Until We Meet Again

Ch. 4 - A Last Goodbye

"Have you slept at all since you arrived here?" Ingressus looked up from where he was sitting on his bed. He was hugging his knees to his chest and was staring at the ground past the end of the bed.

Achillean had an open book resting on his lap as he stared at the Voltaris.

Ingressus sighed as he thought through the last few weeks. His father was killed, he nearly drowned, somehow arrived in Nestoria and wasn't killed, learned how to fish from the Nestoris who saved him. Then nearly drowned a second time, and ended up sharing a room with someone whose clan had killed off so many people he knew.

"It's just... I haven't seen you sleep, well... at all..." Achillean prompted Ingressus for a response.

The Voltaris stayed silent, "Not really," he admitted after a moment.

Achillean faintly nodded, and Ingressus could tell he was trying to understand why, yet he couldn't. "It's just hard to..." The Nestoris nodded again, "I know, well... I really don't, I don't think I ever really will..."

Ingressus hesitated when he heard that, "Although, I do want to help... if you want that..."

The Voltaris looked up, "Oh... thank you, I- I guess..." Achillean gave him a faint smile, and Ingressus stared back down at the bed he was sitting on.

Ingressus looked up when another book landed near his feet with a muffled thump as it hit the sheets. He opened the leather front cover and looked up at the Nestoris.

"You have surprisingly good aim," the Voltaris paused for a moment, and Achillean filled in the silence. "I suppose so."

The paper faintly rustled as Ingressus turned the first page. His form slackened as he calmed down and sank into his pillow. His mind kept wandering as he tried to read. Ingressus's vision blurred as he zoned out, thinking about his father.

It kept playing in his mind. Over and over.

The memory of Dominus' markings fading from the familiar vermilion red to an onyx black as the diamond blade pierced him. The memory of it was carved into Ingressus's mind forever.

The Voltaris closed the book and set it down on the floor beside the bed. He laid down and turned on his side, his back facing the wall. Ingressus hesitantly shut his eyes, the sun had already set, and he hadn't slept properly in a while.

Ingressus's eyes snapped open and he sat up, looking around. His gaze turned upwards when he heard someone enter the small, makeshift tent.

The Voltaris relaxed when the recognizable carmine glow of Dominus. His father walked over and sat at the foot of the bed.

"Are you alright, Gress?" They both knew of the nightmares Ingressus occasionally suffered from. More often than either of them wished.

Ingressus nodded and Dominus's mouth turned up in a soft smile, doing his best to comfort his son.

The younger Voltaris pulled the thin blanket off of his legs and clambered over the bed to his father. Ingressus climbed on top of Dominus's legs and wrapped his arms around his neck.

Dominus hugged his son back, not sure what was troubling him, but wanting to help. Ingressus sighed and pulled away, feeling better, although he couldn't understand why.

"Are you certain you are alright?" Ingressus paused, he didn't know, "I... I think so..." the Voltaris Master reached up and gently squeezed his son's shoulder.

They both whipped towards the open doorway as they heard sounds of Songs resonating through the air.

Dominus grabbed Ingressus and hid him underneath the short table in the back of the tent. He grabbed the blanket from the bed and passed it to his son. Ingressus wrapped it around himself to hide his red glow.