."
Devic dismounted, his eyes never leaving them for a moment, his eyes overly bright, "I cannot believe it..."
Phi laughed and, having set Luke down, ran forward and grabbed Devic up in a huge hug, kissing his forehead, "It's so good to see you again."
Alex chuckled as Devic swallowed and, looking as if he was fighting back tears, motioned towards his very confused men, "Set up camp...Pitch an extra tent for my guests..."
The man who had been riding with Luke dismounted nimbly and walked over to stand behind Devic's right shoulder, peering curiously at Phi and Alex, who suddenly felt self-conscious and very aware of how dirty they must be after having fallen into the Spider monsters' nest. Devic pulled away from Phi and rested his hand on the man's shoulder, "Will, these are my very good friends Phiona and Alexander...Phiona, Alexander, this is my little cousin and second in command, William."
Phi nodded politely and Alex grabbed Will's hand, giving it a firm shake. Phi grinned, her eyes shining, "I remember you...Devic made you go deliver our letter last time you were here, and then right before we left you and he snuck into the room where we and the others were talking with Numair and Daine and spied on us!"
Comprehension spread across the young man's handsome face and he smiled, "Oh! I do remember now! It was such a long time ago! So Luke is your son?"
Devic suddenly cast his gaze downward and frowned, "I suppose then that Devic was yours as well?"
Phi nodded excitedly, but with her eyes filled with apprehension, "So he made it? What happened to him, where is he?"
Devic seemed to have lost his voice so Will spoke up softly, "We found your boys when they came into our camp to steal bread about two and a half days ago. After we spent the night, we came across a band of Scans, Scanrans, that we had been assigned to engage combat with. We took five prisoners and we began to head back to the capital when we ran across a roadblock and had to spend an extra night outside. During the night, the prisoners managed to escape and when we woke up, we realized that Devic, your son that is, had vanished along with them. In actuality, it was Luke who brought his absence to our attention..."
Phi had paled and Alex managed to choke out, "So...what happened to him?"
It was dark now and they could see little lights pop up where campfires were being fired up. Devic sighed, "That is the problem...We are not sure. Here, we should sit down. This may take a while..." He led them over to a campfire that his men had just built and sat down on the ground near it, warming his hands and waiting for the others to sit. Once Will, Phi, Alex, and Luke had gotten settled he continued, choosing his words with deliberate caution, "We found the man who had been assigned to guard them dead about a quarter of a mile away from our campsite. One of my men, a tracker, said that he saw signs that your son had followed them, hiding in bushes and behind trees. We continued to follow the Scans' trail through the woods all day and finally came across their most recent campsite. We found all five of them lying on the ground, dead, with no sign of a weapon or fight except for a large branch that was found near their bodies. We examined the area and someone found a small space in a bush where someone had recently spent the night. Assuming that was Devic, it looked from the broken branches and bits of cloth found on the thorns, that he ran out of the clearing and deeper into the forest. It is very likely that he is still alive, he hasn't been gone that long, but you must understand...My mission was not to watch over a stray boy...But if I had known that he was yours I- ...We were headed back towards Corus to report our success and I was feeling rushed so I did not pursue him..."
Phi nodded throughout his entire speech, staring into the flames. When Devic finished she looked up at him, "So...Where should we start to look for him?"
"You should begin where we last found traces of him, in the clearing where we found the five Scans dead..." His face was twisted into a thoughtful frown, "Will, I want you to take the men and return to Corus. Tell them about the mission but do not mention where I went to, saying that I was delayed by personal matters. Phi, Alex, I am coming with you and help you find Devic."
Alex turned towards him as Will raised his head from his hands, "Thank you Devic. It would mean a lot if you came."
Devic smiled sadly, "Well I do feel responsible..."
Will interrupted him, "Sir? I am coming with you, get someone else to lead the men back."
"Why?"
Will looked at his feet, seeming to be almost nervous, "You will require the services of a tracker, and a tracker I am. I can also help fight and I am truly fond of both the children and would not be able to relax until we find out what happened to them."
Phi grinned, giving Luke a quick hug and Devic nodded, "Very well, I will have someone else lead the men..."
Will nodded, "All right. I should go check up on how the camp is coming along..." He stood up, dropping his quiver down where he had been sitting and strode off to go look after the troops.
After a few moments, Phi spoke up, "So Devic, how have things been going for you? What happened after we left?"
Devic smirked dryly, "Actually not all that much. I continued in my training and became a knight. In one of my first assignments I was sent off to a small scuffle up North...That is where I received this lovely parting gift from a Scan on my cheek. Luckily, I have the Gift and was able to heal myself sufficiently so that I did not bleed to death. After a few more missions and tasks I was promoted to second in command of a small section of the Own. When my predecessor passed away during battle, I took his place. It seemed that I had impressed the King in my duties so he allowed my to keep the position although I was much too young for it according to most veteran standards. However, I have yet to loose a battle and luckily, this scar is the largest wound I have received...That is basically it..."
Phi gazed at him curiously. The way he told it, his life had been rather dreary and expected, but he looked as if something more had happened to him. She searched his face for answers to her unknown questions, looking at him as the firelight cast strange shadows over everyone. He had grown out his straight, brown hair almost down to his shoulders, his bangs drooping in front of his eyes. He had a well-trimmed beard around his mouth and the scar that cut across his cheekbone seemed to emphasize the dark circles under his eyes. Looking closer, she finally realized that the change, the reason why he looked different, was actually in his eyes themselves. Instead of being bright and curious as they were when he had been a boy, they now flashed and raged with emotion and secrets. Something inside him had altered.
He felt her gaze on him and he blushed slightly, "Do I really look that different?"
"You don't...And yet, yes you do. Something's different about you..."
He shrugged, his conscious begging him to tell her about his obsession with Trycos. She couldn't mean anything else, but he felt ashamed to speak of it, "Well, it has been more than a decade since you last saw me...I suppose I have changed quite a bit...But you must be tired. You, Alex, and Luke can have Will's tent, and he can share mine."
Phi smiled, "Thanks."
Alex glanced at her as she rose and quickly stood up, "Um...I guess we'll see you in the morning then?"
Devic grinned, "Of course."
"All right...Have a good night."
"You too."
Phi and Alex, who was carrying Luke, retired to their tent and soon Devic found himself yawning and trudged to his own tent.
About half an hour later he was joined by Will, who entered the tent scowling, "You could have at least told me that you let them borrow my tent for the evening you know..."
Devic, who had been close to falling asleep, rolled onto his back grinning sardonically, "Sorry...I hope I did not cause you too much embarrassment or inconvenience..."
"I can only say that it is a lucky thing that they were all asleep at the moment or I would be even more cross with you because of how awkward it would have made me feel."
Devic heard him remove his boots and tunic in the darkness and settle down on the extra sleeping pad Devic had laid out for him. After a few moments, Devic turned so that he was facing where Will was lying and asked softly, "Will? Have I gone mad?"
He heard a sigh and then Will's murmured reply, "Not mad, perhaps highly dedicated to your job and duties...Unless you are referring to your issue with Trycos to which I would reply that it seems to be more of a obsessive- compulsive addiction than insanity..."
Devic nodded, "Thanks..."
There were a few more moments of silence before Will spoke up again, "Do you feel as if you had gone mad?"
"I am not sure...No one has ever told me what going insane feels like..."
"Well, you sound sane to me, and as long as you do not do anything extraordinarily out of character I shall not worry and I would ask you not to worry either...Too much worrying is not healthy for the mind..."
"...But what if I have already lost it?"
"Then I suppose you can worry all you want."
Devic sighed and rolled back onto his stomach. He had a lot to think about. Like for instance how did Phi and Alex's children get pulled into his dimension? There were only a few people he knew of in his world who could accomplish such a task, and he was pretty sure it was not Numair. That means it had to have been..."Trycos!" He sprang up into a sitting position, whispering the name out loud. He was back, but why?
He heard Will mutter, "What's that?"
Devic glanced at the shadows where Will was and spoke excitedly, trying to keep his voice down, "It had to be Trycos who brought Alex and Phi's sons back to our world. That means he has some plan in mind! This is it Will, I can feel it! I am finally going to catch that bastard and teach him a lesson!"
"Wow...I have not heard you say that line in over a week..."
Devic scowled and fell back down onto his stomach, his hopes destroyed by one foul swoop of his cousin's words, "Why did you have to say that?"
"Only because it is the truth..."
"Will?"
"Sir?"
"Shut up and go to sleep."
He heard a small chuckle, "Yes sir..."
***
Devic (y) felt his consciousness slowly return to him as well as the pain from innumerous bruises and scratches on his body. To worn to prop himself up on his elbows so that he could take a look around, he merely opened his eyes a bit and peered around through tall grasses. He was lying on his stomach and didn't have the energy much to move his head, so he just gazed straight ahead.
Suddenly something moved into his range of vision. A pair of boots. That's nice.
He was about to close his eyes again and get some more sleep when his thoughts caught up with him and his eyes snapped open again and he stared avidly at the feet. Those looked like the same boots he had seen in the Scans clearing, the ones that appeared right before they all collapsed. Trembling, Devic mustered the energy to roll over and looked up, wanting to look his killer in the eyes before he died.
But what he found wasn't a monster or a hideous beast. It was a man. A man who was smirking down at him amusedly with his arms hidden behind a long, black cloak. A man with piercing brown eyes and slicked back brown hair. Devic swallowed and was amazed to find himself wishing that it had been a beast instead, for something about this man scared him worse than any creature could have, and he didn't know why.
***
A/N: Questions? Hopefully comments? Anything you want to see happen or want more of? Please Review.
He slumped to the ground, unable to get his feet to move a singe foot further and wiped a tear from his eye. Maybe he should just let whatever it was catch him...Whatever it was planning ob doing with him it had to be better than this. Didn't it? He was about to give up and fall asleep when a familiar surge of adrenaline took hold of his body and the fear of being hunted surged up through his veins.
He wouldn't give up, he couldn't; he wouldn't let himself. Crying now, the twelve-year old struggled to his feet and began to trot through the trees again, following the sun west. He didn't know where he was going, but west seemed as good a place as any to head. Besides, when he was home, his house always seemed to be right under the sun when it set, and he wanted to go home. He let himself be thrown into instinct as he dove through a briar bush, jumped to his feet and continued to jog. Devic found that it was better not to think about anything anymore, except maybe how the light passed through the branches in the trees. This way, he could ignore the small stabs of pain from scratches and cramps as well as the fear of stopping.
About an hour passed like this, but Devic felt his legs grow heavy and his eyelids droop. The sun was completely down now and most of the ground had been doused in darkness. He shook his head, trying to clear it; Don't fall asleep, Keep running, Don't stop...
Suddenly the ground seemed to fall away from underneath his feet and he began to tumble down a steep slope covered in thorny bushes and tree stumps. He cried out as he felt his back getting scraped up and reached out with his hands to try and catch something to stop his quick descent. Devic felt dizzy and couldn't tell which way was up or which way he was falling, or if he was even falling anymore and was jolted back to reality with a sickening bump as his fingers managed to grab hold of a slim branch connected to a wild rose plant.
The thorns pricked the palm of his left hand as he hung, letting himself become reoriented and holding back the urge to throw up. After a moment, he managed to realize that he was only a few feet away from the bottom of the hill and slowly slid himself down the rest of the way on his stomach.
When he reached the level, grassy ground, he collapsed into a crumpled heap and as soon as his head touched the ground, he was instantly asleep.
***
Alex awoke just as the sun was setting behind the edge of the horizon and groaned as aches and pains shot through his muscles and he closed his eyes again and leaned his head back against the tree trunk. Finally the dull pain stopped, or at least subsided, and he opened his eyes again and looked down at Phi, who was still asleep, her head pressed up against his chest. He grinned tiredly and was about to settle down and wait for her to wake up, but started as the sound of hoofbeats faintly reached his ears.
He glanced around, carefully eased Phi off of his lap, leaning her delicately against their tree and crouched down, trying to pinpoint the direction where they were coming form. After deciding that they were coming closer from the north, he crept over and peered through some thickets, trying to spot a road.
However, what he found was more of a dirt path that wound past the trees and he spied the riders first. He ducked down as the first horse trotted by, seeming to be in a hurry, followed by a large group of thirty or more men. He crawled on his hands and knees back over to where Phi was and gently shook her shoulder, leaning close and whispering, "Phi, wake up. But try to be quiet, there are riders passing by, I'm not sure who they are..."
She opened her eyes slowly and stared up at him curiously and he pointed towards where he had found the path. Phi nodded, still a little dazed, and grabbed his hand as they hunkered down trying to get closer without being seen. They just made it and managed to catch the last four horses bringing up the rear.
Without warning, Phi let out a gasp and plunged out onto the path, running for one of the last horses. Alex called at her to come back but spotted what she had seen and rose shakily to his feet.
On the horse that Phi had dashed over to were two riders: a tall man with curly brown hair and a small boy...Luke!
The rider shouted out in surprise as Phi rushed his horse seemingly out of nowhere and had his hand on the hilt of his sword, but he froze as Luke screamed happily and threw himself into Phi's arms.
Phi was crying with relief and collapsed onto the ground, holding Luke tightly to her chest as the small boy wrapped his arms around her neck and buried his head in her shoulder. The rider called out in Tortallan, "Stop!" and the procession of horses halted and looked behind them to see what was going on.
By this point Alex had rushed over and it was his turn to be cried on by their youngest as Phi, tears streaming down her face, clutched her husbands hand. Luke stopped sobbing and sniffed, his nose running and his face filthy, "I thought-I thought you forgot about me!"
Alex hugged him closer, tears pricking his own eyes and shook his head fervently, "No, never...We would never forget...Where is Devic?"
Luke sniffled again and was about to reply when a man rode up to them, his face serious yet curious at the same time. Alex and Phi looked up, seemingly aware for the first time that there were other people there besides their son. The man frowned down, his expression thoughtful, and when he spoke, his voice was firm in educated Tortallan, "Who are you? How do you know this boy?"
Alex stood up, handing Luke to Phi who coddled him in her arms, and spoke back in rusty Tortallan, bristling with protectiveness, "We are his parents, and who might you be?"
Right before the man could reply, a light suddenly appeared in Phi's eyes and she gaped at him, "Oh my god! It's Devic!"
The man looked taken aback, "Yes...But how did you...Who are-"He leaned in as if to examine them more closely in the fading light and suddenly shocked recognition spread across his face, "Great Mother Goddess...Phiona? Alexander?"
Alex looked shell-shocked for a moment, then a smile spread across his face and he murmured, "It's been a long time Devic..."
Devic dismounted, his eyes never leaving them for a moment, his eyes overly bright, "I cannot believe it..."
Phi laughed and, having set Luke down, ran forward and grabbed Devic up in a huge hug, kissing his forehead, "It's so good to see you again."
Alex chuckled as Devic swallowed and, looking as if he was fighting back tears, motioned towards his very confused men, "Set up camp...Pitch an extra tent for my guests..."
The man who had been riding with Luke dismounted nimbly and walked over to stand behind Devic's right shoulder, peering curiously at Phi and Alex, who suddenly felt self-conscious and very aware of how dirty they must be after having fallen into the Spider monsters' nest. Devic pulled away from Phi and rested his hand on the man's shoulder, "Will, these are my very good friends Phiona and Alexander...Phiona, Alexander, this is my little cousin and second in command, William."
Phi nodded politely and Alex grabbed Will's hand, giving it a firm shake. Phi grinned, her eyes shining, "I remember you...Devic made you go deliver our letter last time you were here, and then right before we left you and he snuck into the room where we and the others were talking with Numair and Daine and spied on us!"
Comprehension spread across the young man's handsome face and he smiled, "Oh! I do remember now! It was such a long time ago! So Luke is your son?"
Devic suddenly cast his gaze downward and frowned, "I suppose then that Devic was yours as well?"
Phi nodded excitedly, but with her eyes filled with apprehension, "So he made it? What happened to him, where is he?"
Devic seemed to have lost his voice so Will spoke up softly, "We found your boys when they came into our camp to steal bread about two and a half days ago. After we spent the night, we came across a band of Scans, Scanrans, that we had been assigned to engage combat with. We took five prisoners and we began to head back to the capital when we ran across a roadblock and had to spend an extra night outside. During the night, the prisoners managed to escape and when we woke up, we realized that Devic, your son that is, had vanished along with them. In actuality, it was Luke who brought his absence to our attention..."
Phi had paled and Alex managed to choke out, "So...what happened to him?"
It was dark now and they could see little lights pop up where campfires were being fired up. Devic sighed, "That is the problem...We are not sure. Here, we should sit down. This may take a while..." He led them over to a campfire that his men had just built and sat down on the ground near it, warming his hands and waiting for the others to sit. Once Will, Phi, Alex, and Luke had gotten settled he continued, choosing his words with deliberate caution, "We found the man who had been assigned to guard them dead about a quarter of a mile away from our campsite. One of my men, a tracker, said that he saw signs that your son had followed them, hiding in bushes and behind trees. We continued to follow the Scans' trail through the woods all day and finally came across their most recent campsite. We found all five of them lying on the ground, dead, with no sign of a weapon or fight except for a large branch that was found near their bodies. We examined the area and someone found a small space in a bush where someone had recently spent the night. Assuming that was Devic, it looked from the broken branches and bits of cloth found on the thorns, that he ran out of the clearing and deeper into the forest. It is very likely that he is still alive, he hasn't been gone that long, but you must understand...My mission was not to watch over a stray boy...But if I had known that he was yours I- ...We were headed back towards Corus to report our success and I was feeling rushed so I did not pursue him..."
Phi nodded throughout his entire speech, staring into the flames. When Devic finished she looked up at him, "So...Where should we start to look for him?"
"You should begin where we last found traces of him, in the clearing where we found the five Scans dead..." His face was twisted into a thoughtful frown, "Will, I want you to take the men and return to Corus. Tell them about the mission but do not mention where I went to, saying that I was delayed by personal matters. Phi, Alex, I am coming with you and help you find Devic."
Alex turned towards him as Will raised his head from his hands, "Thank you Devic. It would mean a lot if you came."
Devic smiled sadly, "Well I do feel responsible..."
Will interrupted him, "Sir? I am coming with you, get someone else to lead the men back."
"Why?"
Will looked at his feet, seeming to be almost nervous, "You will require the services of a tracker, and a tracker I am. I can also help fight and I am truly fond of both the children and would not be able to relax until we find out what happened to them."
Phi grinned, giving Luke a quick hug and Devic nodded, "Very well, I will have someone else lead the men..."
Will nodded, "All right. I should go check up on how the camp is coming along..." He stood up, dropping his quiver down where he had been sitting and strode off to go look after the troops.
After a few moments, Phi spoke up, "So Devic, how have things been going for you? What happened after we left?"
Devic smirked dryly, "Actually not all that much. I continued in my training and became a knight. In one of my first assignments I was sent off to a small scuffle up North...That is where I received this lovely parting gift from a Scan on my cheek. Luckily, I have the Gift and was able to heal myself sufficiently so that I did not bleed to death. After a few more missions and tasks I was promoted to second in command of a small section of the Own. When my predecessor passed away during battle, I took his place. It seemed that I had impressed the King in my duties so he allowed my to keep the position although I was much too young for it according to most veteran standards. However, I have yet to loose a battle and luckily, this scar is the largest wound I have received...That is basically it..."
Phi gazed at him curiously. The way he told it, his life had been rather dreary and expected, but he looked as if something more had happened to him. She searched his face for answers to her unknown questions, looking at him as the firelight cast strange shadows over everyone. He had grown out his straight, brown hair almost down to his shoulders, his bangs drooping in front of his eyes. He had a well-trimmed beard around his mouth and the scar that cut across his cheekbone seemed to emphasize the dark circles under his eyes. Looking closer, she finally realized that the change, the reason why he looked different, was actually in his eyes themselves. Instead of being bright and curious as they were when he had been a boy, they now flashed and raged with emotion and secrets. Something inside him had altered.
He felt her gaze on him and he blushed slightly, "Do I really look that different?"
"You don't...And yet, yes you do. Something's different about you..."
He shrugged, his conscious begging him to tell her about his obsession with Trycos. She couldn't mean anything else, but he felt ashamed to speak of it, "Well, it has been more than a decade since you last saw me...I suppose I have changed quite a bit...But you must be tired. You, Alex, and Luke can have Will's tent, and he can share mine."
Phi smiled, "Thanks."
Alex glanced at her as she rose and quickly stood up, "Um...I guess we'll see you in the morning then?"
Devic grinned, "Of course."
"All right...Have a good night."
"You too."
Phi and Alex, who was carrying Luke, retired to their tent and soon Devic found himself yawning and trudged to his own tent.
About half an hour later he was joined by Will, who entered the tent scowling, "You could have at least told me that you let them borrow my tent for the evening you know..."
Devic, who had been close to falling asleep, rolled onto his back grinning sardonically, "Sorry...I hope I did not cause you too much embarrassment or inconvenience..."
"I can only say that it is a lucky thing that they were all asleep at the moment or I would be even more cross with you because of how awkward it would have made me feel."
Devic heard him remove his boots and tunic in the darkness and settle down on the extra sleeping pad Devic had laid out for him. After a few moments, Devic turned so that he was facing where Will was lying and asked softly, "Will? Have I gone mad?"
He heard a sigh and then Will's murmured reply, "Not mad, perhaps highly dedicated to your job and duties...Unless you are referring to your issue with Trycos to which I would reply that it seems to be more of a obsessive- compulsive addiction than insanity..."
Devic nodded, "Thanks..."
There were a few more moments of silence before Will spoke up again, "Do you feel as if you had gone mad?"
"I am not sure...No one has ever told me what going insane feels like..."
"Well, you sound sane to me, and as long as you do not do anything extraordinarily out of character I shall not worry and I would ask you not to worry either...Too much worrying is not healthy for the mind..."
"...But what if I have already lost it?"
"Then I suppose you can worry all you want."
Devic sighed and rolled back onto his stomach. He had a lot to think about. Like for instance how did Phi and Alex's children get pulled into his dimension? There were only a few people he knew of in his world who could accomplish such a task, and he was pretty sure it was not Numair. That means it had to have been..."Trycos!" He sprang up into a sitting position, whispering the name out loud. He was back, but why?
He heard Will mutter, "What's that?"
Devic glanced at the shadows where Will was and spoke excitedly, trying to keep his voice down, "It had to be Trycos who brought Alex and Phi's sons back to our world. That means he has some plan in mind! This is it Will, I can feel it! I am finally going to catch that bastard and teach him a lesson!"
"Wow...I have not heard you say that line in over a week..."
Devic scowled and fell back down onto his stomach, his hopes destroyed by one foul swoop of his cousin's words, "Why did you have to say that?"
"Only because it is the truth..."
"Will?"
"Sir?"
"Shut up and go to sleep."
He heard a small chuckle, "Yes sir..."
***
Devic (y) felt his consciousness slowly return to him as well as the pain from innumerous bruises and scratches on his body. To worn to prop himself up on his elbows so that he could take a look around, he merely opened his eyes a bit and peered around through tall grasses. He was lying on his stomach and didn't have the energy much to move his head, so he just gazed straight ahead.
Suddenly something moved into his range of vision. A pair of boots. That's nice.
He was about to close his eyes again and get some more sleep when his thoughts caught up with him and his eyes snapped open again and he stared avidly at the feet. Those looked like the same boots he had seen in the Scans clearing, the ones that appeared right before they all collapsed. Trembling, Devic mustered the energy to roll over and looked up, wanting to look his killer in the eyes before he died.
But what he found wasn't a monster or a hideous beast. It was a man. A man who was smirking down at him amusedly with his arms hidden behind a long, black cloak. A man with piercing brown eyes and slicked back brown hair. Devic swallowed and was amazed to find himself wishing that it had been a beast instead, for something about this man scared him worse than any creature could have, and he didn't know why.
***
A/N: Questions? Hopefully comments? Anything you want to see happen or want more of? Please Review.