The Crepuscules

𖣔𝕻𝖗𝖔𝖑𝖔𝖌𝖚𝖊𖣔

Ellis chased after the 4th one. Mostly conflicted on where he should go from there. If he should still go after the 7 or decide to go home and try to improvise for another solution, but,  at last , he ended up seeking the Speaker. She slipped from him somehow, but after he discovered her residence, it wasn’t too hard to track her down.

A castle rising from the forest's darkness, poke the sky of its exterior.  Murky glass windows and rusting rooftops, it felt abandoned but occupied by the Speaker. Ellis finding the castle felt like mercy after months of seeking. If only he had known they’d been chased by a bigger problem. 

Her fingertip shoved his head to the side, “I said I couldn’t see.”

“I heard you for the first time,“ he griped, swatting her finger.  “I was just ignoring you.”

A cold reminder bit his skin.  The dagger urged him to leave a scar on him, but the pressure felt weightless. He could probably say it felt like a cold rag soothing his skin instead. His eyes focus on her again, seeing her analyze their surroundings. The dim lighting from the pools of water made it bearable to see, enough to catch something roaming. 

“Is the coast clear?” He whispers.

“Something is wrong,” she said dully. He thought she was talking to him, but it seemed she was speaking freely to herself. 

His arms were aching.  The position they were in was enough to claim his insanity, but he couldn’t let go of his grip. He peers to his feet, unharmed and like his legs and free.    His body stiffened from the contact, but it gave him an idea. 

He let his left leg consciously slide behind him. Finding a footing to lean back a little more, a sudden shift with Amaris and him. Her chest against his.  Altered,  her eyes frantically searching what he was doing, but he bares an innocent smile. Focusing on his right foot to inch further from her limb against his. 

“Amaris,” Ellis beguiled her name, saying it with such care that it indicated something more between them.  “Do you like the dawn?”

Her brows narrow before his knee launches to her chin. It barely hits her when she dodges, but he uses that distraction to propel his foot. Knockback from impact, she stumbles for air. Giving him time to untwist his arms with a single motion.  The broadsword aims for her neck only to clash with the dagger. And the sound that came from it flowed throughout the cave. Like a battle cry breaking the silence, it became too clear to know where it came from.  And that sound only became threatening when it bounced back to them. 

Then, heavy, rampant footsteps came afterward.

Ellis stares from where it came, seeing darkness beyond describing what was there. Amaris did the same, but she guided the sword away from her body. 

“Look what you’ve done.” 

He groans, “It doesn’t matter we were looking for it anyway. “

“I,” She indicated to the single letter like it had much importance. “Was looking for it. You did nothing since we got into this mess.”

“I’m sorry for being useless for being pinned the entire time!”

The steps picked up their pace. 

“Scream at your heart’s content, then.”

He scratches his head in annoyance,  but he dismisses the comment in mind.  With his free hand a cylinder forms. Bright light formed into a ball, Ellis hovered it over his palm. Amaris glared at the object he obtained, her dark eyes sparkling in fascination. He let it glide to her, but she backed away defensively.  Her new fascination turns into fear, glaring at Ellis as if he betrayed her trust.