Authors: Nicholas Alexander
This huge thing, it flew down from the ceiling, taking only a few seconds to pass over the lake and grasp the eel in its talons. There was a heavy splashing sound as the thrashing creature was pulled from the water. And then the large shadow flew off into a dark corner of the cavern, and after a moment, a sickening crunch was heard.
Once things settled down, Luca turned to his brother. “What was that thing?!”
“The master of these caves,” he said. “He doesn't prey on humans, so have no fear. The other monsters hesitate to come out because of him, but you drew out that eel by going into the lake.”
Luca looked up at the dark corner where the beast had vanished.
“Does anybody else know about this?” he asked.
Ash shrugged. “I think Dori may.” He then started to walk away, clearly done with the conversation. He had nothing more to say, about him attacking him, their father's sword, or the monstrous thing that had just killed the eel.
Ash had saved him, even though he had gone after him. Ash had called out to him, calling him 'brother', as he did so. That meant something.
It meant that he did still have family - just not a brother who could be a friend to him as he had hoped.
Luca looked over at the lake, where his father's blade had fallen, and where it would remain forever now. Because of his stupidity, he had lost the blade he had sworn to kill Zinoro with. He would still kill him - he would not abandon that vow no matter what - but without
Siora
, it wouldn't be the same.
With a heavy sigh, he turned and left the lake behind.
<> <> <>
When Luca finally returned to the temple grounds from his trip to the caves, he found Emila back at the bench with Brand. They were talking, and as they spoke, he saw her laugh happily. Illogically, he felt a jealous pang of anger pass through him.
He suppressed his feelings as he drew near them.
“Luca,” Emila spoke softly as he drew near. She sat up and looked at him with eagerness in her eyes. “How - how did it go?”
He sat down at the bench beside her. “We ended up fighting.”
Emila frowned, and she watched him, unsure what to say. Brand sat with his fingers steepled before him, his eyes closed in thought.
Some time passed as they sat there in silence.
Luca felt the absence of his sword, its familiar weight gone from the belt he wore. He felt like he had done something horrible in losing it. Even now, he could almost feel it calling to him from the caves far below his feet. And yet, he could also feel - with more certainty - the connection he had with Emila. She was still watching him, an empathetic look in her eyes. He felt guilty that she was concerned for him, and that he needed to say something to her to alleviate this doubt.
“He said things,” he told both Emila and Brand quietly. “He was angry and paranoid. He thinks there is a conspiracy within the temple.”
From the corner of his eye, he saw Brand look down in contemplation. He did not let his gaze linger.
Despite the madness in his brother's words, they had given him doubt. Certain things had been bothering him. Namely, that his brother's existence had been hidden from him, and that his killing of Davik was being kept quiet from the students of the temple. It made him wonder what other information Allma the third was keeping hidden, and what goals he could have. Ash had warned him that anything he said to Brand would get repeated to Allma. So Luca did not look directly at him when he spoke, because he didn't want him to think he was searching for a reaction in his eyes.
“He has been looking for daggers in every shadow since he came here,” Brand said. “I really am sorry, Luca. I truly wanted to be proven wrong today.”
“No apologies are necessary. I didn't go to him with any expectations. I just went because he is my brother, and I needed to meet him. The kind of person he turned out to be is irrelevant.”
Emila looked away from him at last. So that was her answer.
“I see,” Brand said, as he rose from the table. There was a tired look in his eyes. “I must be going now. I have training to do yet. We'll speak tomorrow?”
Luca nodded.
Brand smiled. “Then I will take my leave. Emila - think about what we discussed.”
Emila frowned, and she nodded. Brand gave one last curt nod, and he turned and walked away towards the middle sanctum.
“What was it you discussed?” Luca asked Emila.
She looked away.
“Nothing important.”
The rest of the day passed without incident.
<> <> <>
“You haven't said anything yet.”
Luca stopped and turned to her in confusion. “About what?”
Emila strode past him into their room, and she sat down upon the bed.
Luca closed his eyes and sighed. “Ah. I see now.”
She tilted her head to the side. “I was surprised. I at least thought you would have something to say this morning.”
“My silence was no accident. I was actually hoping you wouldn't bring it up at all.”
She blinked. “But - why?”
Luca sighed again, feeling really tired, and sat down on the floor. “Because this way, you got to sleep in comfort, and I could sleep right here, which is the chivalrous way.”
“Chivalry makes women weak,” Emila said, placing her hands on her hips haughtily. “We can't have men doing everything for us. Sometimes, a girl has to take charge and get her hands dirty. There's nothing with the guy being cared for once in a while.”
He felt a headache beginning. He rubbed his temples to ease the coming pain. “I don't really want to get into this sort of a discussion right now. It's too late for that.”
“It is late, isn't it? I bet the bed sounds pretty nice right about now...”
“Emila, give it up. I'm not using that thing while I'm sharing the room with you.”
She sighed, and sat back against the wall. Then, there was a flash of inspiration in her eyes, and she sat back up.
“You know...” she said. “There isn't really any reason why we can't both-”
“
No
.”
She pouted, and got up off the bed. “Fine then. We'll both use the floor.”
“I don't know why we have to talk about this every night,” he said. “We're just talking in circles at this point.”
He lay down upon his sleeping bag, and rolled over on his side, facing away from Emila. She was silent. Too silent.
“Luca...” she said, so softly he barely heard her.
He sat up and looked over at her. She stared back at him with large, pleading eyes.
“Please,” she said. “I don't want you sleeping on the floor every night.”
Those eyes - there was something in that gaze that struck right through every piece of armour he wore. She looked to small and vulnerable to him, and he felt like some kind of monster for bringing any sort of pain to her.
Suddenly, he realised that when Emila wanted something - truly wanted it - she would not take no for an answer.
<> <> <>
Luca stared up at the ceiling, unable to get any rest.
The bed was soft and comfortable, for sure. His body still ached from the past few days of sleeping on the floor. But he could not relax enough to fall asleep. His thoughts were troubled.
He thought of his brother, and the things he had said earlier. His words had been paranoid and insane, yet he found himself now doubting things.
Brand had gone straight to Allma after they had returned from the forest. He'd told him everything, and Allma was now hiding this information from the students of the temple.
Ash had also killed a student, and this was known to everyone. Allma clearly made no effort to preserve his brother's reputation as he had Luca's. Why extend this courtesy? Brand had said the situation was too delicate with the coming emissary from Sono. Was that truly it? Or was he being built up as his father's successor, and Ash being made into a villain to make him look better by comparison?
Ash said nothing about Davik. He clearly did not yet know what had happened. Not even Dori knew. Were they both being kept out of the loop? Or had Dori merely been feigning ignorance to see what Luca would say about the incident?
Luca knew he was being as paranoid as Ash now. But regardless of the truth of Ash's claims, the conversation had showed Luca something. He was being too trusting lately. He had gone to his brother, with expectations too great. The disappointment was sobering.
Just as Brand had said of Ash, he too was now seeing daggers in every shadow.
He looked over the edge of the bed to the sleeping rolls, where Emila lay. She was fast asleep, her soft and gentle breathing once again the only sound in the room.
For the first time since arriving, Luca considered the near future, and the possibility of leaving. He even considered, if things got bad, that they might have to escape. If there were conspiracies at work, he could not risk Emila's involvement. He would flee from the temple with her to keep her safe. But he would not leave without his brother, either. He would have to meet with Ash again, and speak with him on the subject. If possible, the three of them could sneak away, perhaps during the excitement of the Sonoian emissary's arrival.
And then, Luca remembered another plan he had made to escape with a girl.
The image of Arlea's throat being pierced by that arrow flashed in his mind's eye. He tried to shut it out, only for it to be replaced by that of his father, his chest spilling blood. The snow, stained red with their blood.
He could not allow that to happen again.
Ash was his younger brother. Therefore, it was his responsibility to protect him. And Emila - by all rights she should not have even come with him to the temple. He worried for her, now more than he would admit was just in his own self-preservation. He could not admit it to her - if she asked, he would say that he was protecting her to save his own life, due to the tether. But in truth, he was now more worried for her than for himself.
“Mmmm,” muttered Emila quietly in her sleep. “Mother - don't...”
She was dreaming again.
Despite himself, Luca wondered what it was she was dreaming about. Obviously it involved her mother. Perhaps she too was reliving the death of the person who had raised her.
He needed to get some sleep.
He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing. He worked on emptying his thoughts,
focusing only on the darkness beyond his eyelids. He listened to the sound of Emila's breathing, its rhythmic flow easing him into the void.
Suddenly, he felt the sheets shifting and another person pressing against him.
Luca's eyes shot open. He turned his head to see Emila, her eyes still closed, climbing into the bed. She was moving in her sleep, climbing into the bed unaware.
“Em-”
No. He could not wake her. She was dreaming. You should never wake a person caught in a dream, or the shock could kill them.
Emila wrapped her arms around his waist and lay her head on his shoulder, apparently mistaking him for a pillow. She sighed contentedly, and her breathing slowed somewhat.
He couldn't let this happen. He'd sworn it wouldn't. Never.
And yet here they were, the two of them in the same bed, with only a sheet and Emila's thin nightgown between them.
No matter how he wished it, he could not break free. Her arms were wrapped around him. If he rose from the bed, he would wake her.
But that was a lie. He had no desire to escape her. He might act like she annoyed him, and act like he could care less that she was around, but really...
“Because he hurt your girlfriend.”
“No!”
“No, that can't be it. You wouldn't treat her the way you do if that was the case.”
That's wrong, Dori, he thought. He had it completely backwards. Luca treated
her that way because, deep down, whether he could admit it to himself or not, he really did care for this odd girl who had saved his life.
Her skin was so soft. Her black hair was as smooth as silk. He couldn't help himself - he reached out and gently caressed it. Her breasts were pressing against his arm.
Her breathing was tickling his skin. She was so warm.
It was nice. It didn't take him long to fall asleep like this.
He dreamed of her. He dreamed of this beautiful girl with eyes as green as emeralds, skin as white as snow, and hair darker than the night. He dreamed of her touch, the feel of her skin against his own. He dreamed of her lips, and how soft they felt against his.
<> <> <>
It was the first night since he had come from Arimos that he did not dream of death.
And Emila dreamed, too.
Chapter VII
Be Still, My Beating Heart
Knock, knock, knock.
Luca opened his eyes.
He felt at ease and comfortable, and more rested than he had in days. After a few moments passed and he realised where he was, he understood why. Indeed, the bed was infinitely better than the hard floor.
Knock, knock, knock.
He saw Emila was also lying in the bed, her arm around him. She was adorable in her sleep, her eyes closed and her mouth opened just slightly. Her chest rose and fell with each breath.
When it set in that they were in bed together, he panicked. Had they-?
No. No, nothing had happened. She has simply climbed into the bed, while still dreaming, and he had fallen asleep next to him. He was confusing his dreams and his memories. He had sinned in his dreams, but not in reality.
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone was knocking at the door. That was no doubt what had awoken him. If the knocking continued, Emila would wake as well. As carefully as he could, Luca rose from beneath the sheets and moved out from beneath Emila's arm. She stirred, but did not wake.
Luca went over to the door and opened it to find Tranom there, his knuckles about to rap the door again.
“Ah,” he said. “I was beginning to fear you would not wake.”
“What is it?” Luca asked. He stood with the door open only slightly, for he couldn't let Tranom see into the room, where Emila lay on the bed, the sheets in disarray. That could give the wrong idea, and everyone already seemed to think they were together anyway.