Gods of Malcea ✔️

F O R T Y - F I V E

"You always have been."

"I believe I was quite lucky to have fallen in love with him and he was quite unlucky to have fallen in love with me. Have you not always believed so?"

Karos looked at Fariel as he pursed his lips and turned his eyes away from him.

"You were trying to protect me from this aching, bitter feeling in my chest, were you not?"

Still, Fariel did not say a word.

"Because you had felt this way once before?"

Karos stopped as they approached the top of the hills covered in frost. Gwasas massed around the valley and around the river causing Karos to close his eyes and rub his forehead.

"We will have to go around," Fariel said.

"They are nearing Gasa."

"So we must hurry."

"But look at their direction. They seem to be heading to Bahnasa as well."

"Ake can take care of himself. What you need to worry about is yourself and your people, Karos."

Karos walked around the bend of the hill not bothering to check to see if Fariel would follow.

"We must go back."

"Karos!" Fariel came and stood in front of him blocking his path. "He does not need you to protect him. It is quite the contrary! You need him to protect you!" Fariel shoved him back. "You will only be a burden to him there!"

Karos knew Fariel's words were right. He wanted to go back to Ake and would try to make use of any excuse to go there, but it was useless. His head bowed as he nodded and let Fariel guide him away. It was painful. It made his heart hurt.

They crept into the cover of the trees making sure they had not alerted any of them to their presence before going in further. As soon as they passed through muddy land wet with melting snow, Fariel put a hand to his chest.

"Put this on yourself."

Karos did as was told without hesitation. It was to hide his scent. Karos knew that by the way Ake would burrow his face into his neck and breathed deeply.

"Humans... We have a strong scent?"

"Yes, unlike any of us. They can only smell the rest of us out by our blood like any other beast. They will have scouts, so keep alert."

Karos nodded and moved ahead once he was finished. He looked up at the treetops covered in snow before his eyes trailed down and across the forest of trees watching for any signs of lingering gwasas. As they moved deeper, Karos could smell the scent of death wafting from the horde of them.

They had to hurry to Gasa and get rid of the looming threat as soon as possible. Malice had made her move. It still made little sense to him why such a god was set on destroying something that had come from her over a tainted love that had nothing to do with them. If only he could speak reason to her. Make her understand just what is that she is doing, maybe then things could be different.

"Down here," Fariel whispered.

Karos went down the unmarked path and was wary of any sticks and twigs peaking up from the snow.

"We are away from them now. You can breathe."

Karos sighed out and laughed away a shaky breath. Just as he was about to say something a gwasa came from out of the trees and tackled Fariel to the ground. It bit into his arm causing him to cry out.

"Fariel!" Karos came to help him but Fariel shook his head.

"Behind you!"

He turned around the minute one lunged and bit through his armor and into his collarbone. He grabbed it's neck and tried to tear it away from himself before he went for his sword. It took its teeth from out of his flesh and tried to bite his sword arm. The minute his sword as out of his scabbard, Karos plunged it into its neck and twisted it as he pulled it back.