enchanted | Druig x Makkari

ikaris

DAYS BEFORE THE EMERGENCE

The burden of the truth had weighed heavy on Ikaris for thousands of years. It had turned him hollow, brittle, left him feeling like more of a shell and less of a man. It drove him away from his love, from Sersi, and cast him aside. The years had piled on, dragging him further and further downwards until he finally snapped and killed Ajak.

And though he was lying to them all, attempting to stall them before the Emergence, he had to admit he was happy to have his family back. Sersi, of course, was as beautiful as ever. Sprite, the little spitfire, had been pleased to see him as well, welcoming him back with open arms. Even Kingo's boisterous voice was enough to make him smile.

But standing here, in the middle of the Amazon, begging Druig to return with them, he was starting to remember why he had kept his distance.

Though the years had not been kind to him, they had seemed kind enough to Druig.

Druig, still burdened with the weight of too much power, too much knowledge, stood straight and tall as he stalked out of his room to meet them. His eyes were like glaciers, icy and cold, as they stared at him. He wore a perpetual smirk, edging on arrogant, as he listened to them explain the situation and Ajak's death.

But what Ikaris noticed was the way his eyes moved throughout the group, always searching for something. However, whatever he was looking for, he never found. It took Ikaris an embarrassingly long time to piece it all together—their grumpy, unbothered Druig was searching for their quick, little sunshine: Makkari.

It was almost as if he had expected her to appear in the trees outside, to find her watching from the bushes, or out chatting with the villagers that he held hostage. Not even when the Deviants arrived did his eyes stop searching. In fact, it was almost as if he expected to see her even more so, like he suspected that she wouldn't abandon them to die by the Deviants, no matter how angry she was with him.

But Makkari never arrived because they hadn't found her yet.

Ikaris told Druig as much as they left the Amazon, reveling in the way Druig's shoulder slumped further. "Do you know where she is?" Druig asked.

"We have our suspicions." Ikaris said vaguely. "The others seem to think that if we find the Domo, we'll find her."

"Why would she stay there?" Druig tilted his head in confusion. "She could go anywhere."

"Yes, that's true. And I'm sure she has." Ikaris offered, shrugging one shoulder lightly. "But for as vagrant as Makkari is, she needs a home base. A place to return to."

"And you think she's in the Domo?"

"Where else would she be?" Ikaris pried. "It's the closest thing she has to a home." Druig seemed to accept this, nodding slowly. They walked side by side in silence for a few minutes before Ikaris could no longer hold his tongue. "I'll be honest, I half expected to find her here."

"In the Amazon?" Druig frowned.

"With you."

Druig swallowed. "I imagine she's rather angry with me. It's been so long since we've seen one another."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Ikaris said. He wasn't sure why he felt the need to comfort Druig—after all, they'd never seen eye to eye—but something about Druig's love-torn gaze was pulling at his threadbare heartstrings. "She loves you."

"Makkari loves everyone."

"True, but you were always special, weren't you?"

Druig glanced at him out of the corner of his eyes. "The Deviants that have been attacking... they haven't found the Domo yet, have they?"

Something hit Ikaris—a tinge of guilt and worry for Makkari—and he shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not sure, Druig."

"If they've come after her..."

"She'll be fine. She's a fighter." Ikaris reassured him.

Druig only nodded, eyes vacant as he trapped himself in his own thoughts. Ikaris saw it then, the worry, the soul crushing fear of losing something treasured. He imagined that same fear had been reflected in his own eyes, not even hours earlier, when Sersi had stood below a Deviant as it dragged her into the pool.

Ikaris nudged Druig's shoulder, a blaze of sympathy washing through him. "Do you think she'll come back with us?"

"Of course, she will," Druig had said, the ghost of a smile pulling at the sides of his mouth. "She loves a good fight. Besides, we're her family. I just hope she'll speak with me, when all is said and done."

"I wouldn't worry about that," Ikaris waved his hand. "You were her family long before we ever were."