Chapter 19 - The Fall

Aven could understand K'tall’s terror. The reason behind the fragments of his broken mind. That place, that maze… the Harrowing. It had been a nightmare. A labyrinth of death, of traps, of beasts tearing at you from every darkened corner. As Aven stepped through the portal, he heaved a sigh of relief, pulling Lucian’s frame closer to him.

One by one, the surviving mages filed in behind him, sticking close to the Barbarian who had become their unspoken leader.

“Aven,” Lucian murmured from his arms. “I can see."

His eyes were clearer. Sight had returned to his gaze and Aven exhaled. "Thank the gods,” he murmured, lowering the Prince down.

“Well, well. This is more than I expected.”

The warlock woman stood before them. She counted the mages that stood, huddling behind Aven who instinctively moved in front of Lucian. “Thirteen surviving mages. We’ve never had more than four at a time.” Her gaze landed on Aven. “….you.” She stepped forward. Black hair fell over the side of her head in a messy undercut, dark eyes locking on Aven. “You’re quite good with those.” She nodded to his axes.

“How did you-"

"I saw everything.”

Aven’s heart sank. A frown touched his lips. “Sure am.”

"Interesting. And not a single spell cast… that’s quite the feat.“

"It’s not my strong suit.”

He could feel Lucian tightening against him, like a snake coiling to strike.

“Clearly,” she hummed. Her gaze lingered on Aven a moment longer before she turned to regard the remaining mages. “This is the Ward Level. You’re free to traverse it as you wish. When you’re needed, you will be summoned. But until then….” She smiled. “Enjoy the asylum."

With a snap of her fingers - she was gone.

The tension broke across the remaining mages. They wept as they clutched at one another, falling to their knees and shaking in relief. Camlen backed away until he sat on one of the moth eaten beds shoved up against the wall, face twisted into a look of shock.

Aven peeled off of the walls. "Camlen,” he said. He lowered down beside the boy. “Are you okay?"

"I didn’t think I’d leave.” Camlen shuddered and coiled his arms around his knees. “Granted, this isn’t much better. We’ve been thrown from the kettle to the flames, but…. but it’s preferred to the maze, at least."

"Camlen."

Aven and Camlen drew up their gazes. Lucian lowered down beside him and took his hand, blue eyes staring the boy dead in the eyes. "We need your help with something.”

“Of course! A-anything. What do you need?”

“There’s a sphere somewhere in the asylum. It powers the mythal. It’s how K'tall escaped.” At the sound of the bug, Camlen looked up in surprise. “I figured you’d recognize the name. Can you take us to it?"

Camlen shied away, like he’d been slapped. He curled in on himself, pressing further against the wall, trying to disappear. ”…I can’t,“ he whispers.

Aven and Lucian’s eyes met. The barbarian lowered until he was sitting beside the boy. "You don’t have to touch it, or do anything with it,” he assured, eyes searching him. “All we need is direction. We have the means to get all of you out if we can just find the sphere."

"Get us out…?"

Shit.

Mages were gathering around curiously and a man approached. "You… you know a way out?"

Aven’s tongue was tied. Unsure of whether it was safe to continue, he glanced over to Lucian… who had already stood up. He wobbled on his feet uneasily and the moment he was stilled, he nodded. "That’s right,” he said. “All of us are going to escape from here. And to do so, we will need your help. All of you."

His motivational speech was met with unsure silence. Waves of anxiety rolled over the witches and wizards, their gazes peeled away from Lucian’s. “But… but if they catch us,” one whispers. “They’ll steal our magic… they’ll make us tranquil.”

“They’re going to make you tranquil anyways,” Lucian said coolly. “The reason they give you hope is to not incite a riot. The reason why they pick you off one by one so that the number of bodies they must dispose of is limited. But make no mistake. This is a slaughterhouse, and we are all the cattle. But no more.” He gave them no room to argue. He whipped around, pointing a finger at a nearby mage who leapt a foot into the air. “You. Gather as many mages as you can. Bring them to the West Ward.” The mage’s mouth opened and closed in rapid shock. “Now!” He was gone in a flash, tripping over his robes as he sped off.

Lucian turned to Camlen. Fire burned. “Camlen. Are you with us, or not?”

The boy’s face went white. He stumbled over his woods. He’s going to say no. Aven’s heart twisted and he reached over, taking Camlen’s hand. “It’ll be okay,” he promised.

Camlen drew a long, shaky breath. “…okay,” he whispered. “I…I can take you to it. But it’s guarded by wraiths and shadows.”

“Shadows?” Aven thought back to the untethered shadow lingering by him when they first entered into the complex. “I think I know what those are. And wraiths?”

“The shadows sap your strength,” Camlen said. “But wraiths… it’s like… like they suck your soul out.” He shuddered. “It’s awful.”

“Then we must be careful,” Lucian said. “Camlen, rest a moment. We’ll be leaving shortly.”

Camlen staggered to a nearby pitcher of water. Aven, meanwhile, slumped to the ground, head in his hands. “Gods…I’m exhausted,” he uttered with a breathy laugh.

Lucian didn’t respond.

He drew his eyes up to find the Prince watching him inquisitively. “What?”

“You were impressive back there.”

“Impressive?” Aven screwed up his nose. “Are you kidding? We were running for our lives. I had to carry you through half of it….I was scared shitless.”

“You were scared shitless. And yet, you still managed to lead a group of terrified mages through a labyrinth to safety. It was incredible.”

The praise had red seeping onto Aven’s cheeks. “I was just trying to survive,” he muttered. “And made sure you did too-”

Soft lips pressed to his. “I know. Keep surviving. Camlen! Let’s go.” Lucian tore away from Aven, who was left breathless and wordless for a moment before he followed after the pair.

With the mages gathering in the West Ward, they had the opportunity to slip away. Camlen led them through the dark, dressed stone tunnels which were built about as labyrinthian as the maze. Aven’s back was pressed against the wall, moving with soft steps as they followed the pale haired boy through the tower.

Suddenly, Camlen threw up a hand, and they stopped. He felt them before he could see them. Like a chill down his spine. Three cloaked figures, with no feet that touched the ground, glided down the hall. A cold followed them, a cold that grew like frost in Aven’s gut.

The wraiths rounded the corner and as quickly as the trio stopped, they were on the move once again.

Aven’s hand never unlocked with Lucian’s.

At last, they came to a spiral staircase, twisting up into darkness. A cold seized Aven’s every muscle. This staircase…

“Aven?” Lucian whispered.

“I know this,” he whispered. “We’re almost there. There’s… creatures in the stairs. Wraiths. I saw it, in the vision K'tall showed me."

"And the sphere. Is it at the top?” Aven nodded.

“Yes."

Lucian scowled. "I’m surprised we haven’t seen more guards,” he murmured. “This has been almost too easy… come on. The sooner we take down those mythals, the sooner Morra can intervene with her fleet, and we can get all of these mages to safety. Camlen.” Lucian put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “You’ve brought us this far. Thank you. Go back to the others."

Camlen hesitated. He glanced to Aven, as though for permission and the barbarian nodded. "We’ll see you soon."

Camlen didn’t wait. In an instant, he was gone, dashing around the corner.

Aven and Lucian stared into the darkness of the tower’s spiraling staircase. The shadows were oppressively deep and dark, beckoning them forward. Lucian’s hand squeezed Aven’s. "Are you ready."

"As ready as I’ll ever be,” he grunted, returning the gesture. “How are you feeling?"

"Sore. But my mana has returned. I’ll manage.” The prince drew a deep breath, and ascended.

The stairs, crafted of black steel and fashioned to resemble stacked bones, twisted upwards into darkness. The higher they traveled, the more Aven was aware of the absolute quiet. No creatures melted from the steps. No evil breeze against the back of his neck. Just silence.

Until they reached a door at the top of the steps.

Aven could hear from beyond. A deep thrumming sound, pulsing like a heartbeat. He grimaced and shoved the door open.

It was exactly how he remembered in his vision. A sunless room, bare and empty save for an adamantine pedestal in the center holding a black orb. It crackled with red energy, stone claws holding it in place. The daylight outside morphed into a hellish red glow as it burned through the stained glass window.

No guards.

Lucian pressed closer to Aven. “Aven,” he murmured. “Something’s wrong.”

Shadows pooled before them, like puddles of ink materializing on the ground.

Two shadowy figures shot up from the ground and sailed forth, passing through their bodies like a cold wind.

Aven immediately felt the strength seep from his bones.

His legs threatened to give out. The breath was knocked from his lungs. With a stagger, the barbarian snarled and slashed his axe - only for it to pass through shadow.

His weapon did nothing.

“Fuck!” He hissed. He dodged backwards as the wraith made another pass at him, only narrowly dodging its incorporeal hand that tried to swipe at him. He heard a gasp from beside him and his head snapped over. Lucian’s face was white and he’d stumbled back to grab hold of the wall, drawing heaving breaths.

Aven grit his teeth. He surged forward, striking again and again with his blade and whether they weaved out of the way or simply floated in stillness, his blade passed through without effect or harm.

And the more they tried to strike, the faster the wraiths grew if they drew power from their exhaustion, their strength and their life. With every pass they made through their bodies, Aven could feel himself growing weaker and weaker, axes threatening to slip from his grasp.

“I can’t hit them!” He shouted back to Lucian.

“We have to find a way to hurt them!” Lucian threw out his hand, a shield materializing. Its attack sparked against the shield and the wraith shrieked, backing away from the small burst of light.

Light.

Aven’s eyes glittered across the stained glass, and the dawn of the day drew the beginnings of a smirk to his features. “That damned priest got into my head,” he murmured. “Him and his god of new dawn and change…” A snort followed. “If I believed in that stuff I’d think it was a sign we had a god on our side."

He ground his teeth and sprinted forwards. “Oi!” He snapped, dragging his axes along the ground. “Over here, you shadowy fucks! This way!”

The wraiths, who’d been just about to pass through Lucian once more tore around to face Aven. Their wails were infuriated and they shot towards him.

Aven planted his feet, and waited. Waited as they raced towards him, ready to pass through him once more and take what little life he had left. At the last moment - he dove forwards. “Lucian!”

Lucian’s hand was out in seconds, a magic missile blasting from his palm and shooting over Aven’s head as he ducked to the ground. The missile shattered against the window - and the room exploded with the light of dawn.

The wraiths wailed and writhed, slinking backwards from the windows as shadow lifted off of their bodies like smoke. They sank down, further and further until they disappeared through the floor entirely.

Aven and Lucian were breathing hard. The wraiths had all but sapped the last of their strength from their bodies and Lucian grimaced, pushing to his feet. “That was pretty smart.”

“You sound surprised.”

“You just tend to use the muscles in your arms more than the one between your ears.”

“Takes brain and brawn to survive what I’ve been through.” Aven staggered over to the sphere. It crackled with energy and he hovered his fingers over it, licks of dark magic lashing upwards in an attempt to touch his skin. “So how does this work. We just… touch it?”

“I assume so,” Lucian said. “The moment it’s touched, the magic will be disrupted. The shield will fall, and we’ll be able to escape with the remaining mages.”

“Sounds like a plan. But maybe you should dispel this mist, first.”

“What? What mist?” Lucian spun about, gaze only now focusing on the thick, shadowy mist beginning to rise up from the floor. He glowered. “That’s not mine,” he said, ice crawling down his fingers. Light burned in his palm, but it did little to dispel the growing darkness.

“Did you think me a fool?”

The woman. The warlock. Her voice echoed out over the room.

Aven grit his teeth, drawing up his axes over his chest. His brown eyes peered into the dark. "No,” he grunted. “I was just hoping we’d have enough time."

Pain.

It shattered inside Aven’s mind, inside Lucian’s mind and with cries tearing from their lips, they staggered, gripping their heads, fingers twisting into their hair. He nearly dropped his axes. "I knew you were different,” the voice continued. “From the moment you stepped into my halls. And I knew instantly why you were here."

He could barely think past the thrums of pain pounding in his head, threatening to split his skull apart. Lucian had all but fallen to his knees and Aven pulled his gaze up. "Lucky me,” he snarled. “Did I surprise you?” He began to move towards the sphere. Just a touch.

“A little. But no matter.”

Aven came to a stop. The woman had materialized in front of him, blocking his way to the sphere. She smiled, waved her hand and five identical copies of herself materialized around her. “But your little show ends here, Aven Kheistan. You may have no mana to drain… but we’ll draw use from you yet. And as for you, Lucian Arceneaux…” her reptilian eyes locked on the Prince. “Your uncle will pay handsomely for your return.”

The threat barely left the woman before Aven was shooting forward. He swung his axe upwards towards her smiling figure - only to slice right through one of her mirror images. The warlock and her remaining duplicates dodged to the side and a wicked laugh fell from her lips.

Electricity crackled between her fingers. She threw her hand out towards Lucian and the mage grit his teeth, dodging to the side before the lightning split off and immediately shot towards Aven, striking him in the chest. Everything felt numb. A gasp escaped him and the barbarian snarled, surging forward with another strike towards the woman.

Once again - his axe struck an image and she danced backwards. “Surely, you can do better than that,” she grinned, each hand erupting with magic. Missiles of dark energy erupted from her fingertips.

Lucian’s eyes widened. He threw out his hand, a swooping sheet of ice materializing in front of him and leapt on, skating around the edge of the room as missiles exploded behind him. He threw his hand out, spears of ice launching towards the woman and exploded against a shield conjured in front of her. “Aven!” He snapped. “The sphere!”

Aven didn’t hesitate. His boots scraped the floor as he launched towards the dark sphere, moving to touch it before an image of the warlock materialized in front of him, blasting Aven in the chest with a ray of fire.

Damn it. He had to get close!

“Aven, duck!"

He didn’t have to look. He trusted Lucian with his life.

He immediately ducked to the ground as an arching ray of frost blasted over his head, dispelling all of her remaining images - save for one.

Lucian didn’t give her an inch.

The moment the images were dispelled, another spear was conjured in his grasp and he hurled it forward. Aven tore to his feet, and sprinted towards the sphere.

"NO!" The warlock threw out her hand and a crackling bolt of lightning lunged towards him, reflecting in pools of brown.

Aven grit his teeth, a terrible snarl tearing from his teeth and he swung his axe - right at the bolt of lightning. It shattered against the blade, ran all the way up to his arms until they were numb and was thrown right back towards the warlock.

The woman was blasted onto her back with a shriek, dazed and Aven slammed his hand down onto the sphere.

A wave of energy rolled from the sphere. It felt like he’d been struck by a rhino, and Aven was launched off his feet, head cracking against the stone. Thrumming magic ripped through the room, again and again, a heat coming off of the sphere as it crackled and spat dark energy. Lucian was at Aven’s side, easing him up into sitting. "Look!"

Lucian pointed out of the broken window and Aven watched as a flash of light pulsed from beyond Spellhold. All at once, the mythal guarding it became visible, and began to disintegrate. Flakes of sizzling energy fell from the air like burning leaves and right beyond Spellhold, materializing as a high powered invisibility spell wore off - Morra’s ship began to approach. Cannons boomed and pieces of Spellhold Asylum burst into explosions of rubble.

He heard the spell before he saw it. A flash of green to his right and Aven staggered out of the way as a bolt of wicked light blasted from the warlock’s palm. Her eyes were maddened. Spell after spell, her fingers crackled with arcana as she swiftly expended every ounce of mana she might have possessed. The walls exploded, shards of stone and metal blasting out at random.

Aven dove, taking cover behind the half pillar holding the sphere. A fragment of metal slashed open his cheek and Aven grit his teeth. He looked around the corner, only to drag his head back as a blast of magic fired past, crashing against the crumbling wall.

Damn it.

He couldn’t get a good angle on her, he couldn’t get close to her! How was he going to…

Eyes widened. His thumb touched the ram’s head on his finger.

Maybe he didn’t have to get in close.

His eyes glowed red in the light of the flames beginning to spread across the room. His lips twisted upwards into a carnal snarl as he tore around the side and leveled his fist at the woman. The ring glowed red hot - and a spectral, red bull charged forth in a pulse of light towards the warlock.

Her eyes widened in a panic. She threw out her hand in an attempt to knock it away before the bull charged into her, slamming her into the wall.

Crack!

Her neck tilted at an odd angle and the woman collapsed to the ground, staring.

The tower was breaking apart. Bits and pieces of stone fell from the ceiling and Aven dove for Lucian, dragging him to his feet. "It’s done, we’re doing it,” he hissed. “Let’s get the hell out of here."

Lucian didn’t protest. Not even as Aven scooped him up. "The West Ward,” Lucian grunted, drained and exhausted. “We need to hold off the asylum’s forces while the mages make their escape."

"You look like you couldn’t hold up in a child’s play-pen."

"I can still fight."

They rushed downstairs, and as Aven held Lucian close to his chest, he could hear the sounds of battle. Bursts of magic, swords connecting with flesh and scraping of steel. A soldier rounded the stairs and with a snarl, Aven crashed his shoulder into the man’s, knocking him aside as he charged forward.

When they reached the West Ward, it was in complete chaos. A great hole had been blown through the side of the wall, Morra’s ship moored closely outside on the docks. Mindulgulph clashed with the soldiers, steel connecting with steel. But they were being overwhelmed. Soldiers were beginning to creep onto the ship, battling against the invaders. From behind, Aven could see more soldiers joining the fight.

Lucian slipped from Aven’s arms. Seconds before a fresh wave of soldiers charged from the interior of the tower into the ward, Lucian slammed the door closed and lifted his hands. His eyes glowed a bright green, and a verdant light glowed along the edges of the door, holding it in place. "Go!” He shouted.

“No, Lucian, come with me, we can-"

"Go, now!” Lucian snapped. “I’ll hold them back for as long as I can, get these mages onto the ship!”

Leaving.

It clawed against Aven’s every instinct. Sense and reason battled with his very soul as he glowered at the boy who had turned his focus entirely on the door. Damn it. Damn it!

One of the soldiers already in the West Ward moved towards Lucian and Aven intervened in seconds, knocking away the sword strike with an axe. An expert twist of his body was followed with the blade of his axe sinking into the man’s stomach and he kicked the corpse off to the floor.

With every man that approached, another fell as Aven turned into a tornado of death, blood dripping from his axes. More soldiers threatened to pour through the door. It sparked with resistance against Lucian’s spell as men crashed against it.

"Aven!” Jorak leapt through the great hole in the side of the wall. His crossbow shuddered and a crossbow bolt pounded into the throat of a soldier. Three more mindulgulph surged past Jorak, weapons connecting with the Soldier’s. Bella the bulette crashed through the tower walls, knocking away all in her path. “The ship is being overrun! Morra needs you!"

"Keep an eye on Lucian if you can!” Aven shouted back. He slashed his axe up the back of a soldier and leapt through the hole. “I’ll come back for you!” He shouted back to Lucian. “Stay alive!"

On board the Mindulgulph’s ship, Aven immediately spotted Morra. The loxo was completely surrounded on all sides, soldiers and Cowled Mages flanking her. She was riddled in wounds, arrows sticking from her thick hide along her shoulder and back, but it did little to stem the tide of her raw, destructive power. Her hammer swung to the side, catching a soldier and launched him clean over the side of the ship.

"Morra!"

She looked up. "Glad you could make it, Beast Tamer,” she growled, swinging her hammer around. It connected with another soldier’s chest and Aven could hear the shatter of every bone in his torso as he crumbled.

“Well I couldn’t let you have all the fun,” Aven grunted. He leapt over the side, bringing his twin axes down on a man. “I spent hours wasting my time on god damn riddles.”

Aven and Morra were two sides of the same coin. Utterly built for war, no soldier was able to get past their guard. Aven’s ears twitched at one familiar sound of teleportation and twisted around as three cowled wizards teleported onto the ship.

The Mindulgulph rushed to meet them, and with a wave of their hands, three disintegrated into ash.

Morra’s roar was furious. She lifted her hammer and charged, swinging down on a mage who danced to the side. He reached out, grasping the Loxo’s weapon and as it burned hot in her grasp, she hissed out and it dropped to the ground.

Two others rounded on Aven.

Fire and lightning charged towards him and he dove behind the mast, both rays arching past him. Damn it. More mages. He was so sick of mages! A roar shattered through the chaos and Aven’s heart leapt in his chest.

“Kion!"

The great lion leapt up from the bowels of the ship, pouncing on one of the mages and tore his great fangs into his throat.

Blood was splattered across the ship’s deck. Corpses littered the wooden planks and Morra grabbed a man by his head and squashed it like a grape against the mast. “Aven!” She shouted. “Where is Prince Lucian!”

“Still inside!” Aven grunted. “With Jorak, they’re holding back the mages!” He ducked under a swing and ripped his axe through the man’s gut. Come on, Lucian… get out of there.

————————————————————–

Lucian’s focus was locked entirely on the door. He couldn’t see the blade of a soldier streaking towards him only to be knocked away by the scimitar of a Mindulgulph. He didn’t see Jorak posted up behind him, defending him at all costs as his bulette crashed through walls and soldiers alike. He couldn’t.

The demanding pressure of holding back an army was breaking his willpower apart.

The stress of holding the doors was too much. As weapons battered against the inside, Lucian stumbled back. Magic flickered upon his fingertips, fading in and out. He was running out of mana and they needed more time.

He needed more time.

Aven. That stupid man. That stupid man who was constantly risking life and limb for him. That stupid man who constantly exceeded all expectations and impressed and defended him at every turn.

Lucian had to do this for him.

He grated his teeth, steeling himself a final time and surged hands forward with the last of his strength.

But the crawl of a successful spell turned cold in his veins as it shot up his arms, reverberating through his body like a freezing wind.

Wild magic.

Lucian’s heart jumped in his throat, watching as the spike of energy drove a crack right into the base of the asylum. Then another, and another. It began to climb. Explosions that shattered against the tower’s interior. No!

It happened in a split second. He had only a split second to twist his head around and peer through the broken tower’s walls to see Aven atop the mast of a ship, axes driving into an enemy.

Aven… he was safe. Tears burned in Lucian’s eyes before they snapped closed.

The Asylum gave a single shudder before light flared in a massive explosion, burying Lucian beneath it.

———————————————————————-

Rubble flew in all directions as the earth shuddered beneath the massive fall of the Asylum. The water rushed up to slosh over the ship, nearly tearing it beneath a wave as Aven’s footing staggered. Debris hurled through the sail of the ship, ripping it to tatters. Another chunk smeared a sailor across the wooden boards.

The air went still. The smashing and crashing of steel on steel and snap of bowstrings faded. Everyone stopped to stare at the pile of shattered stone where the building once stood full of soldiers from both sides alike.

Aven kicked aside another fallen mage, watching the Cowled Wizards shoot up in tendrils of smoke, retreating from battle. Then his axes clattered to the deck. The only sound to be made rippling out in a crash. Morra fumbled for the man, her battered fist curving to air. “Beast Tamer, wait!”

He couldn’t hear her. Aven swung himself over the edge of the ship, rolling up to a knee on a pile of rubble beneath. He tore past Mindulgulph and mages alike, kicking up stone and dust in his sprint. Tears burned raw in his eyes, bile coiling in his throat. He couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe. His heart seemed void in his chest as if it’d been sucked up in the fall of the tower.

Reaching the worst of it, Aven felt stone cut into his skin as he fell to his knees. Pushing, throwing, clawing. A near animalistic cry howled from the man in his frenzy to shove aside boulder after boulder. Lucian. Lucian… where was he?! Blood caked over his fingertips from layers of sharp debris slicing through calloused skin.

He dug up several soldiers before his eyes caught anything familiar. Crumpled within the rubble was a black mass of feathers.

Jorak.

Tears tore down his cheeks as he stumbled back from the body of his friend, falling among stone. “No!” He bit out. The taste of metal exploded inside his mouth with teeth clamping onto the inside of his cheeks. Jorak. He was with Lucian. He was watching Lucian. Because Aven had told him to.

Aven heaved himself onto his side, arms threatening to give out from exhaustion. He feebly dug away more of the debris, hunched over and with waning determination. The sinking feeling had begun to split through him. Darkness he couldn’t match. Until fingers found something soft in their digging.

His heart wrenched in his chest, tired eyes following where fingers grasped. Blonde hair. Not the standard muddy blonde or the sunshine yellow. A fair blonde that glowed white in the light. Aven shattered into pieces, a breath gasping free. “Lucian…” he whimpered, fixing his hold and pulling. With great effort, he tugged Lucian’s still body from the rubble and into his lap.

A head turned limp to the side, skin already growing colder than usual.

“Lucian, please.”

The Mindulgulph began to cautiously approach, eyes watchful on the sobbing man and the figure in his arms. One stopped before him, a lizardfolk. “Sir..?”

“What.” Aven’s tone spat venom as he hugged the still form closer, a free hand wavering up to the golden torc curved at his neck. This was it, wasn’t it? Lucian had made him promise not to use it, but without the Prince there was nothing for him. No hope. No future. No justice for the people back in Aeliorn.

The lizardfolk took a careful step back, his eyes connecting to Lucian. “…Shit.” He glanced back wearily towards the others, catching Morra in his sight.

Morra waved him away, solemnly taking his place aside Aven as she regarded him. “Aven, come away now. He’s gone.”

“No!” His gaze locked with the loxo’s, eyes burning with wetness. He delicately brushed bloody fingers through Lucian’s hair, trying to fix his bruised and battered appearance. “Can the ship still sail?”

The loxo hesitated. “…Yes. We were only waiting on him.”

Aven looked pained. “Then get your men ready. Have someone pull up a bed for him and… and start a fire. He’s going to want to change.” He nodded to her, his voice splitting apart. “And he’s going to be angry. So angry he might want to kill you at first. Please be patient with him… I swear he’s good.”

For a moment, Morra was lost. Her gaze swept him and the way fingers trembled around the torc around his neck. Large eyes widened. “Restrain him, now!” she commanded the others. The Mindulgulph didn’t know what to do. Caught between the two, Aven lunged at the shown apprehension.

“Don’t you force my hand!” His attention locked on those surrounding him, a hand detangling from Lucian to reach for a sword in the rubble. The other remained on the magical artifact looped around his neck. “If you come near me, any of you, I will cut you down like cattle.”

“Aven, please,” Morra challenged, stepping forward. Her hand wrapped tight around her hammer as a sword pointed up at her, trembling in the man’s grasp. “Let him rest, you can live in his stead. You know he wouldn’t want this.”

“He’s the only one that can fix this, Morra!” Aven sobbed. “I can’t do anything! I’m not from here. I grew up a slave, I can’t even read! He gave me my freedom, he made me love him. He promised to fix our home. If I don’t do this, nothing changes and the people of Aeliorn suffer!” The sword clattered from his hands as he bowed over Lucian, pushing a kiss to split lips.

Cold. Lucian’s lips held little warmth, the taste of blood scalding his tongue. Aven contained his sobs, hand rolling delicately over a black and blue cheek. I love you.

When his gaze rose again, he watched Morra lunge for him, and the torc snapped from his neck. He could hear the loxo scream out his name as a burst of light sprayed from the artifact.

Pain.

Unimaginable pain shot through Aven, dragging a horrid gasp from his lungs. The pain of the blast. The pain of the tower collapsing down upon him. It seized his whole body, the man falling onto his side with eyes wide in panic. He couldn’t catch a breath. Each one eluded him, the sounds of a great weight crashing beside him.

Strong arms wrenched him up from the ground, but it was too late. Aven’s vision swam with the fleeting tendrils of life slipping away. He caught sight of blonde hair one last time, watching the Prince’s chest suddenly heave as he drew a breath. A tear burned down Aven’s cheek.

And then everything went dark.

———————————————————

In the spaces between seamless eternity, Lucian had felt nothing but… cold. Cold, and a suffocating darkness that coiled up his body like tendrils, dragging him down into oblivion. He fought. He struggled and clawed, only one face in his mind. Was this death?

A breath dragged from his lungs in a sharp gasp, eyes snapping open.

Warmth.

It glowed across his skin as he lay. His entire body ached, as though he’d been beaten half to death with anvils. His fingers twitched as Lucian tried to move, tried to speak. His voice was reduced to sand in his throat, not a word able to scrape by. He couldn’t recall… what happened…. Aven. The tower, the mages. He’d been holding them back and then suddenly… nothing.

"Aven.” His voice at least pushed between dry lips in a husky croak. His vision was blurred, spotty and blotchy.

But he didn’t have to see to know where he was.

Lucian could feel the gentle rocking of a ship as it moved through the sea, waves rolling against the hull and could hear the crackling of a fire. Lucian had been bound in nearly five fur blankets pulled up to his chin and when he sat up, a rush of white hot pain shot through his body, covered from head to toe in bandages.

Where was Aven?

“Aven!” He croaked out, a little louder. He moved to sit up before grinding his teeth, lowering back down. He could barely move.. could barely breathe. Lucian felt a rush of relief as a lizardfolk entered through the door hesitantly.

“You’re awake,” the lizardfolk said, hands clasped behind his back. “We were worried you wouldn’t… we’ve prepared a meal, in case you’re hungry."

"I’m not.” It was a lie. Hunger clawed at his stomach. He swallowed it and the blinding pain down as he moved to sit up. He swung his legs over the bed, wearing nothing but linen trousers and his vision swam. Lucian nearly fell over and as the lizardfolk moved to catch him, he waved his hand. “I’m fine. Take me to my servant, I need him."

There was no answer. Lucian drew his gaze up. The lizardfolk’s green scales had faded in hue and opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

Something was wrong.

"Tell me where he is.” Lucian’s words were slow. Controlled. They held the force of a blade pushing through the lizardfolk’s chest and the beast averted his eyes.

“He’s… he’s in the next room, my lord."

"And why isn’t he with me right now."

The lizardfolk swallowed a lump in his throat. "My lord, he’s… he’s…"

Lucian’s blood ran cold. The color drained from his face, blue eyes locked furiously on the lizardfolk. "Get out."

"My lord, you should-"

”Get out!“ Torn from his throat, the shout was a lash in the silence and the lizardfolk disappeared in seconds, slamming the door closed.

Numb. His heart, his head, his body. All of it was overcome by a buzz as he stared at the door. He scarcely realized when he fell to his hands and knees, eyes blurring with tears. It had to be a misunderstanding.

Surely he was just injured… wounded. Aven was invincible. Never had Lucian ever seen him fall in combat.

Lucian’s entire body screamed in protest as he dragged himself upwards, hands splayed to the wall and staggered out of the room and down the hall. Aven…. he wouldn’t. He promised not to. He said he wouldn’t.

Lucian reached the door. His heart had lodged itself into his throat, and could feel the sting in his eyes as he grabbed the knob.

Aven wouldn’t lie. Not to him. Not to me.

He pushed open the door, and his knees hit the ground.

A golden brown figure lay on the bed, cleaned and dressed. He wore silks of burgundy and red, complimenting the nut brown of his skin, the darkness of his hair. So beautiful. So handsome. There were times where a simple, amused smile had Lucian’s stomach coiling in knots, butterflies erupting in his chest at the sound of a breathy laugh.

But there was no smile. There was no breath. Only stillness.

Beside Aven’s bed was a table covered to the brim with his belongings. Potions, his newly acquired ring, his necklace, his shortsword. Aven’s axes were hung up on the wall, polished and cleaned.

None of it mattered. Nothing mattered. Only the figure laying still on the bed.

Lucian knelt on the floor until his legs ached. He reached out, fingers trembling and grasped the edge of the table to pull himself up. He staggered towards the man on the bed, each step dragging after the other. Tears didn’t fall. Lucian’s features were a mask of emotion as he gazed down.

He recalled their earlier conversation.

"Promise me, first.” Desperate, Lucian’s hand tightened around Aven’s. “Please."

"Lucian…"

”Please.“

His gut churned with relief when Aven brought the Prince’s knuckles to his lips. ”…I promise.“

He should have known. He should have known it was all a lie. That deceitful, lying, untrustworthy peasant.

Wordlessly, his forearm swept out across the table. Glass shattered and burst as potions hit the floor, the ring spun out of sight. Lucian collapsed. His fist came down hard on Aven’s chest, then the rest of him. Lucian crumbled, kneeling like a slave before his lord, his upper body draped across Aven’s bed.

"You fucking liar,” he sobbed, fist coming down again weakly on Aven’s chest. “You liar… you promised… you promised.”

His wails echoed through the ship as he pressed his face into Aven’s chest, tears staining the silk. “Please….no.”