"Not you, Radko. You stay here," Flavia said after she disbanded the council, making me turn to her. I released a breath through my nose, before waving at Chrom and Robin who soon left the tent with Basilio following suit.
Flavia peaked through the curtains of the tent to see if anyone was eavesdropping but spotted no one. She then turned to a shelf with her beverages and brought two cups with some brandy, pouring us two.
"Come on, sit down. I think you have a lot to say right now, and some rounds will help you," She said before bringing a chair for herself to sit on and I soon complied, taking a seat beside her.
I was silent for a few moments before taking a swig of the beverage, the alcohol almost burning my tongue, but it was a sensation I gladly welcomed.
"I was expecting a lot of things for you to hide, but never did I think it would be something so drastic as knowing the damn future," She looked at me with a surprisingly eased expression "How your shoulders aren't bulging with muscle because of the weight you carry is beyond me.".
A dry and mirthless chuckle escaped my lips.
"Trust me, Flavia, I have no clue either, and I tried lifting that burden alone too," I said.
"You idiot," Was all she said before taking a swig herself "Nobody in their life should be burdened with that knowledge, let alone someone so green to fighting.".
"Yet you still took me in when you could have cast me to the wayside. I always wondered why you gave me a pass back in the arena, even though I was very rash about the situation," I pondered out loud and Flavia smirked.
"Rash would be putting it lightly," She remarked and I let out a snort.
"Yeah, I wouldn't have that woman breathing down my neck whenever I was inside Ferox, even now," I admitted.
"Kid, we always make enemies no matter what our actions are." Flavia shrugged "Yours were just very unwelcomed in Ferox. While I can admire someone who fights to win, my subjects don't. Honor runs through us all in some capacity while you completely lack it.".
"I found honor very subjective. It's always winners who write history, and that can be filled with lies and self-righteousness," I said, swirling the beverage inside the cup "But you still haven't answered why you have taken me in. You never gave me a reason why.".
Flavia turned away from me, a contemplating look on her face before sipping the brandy and closed her eyes.
"When you are a khan for so long, you tend to meet the same people with different faces," She said "I just knew you were different.".
I turned to her with a raised eyebrow.
"Different how?"
"Do I have to spell it out for you, boy?" She said with a roll of her eyes once she opened them "I can name a whole slew of things that made you stick out like a sore thumb. The fact that you know the future proves it.".
"I guess you have me there," I admitted. I took another swig of the alcohol, before clutching the mug tightly, tips of my fingers turning white.
"It's hard," I blurted out without thinking "It's so goddamn hard.".
I told you, you aren't going to escape them.
"Shut up, or go away. I don't care which," I growled at the second me. No response was my answer as my mind began to feel empty, gazing at the mug in hand.
"Hmm?" Flavia hummed, prompting me to continue.
"It's so hard, Flavia. How can you people live this way?" I asked her, but she only raised an eyebrow.
"You're gonna have to be more specific than that," She said, making me scowl.
"You people constantly fight for your lives, yet you always stare down at death's doors with your heads held high. The only thing I can do is to put up a front and say everything is fine," I rambled, tears welling up in my eyes.
"This world wasn't meant for me when I am such a weakling. I killed people, and I tried to justify it that I am doing the right thing, but I just can't, I just can't!" I shouted at her, putting the mug away and buried my head inside my hands.
I was so pathetic.
"At first I found it as an opportunity when I got here, but that quickly turned against me. I had to change, but the life I left behind was more stress-free, and I am starting to miss it," I continued to ramble, tears flowing freely through the gaps between my fingers "Flavia, am I a coward for wanting to just run away from all of this?".
The silence was defining after my question escaped my mouth. She gazed at me with an unreadable expression before a sigh escaped her lips.
"Kid, no one will fault you for wanting to run away. In fact, I am surprised you haven't done so yet, especially with what you know," She admitted, making me feel even worse. She was actually expecting me to run away.
"But I'm gonna ask you this," She forced me to look at her directly into her brown eyes "Would you be able to live with yourself if you did?".
I stared at her, mouth hung open while a few idle tears were still streaming down my face.
"No," I answered barely above a whisper before looking at the ground again.
"Then there is your answer. Now, your only choice is to man up and bear everything, either yourself or with others, it doesn't matter how," She said with her arms on her hips before spitting at the ground "And you? Weak? If I saw you as weak then I would have left you in the cold wastelands of Ferox and let you freeze to death.".
I looked at her again, her face was one of disappointment.
"I didn't raise a cub into a scaredy-cat, but a lion who can be proud of himself of what he had achieved so far," She said while balling up her fist in front of me "You're supposed to be my champion, someone who makes people bow down by his sheer presence, yet all I see now is just a fragmented shell of a person who hasn't found his purpose.".
I clicked my tongue at her wording. She wasn't wrong, in fact, she hit the nail right in the coffin. What was my goal in the end?
To get back home?
No, if I did that now I wouldn't be able to keep my promise to—
"Emmeryn," I said before realization dawned on me, I had Emmeryn. She was my goal, to save her. I needed to save her.
No, I must save her!
I rose from my chair to the surprise of Flavia at first before soon adorning a smug expression.
"Now that's the fire in your eyes I almost forgot you had," She said.
I looked down at my arm and found out how calloused it was. I remembered my hands being clean and free of any dust, but now they were more akin to some miner in a cave. The skin felt tight, but not to the point I couldn't flex my fingers and I balled up my fist on instinct.
The muscles on my right arm flexed as well, making them feel even tighter, but it was a sensation I welcomed. I remembered the huge scar on my chest that went up to my neck and I idly touched it. The skin felt tough and it was then I realized I had the body of a warrior, and I would be wasting it if I ran away now.
Barely half a year, and I have changed so much. I was so enthralled by the world around me that I completely forgot about myself. A smile crept onto my face.
I had the information, and I even had power.
"I can save her!" I thought, fully determined.
Took you long enough to realize what you have accomplished so far and what you can accomplish. It feels nice to see you clear-minded once in a while.
"You just had to butt in, didn't you?" The non-existent smirk from my other self was palpable.
It almost feels like you don't know me.
I smirked as well.
"You are such an asshole, you know that?"
Wouldn't be the first time you called me said way.
"Well, kid, found your second wind?" Flavia said, bringing me out of my trance. My smirk was still plastered on my face before turning to Flavia.
"Yeah, thank you, Flavia. I needed that," I said to her, making her smirk as well "Can I be honest with you, Flavia?".
"When are you not?" She said while drinking from her cup, a chuckle escaped from my lips.
"Right. I actually never thanked you for taking me in. I honestly had no place to go at the time if you didn't accept me," I said, the smirk being replaced with a fond smile.
"I can't believe I am saying this, but you were almost like a mother to me when I needed her the most," She almost choked at the words I spoke "And the conversation we are having right now just proves my point.".
She gulped down the beverage before releasing a sigh and looked at me with an unamused stare.
"Boy, I'm too old to be a mother," She deadpanned before a small smile graced her lips "But even though people around Ferox don't like you much, you will always have a home there if the Ylissians don't work out. I do need my champion for the next tournament, after all.".
"I am sure you will find someone who wouldn't drive your people mad," I said with the wave of my hand "But thank you again, Flavia.".
"Yeah, yeah, keep your sappy talk to your girlfriend, boy," She said with a sly smirk "She needs it way more than I do.".
"I told you, she isn't my—"
"She is, boy. A lot of us can see it a mile away," She interrupted me "You both are just walking around the issue purposefully at this point.".
Oh, I think your cheeks are reddening, that's not a good sign.
"Shut up, not now! I'm trying my best not to show it!"
"Didn't we both tell you it's not like that?" I asked her, trying my best to hide my face with the mug.
"You do know what they say about denial. It's just the first step towards enlightenment," She rebuked with a shrug before drinking from her mug again "Now, get to drinking. You set yourself up for quite the mission, and it will take some time before you will be able to drink again. Make most of it.".
My red cheeks finally reverted at the mention of alcohol, making me smile before eagerly drinking the rest of the contents of the mug. I slammed it against the table, the wood shrieking in protest.
"Give me another," I said to her with a wide grin, and she gladly took the bottle with the liquor and poured another. Her grin was as wide as mine.
"We'll see you in Plegia then," She said, bringing her cup, ready for a little toast.
"And I'll wait for you there," I said to her before we clinked our mugs, making a more of a thud sound instead before downing our drinks in one go. A contempt sigh escaped both mine and Flavia's lips and we then eyed each other smugly.
"One more?" Flavia asked and I only nodded.
"One more."
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
The sound of beating hoofs against the ground filled my ears as both I and Gaius trotted our way towards the Granian River, our horses doing the heavy lifting. We passed through the thick forest relatively easily. I ducked under an idle branch here or there, before the countryside filled our vision.
"Alright, I think we can go into a full gallop for a little while. Let's find the nearest forest our way and set up a quick camp." Said Gaius, and I only nodded, patting the neck of the horse.
"Giddyup!" We both shouted before our horses sped up. The wind howled in my ears while it toyed with my hair. My steed pushed the wheat away, some idle grains hitting my face, making me scrunch my eyes while having the reins in a tight grip.
I had to say that as much as I hated horse riding at first, once I got past the slight fear of the beast, it became almost freeing to some extent. Though as it got colder with each moment, the chill wind was getting a little too much even for me, and my steed showed it as well.
It panted heavily, vapor came out of its mouth in thick clouds making me turn to Gaius.
"Gaius, we should stop for now. The horses are running on fumes at this point," I reported, making Gaius nod in agreement.
"Sure," He then pointed to a forest "Let's get to that forest, a small campfire there should warm us up.".
We soon reached the small patch, and slowed down to a trot yet again, before stopping at a decently sized spot with few trees and a small pond too. I dismounted my horse, tying the reins to a tree before letting the guy eat and drink up.
"I'd say this is as good of a spot as any," Said Gaius, who was already twirling his lollipop around in his mouth "So, want to clear the campsite?".
"Alright, I'll find some kindling in the meantime," I said and started walking around the perimeter of our supposed camp. It was more of a stroll to spot anything out of the ordinary, like a wild bear being nearby or a hornet's nest.
Or you could use this time to have a conversation with me, we have been in due for a chat for a while now.
I mentally groaned, though I guessed some small talk wouldn't hurt me.
"What do you want?" I asked him.
Well, I wanted to ask if you found out anything else about these 'tunnels' that are oh so conveniently placed under the river
I checked a tree trunk for a nest or some kindling before answering.
"No, I didn't. We both know that the tunnels weren't a thing in the game, and yes, it feels a little too convenient. But I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth."
I'd say those tunnels are dangerous, they could theoretically collapse, or be filled with too many Risen to handle.
I contemplated for a moment while picking up a small branch here or there before answering.
"Sadly, there isn't any other way to get to Plegia faster. I'm happy that the caves exist and I'll leave it at that."
Whatever you say, I smell suspicion unlike any other.
"How can you smell anything when you don't have a body? You are my imagination, after all," I thought with a raised eyebrow.
You hurt me with your words. Wasn't it me who helped you with handling our father's death?
I kept silent after he said that, idly looking around to get my mind off what he said, picking up a few twigs and logs. But soon a scowl appeared on my face
"Mention my father again, and I will somehow get rid of you," I threatened, only for the second me to scoff.
As if you could. Like it or not, until this war is over, I will be with you. You might as well get accustomed to me being here.
I clicked my tongue but didn't answer him, as I had no reason to continue this pointless conversation. Once I had done a quick circle around our camp, I went back to Gaius who already erected two tents for us.
I was taken aback by this sudden decision until I looked into the sky and saw it got dark really quickly.
"Huh, I forgot that it is winter," I pondered out loud before Gaius brought me out of my trance with a loud pop of his lollipop.
"Yep, winter does make the days shorter, and walking blindly in the dark won't get us anywhere," Gaius said "Now, could you make that campfire now? I don't want to freeze to death out here.".
"Sure, sure, no need to get all uppity," I said with a wave of my hand before rearranging the logs and kindling into a nice little teepee shape and lighted the kindling on fire with a few sparks from my tome.
"Well call me surprised to see you be able to make a fire. I was sure I was going to get a quick laugh from you trying to set it up," Gaius said while fidgeting with his lollipop in hand.
"Do you really think of me like I am some stuck up?" I asked him incredulously.
"Hey, that coat of yours looked more expensive than my entire sugar supply. At least now you can blend in with the crowd with the gig you have," He justified while getting closer to the campfire, pocketing his… coated lollipop back inside his pocket before rubbing his hands in front of the campfire.
"That is disgusting," I said plainly.
"Says the guy who eats onions like an apple," He shot back, making my eyes bulge out, mouth slightly agape.
"Wait, how did you—"
"You aren't stealthy at all, Popsicle. We are going to work on that on this little trip of ours," He said with a grin, making me groan.
"I was literally inside the caravan for food, how could you have found me?" I asked him.
"Where do you think I hide my secret stash of sweets?" He asked back, making me look at him with a perplexed expression before realization dawned on me. I was about to retort if it wasn't for Gaius stopping.
"Tell anyone and that coat of yours will be ashes, you hear me?" He sent me a glare which I gladly sent back.
"Touch my coat and that sugar stash will be five feet under the ground."
The cold wind howled during our staredown, the fire crackling all the while before one horse let out a small whinny broke the contest.
"Truce?" I said suddenly, easing a little, and a smirk adorned my face.
"Truce," Gaius answered, smirking as well "I knew you were going to be fun to talk to.".
"Well, at least we have that going for us," I remarked while idly picking my tome, looking at the pages.
"Too true, Popsicle." He said before fishing out his lollipop again. Although I found it disgusting he started licking it again, I just simply ignored him and kept staring at the pages of my tome.
I touched the text, for it to create an ice shard in my hand, and a small sad smile graced my lips as it floated in my hand, captivated by the sight. I was sad that magic was mostly used for killing. It could have a myriad of different ways of use but now it was only seen as a tool for nothing but hurting others.
I had my head leaning on my hand while I kept staring at the shard, my eyelids slowly closing until a small rustle alerted me. Gaius heard it as well, having his hands on his dagger, and gazed at the way where the sound came from.
We both knew it wasn't the horses, nor the crackle of the fire as I slowly turned to him, eyes still on the lookout.
"Did you hear that?" I asked him barely above a whisper.
"Yeah, I think we are going to have some company," Gaius nodded, making me open my tome.
"Just stay nearby, my magic will protect you from any strike," I said to him, making him grin.
"And then we counter," He spoke and I gave him a curt nod. Our eyes darted from branches to bushes of any kind, trying to spot our adversaries as we circled each other. Long steady breaths came out in clouds of vapor, before making my shard into a wieldable spear, taking a stance.
I heard a few whispers coming from the darkness, and not soon after that, an arrow whizzed through one of the bushes, aiming at Gaius. Thankfully, the barrier protected us both as the arrow got deflected.
Gaius immediately threw a dagger where the arrow came from and a small shout of pain was our reward. An archer revealed his position with the knife embedded into his shoulder. I wasted no time and launched a shard at him, piercing his other shoulder before he doubled over.
He howled in pain before bleeding out while his lungs failed him.
More rustling came from a tree, and I locked my eyes to the source, spotting another enemy who jumped from the branch before charging forward, almost within stabbing range.
I preemptively lunged with my spear, making the assassin, or whoever it was, stop in his tracks, creating distance between us. I was startled at first at the sudden movement of the enemy before throwing the spear at him. He was too close to dodge and the spear pierced through the leather armor he wore with ease.
He didn't let out a single whimper as he dropped to the ground before I quickly repositioned near Gaius.
"How many do you think they are?" I asked him who had another kill on him if that body with a slit throat wasn't any indication.
"If there were more, they would've already charged us," He said before he spotted another assassin running away into the darkness, too far away from us to chase him down, making me scowl.
"Shit," Was all I said, and Gaius mirrored my expression.
"That's bad alright. Welp, time to move out, we can't stay here," He said before kicking down the campfire, and the two tents immediately packed inside their bags. I, in the meantime, checked one of the assassins, but their gear didn't seem practical for them to be one. If anything, it was mostly for traveling, not fighting.
"Hey, Popsicle, we got no time to lose," Gaius said impatiently before spotting me checking the bodies "What are you doing?".
"These guys aren't assassins," I deduced, prompting Gaius to inspect the bodies as well. He rubbed his chin before taking an insignia from the body and scowling again.
"We got Plegians on our hands here, and these were scouts. We gotta move quickly," He said.
"Wait, why would Gangrel send scouts here of all places?" I asked out loud, baffled.
"Don't know, but if there is one thing I know, is that we need to move, Popsicle. Pondering about what the Mad King is doing isn't very productive. Not yet anyway," He retorted, making me reluctantly nod.
"There has to be a reason why," I thought while helping Gaius break the camp that we haven't used in any capacity.
It certainly is interesting. So, there is something that Gangrel wants in Ylisse, yet he has to search for it via scouts? Maybe to cover as much ground as possible.
"That… is a solid conclusion," I admitted, making my other self scoff.
I am supposed to be the voice of reason. Deduction is just one of the few skills I just so happen to have as well.
"Stroke your ego more, why would you? Besides, it isn't the hardest conclusion to make," I asked him unenthusiastically.
I will have you know that what I have said is more than truthful.
"Yep, stroking your ego," I thought before getting to my steed who was gorging on the grass, almost unaware we got attacked a few moments ago.
"Hey," I said while tugging the reins, making the horse look at me.
"We have to go. Sorry the break didn't last long," I apologized before mounting the horse through its protesting whinny before settling in. I kicked it lightly for a slow trot to reach Gaius, who was also on his horse already and a map in hand.
"We should reach the cave in a few hours if we won't get lost in the dark," Said Gaius "It would be nice to get some light.".
I sighed before snapping my fingers to create a small purple fireball that floated towards Gaius, illuminating the area in front of us.
"Huh, neat," He said while taking a quick glance at the ball before expecting the map again.
"Alright, I think I found a way to get there as fast as possible," He said with a slightly triumphant tone.
"Good, lead the way then. Once we get inside the tunnels we can rest there," I said, urging Gaius to move, and with a curt nod, we were on our way towards the tunnels.
Hopefully, I won't fall asleep during the trek.
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
No, I thankfully didn't fall asleep, but the ride was painfully slow. Even the small break we had before getting attacked didn't help the horses much. They were panting heavily, to the point where they would suddenly stop to just catch a small breather.
But after putting the horses through so much stress, and without any interference from other scouts, we finally reached the mountain that hosted the entrance towards the tunnels, and…
"Well, which one do we take?" I asked Gaius who was studying the layout of the mines. Seriously, there were more than a dozen ways to get inside. The giant wall of stone had mine shafts everywhere to enter any of the higher placed caves, though they showed their age. The wood looked dry and weathered, its usually deep brown color was lost, almost ashen in some cases.
"According to this map, we should take…" Gaius pondered before pointing at one entrance near the top "That one.".
"Of course it's the hardest one to reach," I remarked, making me sigh before turning to the horses. I unpacked the giant backpack before slapping the rear of the horse, who loudly neighed before bolting into the dark and nightly wilderness with Gaius doing the same as well.
"Well, time to climb, Popsicle," He said and he mapped out a way towards the highest entrance.
"I'm sorry, but I am not climbing something so unstable," I said defiantly before opening my tome and began to concentrate, letting the mana circuits do their thing. I let the magic build up before slamming my palms against the ground and a glacier sprouted in front of me, aiming for the highest entrance almost thirty meters high.
"Gods, what are you—" Gaius was interrupted by the sound of ice forming and once the glacier touched the entrance, I began to carve out the steps into the ice. Sweat started to form on my head as the glacier formed a climbable path.
It surprised me just how much that took out of me as I started to pant for air, one knee at the ground, but I soon finished my craft.
"I made us a way up there," I said with a tired smirk and a few droplets of sweat on my forehead. Gaius sighed at the sight.
"You know the shafts would be able to support our weight, right?" He asked me and I shook my head.
"This will be much... safer," I said while still drawing heavy breaths. The sugary thief shrugged.
"Alright then, might as well take the invitation," He said before climbing his way up the glacier and I soon followed suit, or I tried before the weight dawned on me and I buckled.
"Damn, that took a lot more out of me than I thought," I grimaced.
I was expecting a remark from my other self, but surprisingly, nothing came out of him. The quietness felt nice for once.
"Pops, get a move on!" Shouted Gaius and instead of complaining, I hoisted myself and soon reached the top, though my exhaustion was noticed by Gaius.
"Damn, Popsicle, I know you didn't like the shafts, but was it really worth the effort?" He asked me, slightly worried.
"It's alright," I said, trying to reassure him, though I was probably doing a miserable job "Let's move inside, before—".
I looked back at the glacier before realizing that I actually had to get rid of it as well.
"Shit," I thought. I brought my tome and was about to destroy the glacier if Gaius didn't stop me by grabbing my hand.
"I'll stop you right there, Popsicle. What were you going to do?" He asked me sternly.
"I was going to destroy the ice," I said to him truthfully and he sighed.
"I don't know much about magic and whatnot, but I'm pretty sure you would collapse if you would do anything remotely as crazy as that set of icy stairs you made earlier," He said while pointing at the glacier.
"I'll just get rid of the tip," I argued before Gaius put his hands behind his head.
"Fine, but if you fall from exhaustion I won't help you up," He stated, and I took that as a win. I channeled just a fraction of my magic circuits to shatter the tip of the glacier, making the entrance to the cave humanly impossible to reach.
Granted, that didn't mean much in this world, but it was a small repercussion I will take anyway.
"Alright, let's go," I said to Gaius who nodded and brought a torch and… waited for me to light it up.
God, I was running on fumes in stamina and my circuits were almost past the limit at this point.
With a snap and a flick of my hand, the torch caught on fire and was letting out an eerie purple flame, much to my and Gaius's dismay.
"Great, walking down a cave full of literal dragon corpses with a purple torch is definitely how I wanted this day to start," Gaius said while staring at the torch.
"Next time, light it up yourself," I curtly answered while crossing my arms.
"Fine, fine, whatever. Let's just go already," Gaius urged and we entered the Granian River's cave system.
There really wasn't a whole lot to see in the cave, as the early part of our trek was just filled with dark stone lit up by the purple torch with shafts that were showing their age. Spider webs were everywhere, visible dust on the wood and ground with unlit torches leading the way.
I stepped on a puddle of water, extremely cold and filled with mud. I turned my gaze to my feet, only to find the path was extremely narrow. It was filled with water and I checked the stone walls again to see a visible wet layer as well, with an idle droplet landing on the puddles from the ceiling.
We soon reached the first crossroad of the tunnels and Gaius and I called it a day, as we had zero rest since the scouts attacked. I snapped my finger again for another small fireball to appear and launched it at an idle torch, igniting the whole thing.
Again, it didn't reveal much, but the more we went inside the tunnels, the colder it got. At least the flames were good for something other than making us uncomfortable.
"Alright, want to take the first watch?" Gaius asked as his voice echoed in the cave, but I shook my head.
"No need," I said before sealing all three entrances away with ice, and I hit the breaking point. It hurt the cast, not the usual way of my chest heating up, but the familiar exhaustion clawed at me. It felt like I was squeezing myself dry.
I almost forgot how it actually felt like.
"You find the weirdest ways to use your mojo, you know that?" Gaius remarked while crossing his arms and a lopsided grin plastered on his face.
"You aren't the first to say so," I said with a snort before sprawling out my bedroll and tent as an impromptu mattress. It'll help keep the water away, and sleeping on rocks didn't sound pleasant at all.
I fell on my bed right after, and my eyelids were closing very fast.
"I'm going to sleep, Gaius. I don't think I'll be able to move otherwise," I said to him groggily, and sleep overcame me in a snap, too quickly for me to make out Gaius' answer before darkness filled my vision.
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
Being half-asleep was rather uncomfortable. The humidity of the cave alongside the cold made it hard to hold on to the little heat my blanket provided. I was sweating so much I felt like I came out of a shower and how tight my outfit was didn't make it any easier.
I opted to wake up, as I would rather prepare for the rest of the trek.
But the first thing that caught me off-guard was the lack of light. I was sure I lit up a torch before going to sleep.
I snapped my fingers again for a little fireball to light things up, but instead of Gaius and only three tunnels, I was greeted with endless darkness, the flame showing only the ceiling and ground made from stone.
"What the hell?" I exclaimed. I looked around the cavern to spot Gaius but he was nowhere in sight.
"Gaius!?" I shouted into the darkness, moving forward ever so slightly in the process.
"Gaius, if you are hiding somewhere then this isn't funny at all!" I yelled out, still not finding anything to block my one-way stride. I got no answer and I soon got tired of not seeing anything in front of me and I let the small fireball engulf my entire hand, letting the flames build up in strength.
It didn't help.
The darkness, while being more distant, still persisted. It felt like going up a never-ending staircase, as I couldn't spot a single wall that could block my path. Now that I thought, I couldn't spot any timber support either.
"Where am I?" I asked myself. Each step I made echoed in the neverending tunnel, sweat still forming on my brow and vapor coming out of my mouth.
At least I got some rest and I was energized, but this walk was getting annoying quickly. I condensed the flames like Robin would and shot out a flame projectile into the darkness.
The ball illuminated both the ceiling and the ground, following the ball like two light disks. But it never showed what was in front of it until I saw a small purple light reflection in the middle of the darkness. I took that as my cue to briskly walk towards it, lighting my arm on fire again to watch for my steps.
The small reflection appeared again once I got closer but before I reached it, a terrible chill went down my spine, goosebumps surging through my body. It felt like somebody breathed cold air down my neck and I snapped back and turned around.
But I didn't see anyone behind me.
"God, I hate this," I said, my heart beating fast in my ears. I was never fond of horror. Whoever breathed down my neck was going to get stabbed or punched. Either or, it didn't matter.
I turned back to the reflection and my flames finally reached the object, only to find a carcass. It was old, as webs and dust were visible on the bones, just like the wood that should be present.
I released the flames from my arm to light up the entire bone structure and was amazed by its size. It was so big that I could fit inside its rib cage before expecting its long spine that went past its leg bones, probably the tail.
Its maw wasn't as large and then I was captivated by its two long appendages that stuck out of its back that probably functioned as wings. Now I was curious what made the reflection until I spotted its eye socket. It held a pale blue sphere, almost translucent like ice, and looked way too pristine for it to be a rough gem.
I tried to reach out for the gem but my hand passed through it, only an outline of my hand visible inside in the eye socket.
"What the hell!?" I shouted, immediately pulling my hand away before checking if it was still whole. Thankfully it was.
"You..."
Oh, great, a disembodied voice was something I definitely needed now.
While I didn't know where the voice came from, I looked around the never-ending cave with the carcass behind me, and I was able to spot the person. I increased the output of the flame even more and I was shocked by what person was revealed.
The man was fully clad in red armor with a cape that reached his ankles and lined with white fur. A red and gold sheath was strapped to his hip with a red leather handle and a silver guard. That wasn't what shocked me however, it was the person's face.
It looked way too similar to mine but was partially covered by his white hair, his eyes hidden as well. Since I had white hair now, it almost felt like I was looking at a medieval version of myself. His eccentric and detailed armor didn't hide the small scar on his neck either that went down to his torso, again, extremely similar to mine.
He radiated a regal aura, even in such a cold place that were these mines. I tensed up and I preemptively created a spear for myself and took a stance.
He moved slowly towards me, his armor clanking with each step, yet it didn't look heavy enough to limit his movement.
"You look… different… than I remember," The figure said with a tone filled with curiosity. It sounded so close to mine, yet I felt the slight difference in tone. I was starting to feel an odd sense of deja vu, yet I couldn't place why.
"What do you want?" I demanded as I tightened my grip on the spear with each step he made.
"I think… I made myself clear the last time," He said in a tired voice like he had just woken up.
"Last time?" I repeated, baffled by his answer.
"You… do not remember?" He asked, lifting his head a little, though his bangs still covered his eyes.
"How about a better question. Who are you and what are you doing here?" I asked him impatiently, to which he scowled.
"I could ask you the same, leach," He seethed.
"Leach? You can't think of better insults or what?" I scoffed "If you don't have anything better to say then state your business. I don't like the glare you are sending me.".
"You are so full of yourself when you took what is mine," He said in a low tone "It's time I finally take it back.".
He unsheathed his sword from his scabbard with a shink, the pale blue steel glistening in the purple light before he pointed the blade squarely at me.
"Prepare yourself, thief," Was all he said before charging at me with incredible speed with his blade at his side, the rocky ground slightly cracking under the pressure of his feet. I brought my spear to block the blow just in time.
The weapons collided with a loud bang, sending ripples down my entire body. I buckled at the force of his swing, but he didn't stop. He followed up with a rising slash that I didn't have enough time to dodge nor block.
The blade sunk into my left armpit, cutting through the shoulder like it wasn't even there. I stared at my arm that ungracefully plopped on the ground, horrified by the sight before the pain surged through my system.
-sicle...
I screamed in pain as blood gushed out of my arm, coating my side red. I clutched my stub while going down to my knees, tears streaming down my face.
"Look at you, wasting what you have stolen. It is only natural for the weak to crumble and be ruled by the strong," He said, disappointed. He leveled the tip of his blade under my chin before forcefully bringing my gaze at him. He clicked his tongue.
"This is just pathetic. You should just beg for mercy, your display is distasteful," He said. I defiantly snarled at him through the pain.
"You… How fucked up are you?" I asked him "What did I take from you to do this to me!?".
He contemplated for a second before staring down at me with cold blue eyes, lit with rage.
"Everything," He responded "Now, time to take what is mine.".
Popsicle.
He lowered his blade from my chin and readied for an overhead swing. I looked at the ground, still clutching my wound, before spotting my tome far away from me. I started to chase after it, but his blade was already descending, wasting no time.
Time seemed to slow down as the blade touched the back of my neck. It slowly bit into it, separating the skin immediately before cutting into flesh. Few drops of blood squirted out of the wound, as the blade continued deeper into the neck.
The cold steel touching my neck made me shiver, yet I still didn't register the pain. I wanted to move, but my body didn't heed my command. I closed my eyes, hoping something would happen to end this nightmare.
"RADKO!" I heard a shout ringing in my ears, and I bolted into a sitting position, frantically breathing while sweating a river. My heart raced, before jerking from side to side, trying to scan my surroundings, only to spot the worried face of Gaius.
"Hey, Popsicle, you alright?" He asked me. I didn't know how to answer as I was still recovering from the nightmare that happened. It felt disgustingly real, the pain was unimaginable.
My eyes widened like saucers when I remembered what happened during the nightmare and I tried to feel the stub that was on my left. But the left hand was intact, as I slowly brought it to inspection. I flexed my calloused hand and the familiar tightness calmed me.
I took a deep breath, before looking back at Gaius.
"I think… I'm fine. I had a horrible nightmare," I said, making him sigh in relief.
"Thank Naga for that then, I thought you had a panic attack when you started screaming all of a sudden," He said while rubbing the back of his head "They weren't kidding that these mines were a bad omen.".
He then rummaged through his little bag and tossed a small candy my way as I caught it with my left hand. I was surprised by the gesture before Gaius gave me a small smile.
"Take it to calm your nerves, we gotta get through these tunnels within a day. I don't think you would be able to sleep here anymore," He said before taking his bag and the purple torch "Besides, this place gives me the creeps.".
I absentmindedly nodded, unpacking the candy and popped it into my mouth. The sugary treat was calming as it was some time since I had anything sweet. I packed my stuff as soon as possible before following Gaius to one of the sealed entrances.
"Get your weapons ready. We don't want any Risen to get the jump on us," Gaius recommended, his knives already in his hands.
"Right," Was all I said before manifesting an ice spear. I touched the entrance Gaius was closest and once he nodded, I broke the ice, revealing a hallway into the darkness.
I halted in my tracks for a fraction of a second, reliving the nightmare I had before shaking my head. I slowly but surely followed behind Gaius into the tunnel.
I was starting to feel claustrophobic.
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
I pierced another Risen's head, leaving the icy weapon behind as I turned to attack another undead going for Gaius. Launching a single ice shard did the job, piercing another head. Gaius then brought his knives down on the last Risen of this group, before it disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
I stayed quiet for a moment to hear any footsteps, but thankfully, only the calm silence of the cave filled my ears. I eased before checking on Gaius if he was alright.
"Man, you are really lucky that these things ignore you. If it weren't for me then getting through these tunnels would have been a breeze for you," Gaius pondered, another lollipop in his mouth. I sincerely hoped that it wasn't the one that lived in his pouch coated in saliva.
"I don't know if I should count it as a blessing or a curse," I said to him somberly, making Gaius quirk a brow.
"You haven't been yourself since you've woken up, huh?" He said and I nodded.
"Yeah, I did have vivid dreams in the past, but this one…" I stopped when a similar shiver went down my spine again while I absentmindedly clutched my left hand "This one felt different.".
"Damn, I guess these caves are really cursed. Better get a move on then," Gaius urged while inspecting the map again "We should reach the largest cavern next, and then it will be smooth sailing from there. No more than a few hours before we reach the surface.".
I was rather thankful for the news because these caves not only gave me the creeps, but that nightmare was extremely unsettling. I was so startled by it that I hoped my other self would help me but he was silent since we had entered the cave.
"Are you in there?" I asked, but again, my mind felt extremely empty. God, where was that asshole when I needed him the most! This never happened to me before!
"Anyway, let's move on. The largest cave should be up ahead," Gaius said which brought me out of my train of thought. I nodded and through the smell of the Risen and their rusty weapons on the ground, we reached the cave and my heart almost dropped.
For some reason, it felt like I have been in this place before, in that nightmare. No walls to block my path, just the endless darkness with only a disk of light above and under us. I didn't let my anxiety show to Gaius but almost clung to him once we entered the cave.
My senses went into overdrive, always seeking out anything inside the darkness as my eyes darted from one spot to another. The sound of the torch crackling calmed me slightly, but other than that, the deathly silence of the cave didn't help my nerves at all.
Gaius kept the torch relatively low to make sure we had something to breathe while keeping a quick pace that didn't waste time. Then, just like in that dream, something reflected the light of the torch and both of us spotted it.
Gaius paid it no mind however and continued his stride while I froze still, the sight being eerily familiar. I still had the urge to check it out just in case, but my entire being screamed at me to follow Gaius.
The guy from the dream could be anywhere.
But it was just a dream, not something real. The denial didn't make me feel any better though. Against my better judgment, I turned to Gaius while lighting my hand on fire.
"Gaius, I am going to check out something," I said to him. He turned to me with a raised eyebrow.
"You sure? If it's that thing that reflected the light then I would rather stay away from it as far as possible. It could have been a Risen for all we know," He argued.
"I… Could I still check it out? It would make me feel more at ease," I pleaded.
"You do realize we are on a mission, right?" He asked and I nodded.
"I know, but I don't think I will be useful if I would have my mind filled with meaningless thoughts," I said, making Gaius relent in the end with a sigh.
"Fine, but be quick about it," He commanded. I thanked him before briskly walking towards the reflecting light, and soon enough, I was greeted by a familiar sight again.
The same bones from the nightmare were here as well, the sphere present too. I turned around to spot anyone, yet nobody was breathing down my neck. If anything, my body felt like it was on fire instead, with all the self-made tension.
I turned to Gaius who was patiently waiting for me to finish, so I reached out towards the gem, and instead of the hand passing through, my hand touched the sphere this time. I got a firm grip on the gem and wiggled it out of its socket.
With a rocky pop, the sphere was in my hand, the size fitting in my palm almost perfectly.
Idle sparks formed around my arm, but they quickly subsided and the gem gave me some much-needed sense of relief. I turned around one more time, this time much more calmly, and still haven't found anything out of the ordinary, allowing me to ease even more.
With a contempt sigh, I went back to regroup with Gaius, before a small smile adorned my face.
"Well, found what you wanted?" He asked, easing as well when he spotted my expression.
"Yeah, I feel much better now," I said to him before showing the gem "Look what I have found.".
Gaius eyed the gem in my hand, letting out a whistle.
"Well, you got good eyes, Popsicle. I don't know why you had to go out of your way to get it, but if it made you feel better, then I have no reason to complain. Your remarks are a lot more fun when you are in the mood," He said. A chuckle escaped from my lips.
"Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't think that nightmare would shake me up so much. Now, let's get going," I urged, pocketing the gem inside one of my many pockets.
"Alright, let's get—" A sudden roar from the other side of the cave reached our ears before echoing multiple times. We both reached for our weapons while I sent out a fireball from my lit hand, revealing a small pack of Risen in front of us.
Red eyes filled the darkness again, making me sigh through my nose before snapping another small flame into existence.
"Time to fight a way through then," Gaius remarked, knives at the read while I went for a stance with my spear.
"Right behind you," Was all I said before we charged in to find our way towards the exit.
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
"Come on, Popsicle! We're almost there!" Gaius shouted while throwing another dagger at a Risen in front of us, making it buckle before I pushed it aside.
"I'm trying!" I yelled back. We were in another large cavern, but this time, it wasn't as empty as the place I found the gem. Oh no, this one was filled to the brim with Risen, more than we could manage with only red beads and low howls being our only indication of their numbers.
Sure, they ignored me, but Gaius wasn't as fortunate. After dispatching another Risen that aimed for Gaius with my spear, I pressed forward, following the thief right behind him. He was looking through the map with my fireball being his only light source.
"There!" Gaius pointed to an entrance that only had its outline visible. I didn't respond, as I was on the lookout for any Risen that were in front of us. Another revenant blocked our path but was dispatched as quickly as he had shown himself with another throw of my spear.
I was getting better at throwing my weapon with how recklessly I was disarming myself. If that was a good thing or not, I didn't know, as I had better things to worry about.
I didn't bother picking it up and bolted towards the tunnel, the Risen hot on our heels.
The tunnel became visible under our light, and we soon reached it. I immediately began sealing off the entrance with my ice and I saw how the red beads were coming closer, loud footsteps shaking the earth we were standing on.
I sealed it off just in time before the Risen came crashing onto the wall. The idea that they were piling on each other made me scowl, and I enforced the wall more than once. The ice began to crack under the pressure even through the added layers of frost.
"God, just how many are in there!?" I asked nobody, panting for air while still reinforcing the wall.
"I don't think we want an answer to that! Keep that wall up," Gaius said, weary as well before popping another hard candy inside his mouth. Maybe there was caffeine in them to keep him energized.
"I'm doing my best," I said with gritted teeth as another fissure formed on the ice. Sweat started to pour down my temples, and I increased the output of my magical circuits, but the cracks kept appearing no matter what I did.
"Damn. Gaius, I won't be able to hold them off for long. We have to get out of here," I reported and he nodded.
"Gotcha," He said while stretching his limbs and gulping down the candy he had "Alright, on count to three, we bolt to the exit.".
I gave him a curt nod to start counting while I still worked on the wall to keep the Risen at bay.
"One…"
Another fissure appeared on the ice wall, and I immediately repaired it.
"Two…"
The pounding at the wall got louder, even sending small ripples through the wall that shook my being. A small crack made itself known, but before I could patch it up, it broke. A pair of red eyes stared daggers at us through the small hole.
"Three!" Gaius shouted and we both bolted up the tunnel while my ice wall began to break. I didn't waste time looking at the wall and followed Gaius as fast as I possibly could.
Soon enough, we saw daylight at the end of the tunnel, and a small smile crept onto my face. I heard the ice wall break under the pressure of the Risen, but I still didn't look back. For all I knew, they could have been right under our heels, but the light coming from the entrance gave me enough comfort to continue my run.
Once we reached the exit, I was blinded by the light of the afternoon sun, making me flinch. I blocked the harsh sun with my hand before my eyes adjusted, and gazed at the area below me.
"I was expecting a lot of things, but another forest wasn't one of them," I remarked which made Gaius chuckle.
"What were you expecting then?" He asked, popping another candy inside his mouth. How many did he have?
"You know, a desert and… another desert?" I answered while scratching my chin before shrugging "Oh well, not like my info was always consistent.".
"Right," Gaius drawled, his hands on his hips.
"Anyway," He looked back at the entrance into the mines "We should move, I don't need the zombies taking my sugar supply.".
He looked down at the forest before eyeing me expectantly.
"Going to make another slide?" He said with a small smirk in place but I shook my head.
"I would rather like to move out immediately thank you very much," I answered before climbing down a rocky path that felt much more stable than those wood planks called shafts. Honestly, they looked like they would crack under any pressure.
Sliding down into the forest didn't take long before we found a water source nearby and stocked up. Much to my surprise, the desert wasn't far away from the small patch of green land and the sand was painfully slow to move through. There weren't any stone paths to make things easier.
Since it was getting dark, again, we set up a quick spot with enough hard sand that would work for an impromptu place for a tent. Thankfully, the wind didn't blow our sleeping place away.
Day two in the desert was as boring as it sounded.
Sand, sand, and look, more sand. Nothing out of the ordinary while the sun shined at us. Surprisingly, it wasn't as strong as I thought it out to be. Maybe it was because of winter, but sunburns were still present.
God, I wished sunscreen was a thing here.
"Ow," I winced at the touch of my nose, deep red in color.
"Should have worn your hood, Popsicle. Otherwise, you're going to melt," Gaius said with his grin plastered on his face.
"Wasn't expecting you to be up for puns," I asked him while I fixed my heavy backpack and put the hood on. Gaius smiled.
"Hey, as long as it is tasteful, I'm down for some. Maybe next time—" He was interrupted when he spotted something in the distance.
"Look," He prompted with a pointed finger, and I looked in the same direction, only to spot a village. Everything was made out of dark stone and wood, giving the village a rustic feeling in comparison to Ylissian towns.
"Should we avoid it or?" I asked him and Gaius shook his head.
"No, we should be able to find mounts that will help us through the desert. I'm sure the people could use a coin or two," He said while fidgeting with his backpack before moving forward.
"Wait, I thought we were supposed to be stealthy," I said to him, trying to keep up.
"Yeah, and the point of stealth is to look as normal as possible. You would get more attention if you had a hood up and kept looking at the ground," He surmised, making me touch my chin.
"I guess that makes sense," I admitted "Though now I am kind of regretting not doing something with my hair, I will probably stick out no matter what.".
"There is nothing we can do about that now, and I don't think that small village is going to sell any dyes," Gaius shrugged, leaving the conversation there.
The sand grains crunched under steps, as my feet slowly sunk into the sand. The wind, still quite cold, pushed the sand into forming peaks to climb. With an idle sandstone that made the trek slightly easier, we were very close to reaching the village.
Hello? Can you hear me?
I flinched at the echoing sound of my other self finally appearing again so suddenly.
"Wait, you're still there?" I asked and a sigh of relief left his non-existent lips.
Oh thank the gods, I thought you had gone deff with how much shouting I did to get your attention.
"You didn't say a thing when I was inside that cave. I even wanted your company for once," I said to him "I had a vivid nightmare, and I have no intentions of dreaming that again.".
Looks like I have missed quite a lot then. What ails you?
"Like I said, a nightmare that felt far too real. So real in fact that it somehow predicted the layout of a small cavern," I grimaced without knowing it "And I felt like I would have died if Gaius didn't wake me up in time.".
…
Deftly silence was my answer, much to my annoyance.
"Say something for god's sake! You make yourself known only to keep your mouth shut!?" I shouted at him, but before I could get an answer out of him, Gaius had a hand on my shoulder.
"You alright there, Popsicle? Your face had a myriad of expressions before settling on a scowl," He said. I eased a little and breathed a sigh.
"I was just talking to myself," I answered, eyeing Gaius "Sorry for slowing us down.".
"Come on then, the town is right in front of us," He said, and he was quite literal with that fact. The houses were just a few paces away while we were standing on a road made of sandstone.
I removed my hood to have a better view of my surroundings and the sight… wasn't pretty.
While the village looked fine from a distance, it told a completely different story once inside. Many of the homes barely looked like they could stand, some had even roofs made of twigs. Windows were non-existent and the main plaza, if you could even call it that, was void of people.
I didn't see any stalls offering food or anything else, nor a well that could provide any source of water. Not a single piece of land looked fertile either.
"Gaius? Are you sure this place is inhabited?" I asked Gaius, warily checking my surroundings.
"Yep, we got used to the cold, Popsicle, but the people here aren't as fortunate. The sun beats at them mercilessly nine times out of ten. Cold wind for them is like a snowstorm for the Feroxi," He said, before pointing to something you could consider a stable with camels.
"And there is our ride," He exclaimed while I just stared at him.
"You're serious, aren't you?" I half stated.
"When am I not?" He shot back with a smirk, making me sigh.
"Fine, just do your thing. I'll wait for you outside," I said, bringing my tome into view again. Gaius gave me a light salute, popped another candy, and went inside the stables to catch us a ride. I leaned on the bridled sandstone and patiently waited for the thief to finish.
Or I would have, but I had an important conversation with someone that needed to be resolved.
"Why were you silent the entire way through the tunnels?" I asked sternly, forcing him to answer whether he liked it or not.
I wasn't. I kept calling you out, but you didn't budge a single time. Your ignorance kept me busy.
"Don't even try blaming me," I sneered "You are starting to act more and more independent, and I don't like that one bit.".
Very easy for you to say when you haven't seen my side of the story.
"I don't care what your side is, I needed you when I called out for you, yet you didn't come. If it wasn't for that gem I found, I would have panicked when that giant horde of Risen appeared," I explained.
Wait, what gem?
"How do you not know?" I asked him, completely baffled, and disappointed. I fished out the sphere from my pocket, its pale blue glow still apparent under the bright sunlight.
"Found it in an eye socket in the cave that nightmare showed. So far, it hel—"
Get rid of it.
I was taken back by the sudden forceful tone, the only word that came to mind was "Why?".
Do I have to explain it to you? You found a gem via a nightmare. If there is any cause of concern, it would be that sphere. Get rid of it.
I clutched the sphere tightly in my hand, as idle sparks formed again, making me feel safer, similar to my coat.
"No," I replied resolutely.
You idi—
"This discussion is over," I stated, shutting him down and, metaphorically, coming back to the real world, only to find a small child in front of me. He gazed at me with curious brown eyes, tilting his small head to the side.
"Who are you, mister?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper. I took a closer look at him and almost winced at how the boy looked.
Lean muscles, visible bones, barefooted, and only a haggard cloth as his only way to hide his body with baggy pants. Yet, he still was able to press on despite his circumstances and he let his curiosity overtake him.
I kneeled down to his level, and he backed off slightly, but I smiled at him.
"I'm nobody important," I said, but the boy pouted.
"No, you're not. You have white hair. My mom says that white hair makes people special," He ranted lightly, but I didn't find it annoying, only endearing.
"You know that's not true. You are special too," I responded with the shake of my head, taking the boy back slightly before he crossed his arms and gave me another pout.
"How?" He almost demanded, much to my amusement.
I didn't answer him immediately. Instead, I poked his chest lightly, where his heart was supposed to be.
"Ow!" The boy yelped "That hurt!".
"It should because I just showed you why you are special," I answered, much to the boy's bafflement.
"Wait, how?" He asked.
"My father always said that everyone has that little something in them that makes them unique, therefore special. Finding it is the hard part," I said to the boy, and his eyes lit up.
"So that means if I search really hard, I will have white hair too?" I had to resist the urge to laugh, but a small chuckle escaped my lips nonetheless.
"No, not like that. You will find a way to be special in your own way that's unique only to you," I explained, but the boy tilted his head in confusion.
"I don't get it," He said.
"I'm sure you'll understand. Just give it some time," I said while I ruffled his hair, and the boy started to laugh. The only thing that made me sad was the state this little guy was in.
"Demi? Where are you?" I heard a voice from the back of the stables, and I spotted a woman that looked a little better than the boy, but it wasn't a big improvement. She had a garb made out of leather with a long skirt.
I checked back on the child that looked quite similar to the woman, so he was probably the one she was looking for.
"Go on now, your mother is looking for you," I urged the boy, but he didn't want to.
"I like you, mister. Do I really have to go?" He asked with puppy dog eyes.
"Your mother is going to be sick with worry if you don't show up soon. You don't want that, right?" I asked back, and the boy started to fidget with his fingers.
"No," He answered eventually "But you can come and see mom! She is very nice!".
"I can certainly believe that," I said before my expression fell a little "But I don't think your mother would appreciate seeing you talk to strangers.".
I looked at his haggard body again, making me adorn a neutral expression. I fished out one of many waterskins from my backpack and handed it to the kid.
"Take this. Now, off with you," I shooed him away. He shook the waterskin a few times to hear the water sloshing inside. His eyes started to sparkle again, before giving me a curt nod.
"Thank you, mister!" And there he went, disappearing into the main street where his mother was looking for him.
"Demi!" The mother shouted in relief before clutching the boy tightly in her embrace "Oh thank the gods I have found you.".
"Hi, mom! I met a very nice mister and he gave me this," He said while showing off the waterskin I gave him. I didn't hear the rest of their conversation as I did not need to eavesdrop on them.
But I turned to a Gaius with a sly grin plastered on his face.
"Popsicle," Was all he said, making me drop the smile and give him a deadpan stare.
"How much did you hear?" I asked him while standing up from my squad and dusting myself off. His grin widened.
"I heard your whole 'being special' speech. It was extremely cheesy, if not surprisingly inspiring," He said, almost ready to laugh. I shrugged, much to his surprise because of my response, or lack thereof.
"My dad always liked to say that. I can only hope that boy will make use of those words much more than I ever did," I answered neutrally, hoping to hide that small crack in my voice.
"Your dad is quite the wise man then," He said, but my face fell.
"Was," I corrected automatically.
"Oh, sorry to hear that," He said awkwardly, but I waved it off.
"It's alright, you didn't know," I responded "Well, did you get us the camels?".
"Yep, the man was glad to finally get his hands on some gold after a while. The guys are ready for us over there," He answered while fidgeting with his hard candy inside his mouth, before pointing towards the two camels, ready and waiting.
"So, do you know how to ride one?" I asked him.
"Hey, it can't be that different from a horse," He replied, before putting his backpack on the camel. It grunted, tapping its feet a few times and Gaius soon mounted it. He experimentally kicked his mount, and it started to trot away from the stables, much to my surprise.
I was rather reluctant to mount something with such a derpy face. I looked at the camel who was chewing on something while its lower jaw was loosely opened. I gingerly put my backpack on that thing and it grunted. If it was one of protest or anything else, I didn't know. It only made me narrow my stare at the derpy-looking fellow.
"Don't you dare spit at me."
AN: Yes, I am sorry, this chapter was supposed to be posted last week, but I needed to take my time with it. There might me some recompense, but don't take my word for it.
Anyway, hoped you liked today's chapter.
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God's speed.