"Blade art…"

At first, things looked so pretty. It was almost as if being showered with golden light, so mesmerized that he could detect an array of colours melting in and out of it, blurring and then becoming all too real again.

"Senko Jin!"

Lucian opened his eyes.

Sunlight poured harshly onto his face, and he closed them again.

"We have been worried," a voice said, and Lucian's eyes fluttered open, only a squint this time. Brian suddenly came into view, smiling down on him. A wave of nausea crept into the pits of Lucian's stomach. He made no effort to move.

"It has been nine days since you have…" Brian started, a sword in his hands, and perspiration budding on his forehead. He sat down next to Lucian's head.

"A girl named Platina found you, on the side of the road. She only knew, for no one else took care to see if you were dead or alive. There was word you had fallen,"

Lucian groaned, and he shut his eyes to block the incoming glare. He heard a splash of water and then a deliciously cold and wet cloth was laid across forehead.

"When I heard that you were hurt, I rushed to where you were laying. Your villagers watched me with darkened faces as I slowly lifted and carried you back here," he went on, carefully rubbing at Lucian's pale, sickened face, "and you've been with me ever since,"

Brian removed the cloth and Lucian opened his eyes. His tongue felt spongy and he realized that he was aching to relieve the cracked, irritated permeating his mouth. Brian sensed this quickly and lifted a shallow bowl and Lucian thirstily pressed his lips to the edge, eagerly taking in cool water. Brian filled it three times before the boy let his head slump back onto the pillow.

"I went to your parents and told them what happened. Your Father…eh, well he didn't seem to mind that I was going to help you,"

"Maleah," Lucian croaked, and felt his body tremble in exhaustion. Brian pressed his palms to his cross legs quietly and then said softly, "I killed the ones I found, Lucian. There were no wagons or children in sight,"

Lucian erupted into a fit of sobs and Brian quickly pressed the cloth to his face again, silencing him.

"They must have gotten to everyone long before they grew close to Coriander. The remains of supplies and the…the struggle of the takeover is lost somewhere deep in the forest. I didn't go very far,"

Lucian willed himself on his side, so he could wipe his tears on his pillow. He became transfixed with the blade laid flat in front of Brian's feet. It looked cold and metallic, exactly the way Lucian felt inside. He wanted to press his cheek against it.

"I think that your village is suddenly very against my staying here," the man went on, somewhat regretfully. "I should like it if you come with me when I leave this place,"

Lucian wanted to scream yes, to nod vigorously. Instead, he felt a sort of dull uplifting feeling flood into his body. It was enough to know that he wanted to go and to never return.

Just like Maleah had.