Delarn had expected the night to be long, with how the lights flickered erratically and the tower trembled as if it might crush them to death at any moment. Sometimes she imagined it would destroy them all equally, and sometimes she believed that it would only kill her and Talem. At any point of the night, she really didn't care as they laid close together and talked. There was definitely a lot of talking, and she never imagined she would ever be able to talk to someone like this. It almost got to the point where each time the tower would start to tremble, they would laugh about it. Talking would never be enough to describe the night they spent together.
"There are some things I want to do that I simply cannot try as a man," Talem explained to Delarn, his voice husky as he whispered it in her ear. "We may as well do it before the morning if we're not going to be sleeping."
The plan was to avoid him being seen by anyone that might recognize him as a friend of Delarn, anyone that might be looking for her after Glen had exposed her, wouldn't recognize him for who he was. He explained it with a grin on his face, and Delarn, her eyes bright and eager, considering him quite clever and more knowledgeable than any man she had met prior, agreed. They had managed to fall asleep eventually, Ray holding Talem close against him.
Despite how she seemed to be wearing a disguise, she slept close to Ray as well, her head resting on his shoulder. They slept late despite the urgency of the task at hand. Ray didn't consider anything more urgent than this even when he naturally woke up before Talem, and before long fell back into a restful sleep before Talem finally woke up herself.
"It shouldn't be hard to find what happened to Reeva if she did succeed," Talem told Ray, laughing at herself in the mirror as she combed her hair straight. Ray watched her, tracing scars that he had found on her back by memory. He felt a bit giddy and confused, and it took a moment before he could manage to speak.
"Right, of course. I'm sure she'll be a bit upset that it took us so long to get back to her. I wouldn't be surprised if she thought we were dead by now. Being dead doesn't sound so bad all in all. I think we'd have a bit more time that way," Ray hummed.
"Perhaps she was right," Talem teased, glancing at Ray from the mirror. It took Ray a moment to realize what she meant before he quickly turned to face the wall. Talem laughed shrilly, finding it adorable to see him so embarrassed. "I'm sure if she's not wandering about somewhere nearby, she'll be easy to find in the library or that little shop. She won't be far at all. Before I go, I wanted to ask you something important."
"What is it?" Ray answered, still not facing her.
"How far are you willing to go for all this? I really can't see what you have invested in this tower or in this country. I feel as if you could really shirk all responsibility for any of this and be perfectly fine. What do you have to lose if you fail here compared to if you succeed?" She asked.
"You're asking if I would rather save myself if it comes down to saving everyone or just myself?" Ray asked.
"I suppose if there's anyone else important to you, you might be tempted to save them as well, but have you ever considered that you're not meant to be the hero not because you're not heroic, but because it's simply not your problem?" Talem asked honestly. "Have you considered that you don't deserve being sacrificed for people that don't really care for you? How many people who have asked you to put your neck on the line would weep for Delarn?"
"I suppose you're right. I suppose when you put it that way there aren't many. I think I know one person alone that I could rightfully say I would regret not giving myself for," he answered quietly.
"Delarn," Talem said slowly and carefully, "If you should find this person on the line, I would much prefer you save yourself. That's what I would do."
"Would you?" Ray answered thoughtfully. "I wish I could be more like you." He laughed a bit and added seriously, "If you wouldn't mind, could you promise me that if you ever are afraid that I might not be doing something in my best interest, that you won't betray me? Even if you know, by all means, that preventing me from going forward would save my life and I'm giving it for nothing otherwise, will you please promise me that I won't ever have to doubt you?"
Talem paused for a moment and replied, "I'll tell you if I think you're being a fool, but if you really want me to enable you to do something I don't agree with, at least let me tell you that much."
"I don't mind if you tell me outright that you don't believe I should be doing something or even say that you would prefer to prevent me from doing something, but please will you promise not to get in my way? If you trust me enough to tell me the truth, will you at least trust me enough to allow me to go through with what I'm going to do if I'm feeling so strongly about it that I'm not listening to you?" Ray replied.
"I fear you'll already be lost at that point anyway," Talem said quietly, softly. She didn't seem to notice that Ray had turned back to face her, or perhaps she didn't realize that even with his poor vision he could make out far more in the mirror than he would ever let all.
"I didn't mean to upset you," Ray told her softly, sitting and standing to move closer, his head tilting to the side.
"I'm not," Talem started to say, but stopped for a moment before continuing, "It's just that I don't think I've met someone quite like you before. One moment you seem so young, and other times you seem absolutely indescribable. Even now, with that worried look on your face. I want to wipe it away with a smile." As she said it, she looked at him over her shoulder, smiling at him, though he could tell she was tearing up a moment ago. Even then, he felt strangely warm to see that look on her face, and he couldn't help but offer a quiet smile himself. The moment he did, she exclaimed, "See! Just like that."
"I have to admit, it's hard to take you seriously like that," Ray chuffed quietly, amused.
"No? I don't think it suits me either, really, but I think I suit you either way," she answered, winking. Ray blushed and looked away, and she laughed, "Please, my dear. You're so darling when you do that. Though I wasn't lying when I said this is best. They won't even notice me if I'm like this. I also doubt they'll notice you. Even knowing what they do of you, they're more likely to be looking to catch a woman. You're quite more than that, I believe, though definitely no less."
"Yes, I believe you're right," Ray replied and paused. "Before you go and get Reeva, and before this whole thing begins again, would you mind telling me something about yourself? Anything?"
"Well," she replied carefully, her smile growing a bit crooked as she looked up into his golden eyes, "I was an orphan from a young age. I spent much of my time as a performer before I was captured by slave traders. I spent much of my time being forced to do things I did not want to do for people that didn't care for me. I said to myself, 'Talem, you owe no one anything' and I said that I wouldn't do it ever again. Not for anyone. The funny thing is that it gets caught under your skin after a while, though with the right person—I think it's all worth it. Do you consider it all worth it, Delarn? Do you really want me to fetch her or do you want me to do a little trick for you and get us far away from here? For you? I'll do anything."
Ray considered long and hard. His head tilted to the other side slowly. "Will you give me one last kiss before you get her? A promise that we'll both survive this and never have to do this for anyone else ever again. I think I want to do it, but for myself for once, because I want to see it through."
Talem sighed quietly, looking longingly at Ray, simply wanting to be away and see him safe, but she knew the kind of person he was already and knew he would never be content. "Alright, my dear," she answered. She leaned up, and they kissed. It was slow and tender, and as they embraced. It felt like an eternity in paradise before it was over.
"That was a promise, was it not?" Talem asked. "Keep it."
Then they were apart, and she was gone. Ray stared at himself in the mirror and saw that the image was blurry to him. He wiped his eyes.
Reeva, when she returned, frowned at the two of them. She didn't believe for a minute that they weren't playing some sort of game with her, being reversed as they were, even when Talem—through choked laughter—explained to her again and again that it was necessary in order for Talem to be able to get out of the tower and find her at all. Not that she was far. She had been wandering the halls, trying to find her and Ray. The guardians weren't interested in her at all though she was the true intruder in all of this, and so she wasn't bothered by their searching, slavering behavior. They passed her by, and she passed them by.
"I'm supposed to believe that you waited this long simply because you thought it was for the best?" She finally asked.
"No," Ray answered simply. "Not for the best of the greater good anyway. I personally considered it best for myself. Talem does as well."
"That's right," she replied, still grinning widely.
"I suppose neither of you found someone with animal eyes?" Reeva asked.
"I have animal eyes," Ray answered. "What do I need to do?"
"The beacons are lit now, but I don't know how much longer I can keep them lit," she replied. "You have to get to Oztraz as quickly as possible and complete the spell. If you have eyes of an animal, you'll know what to do." She scowled at Ray, and he didn't doubt she doubted him.
"Will I?" Ray replied. He shook his head. "Oztraz is at the top of the tower by now, I imagine. It won't be simple, but I think I can manage."
"With an old spell system like this one?" Talem commented. "Between the two of us, it'll be easy."
"He ought to go alone," Reeva said solemnly, "for the best results."
Talem looked at Ray for a moment, and Ray answered nonchalantly, "I'm not looking for your best results. I'm looking for mine, and I believe it will be best if I have Talem at my side."
She pursed her lips but nodded slowly. "If it's how you wish for it to be done, then I can't blame you, just as long as you stop this madness and return things to how they used to be."
Ray nodded, going to open the door and looking at Talem to make sure it was safe for him to exit, but before Talem could say anything, Reeva told him, "I was glad to know you," and opened the door to walk past him and away from the tower. The guardians didn't yet recognize him, so they didn't yet stir.