LET THERE BE DRAGONS (COMPLETED)

Chapter Forty-Five: Dark Thoughts

As night fell, the trio and Arthur set up their camp on a grassland, that was adjascent to a river. Of course, "setting up camp" for them meant starting a fire and then lying down under the star-strewn skies. A gentle breeze stalked through the blades of grass, flirting with Tiyasha's undone hair. Arthur looked at her, and his stomach churned for some unknown reason.

'No, you're a warrior,' he reprimanded himself, and resumed his studying of the Capture-Painting bearing Shivam's face, who happened to be snoring peacefully near the fire. 'The Undead Man,' Arthur thought ruefully, who got the blessing of a dragon, who died but didn't die, who will get the Shadowblade, the empire, the girl...what a hero.

Arthur grimaced. It didn't at all matter who "got the girl", did it? And Shivam loved his girl who had apparently turned into an Imoogi--he'll never want Tiyasha. And of course that didn't mean that Tiyasha will want him...

Damn! Why was he thinking about who married the Witch? What kind of freak was he? He was a Warrior! He was about to become the King of Heart! He could get any woman he ever wanted after that, oh yes, and that might include Tiya...

'Stop it!' Arthur checked his outrageous thoughts. Yet his subconscious seemed have taken command, and he found himself thinking about the infrequent touches of Tiyasha's body that he had enjoyed during their journey so far, and of the slap...

Why had he slapped Tiyasha, back in John and Bell's house? Surely it had been just for getting her under control, right? Or had it been just his jealousy over Tiyasha's feelings for Shivam...?

Arthur looked at the Capture-Painting. He had told everyone that he wanted to understand how a Capture-Painting really worked. Was that the truth, though? He didn't really have any chance of figuring that out while journeying towards the Glaciers. But a drop of blood on that Painting...and soon Infernos and Blikrpt would come hunting for them.

Surely Blikrot would forgive him, if he was the one who turned Shivam in? And surely Blikrot would grant his one little wish? A wish involving Tiyasha?

What did he really want? The Throne? Or...the Girl? Arthur took out his knife from his leather belt.

"Whatcha doing?" A wheezing voice asked, and Arthur jumped. He turned to see that Josh had strolled over to him, with a curious expression on his face.

"Oh, nothing," Arthur said hastily. Dark, disturbing thoughts cluttered his mind. He had to push them away. "I was just trying to figure out how the Capture-Paintings worked."

"Ooh. Well, did you find out?" Josh asked, even more curious now.

'Ah, just go away, stupid kid,' Arthur found himself thinking. "Not really," he answered Josh's question tersely.

"Shame. Say, what are you doing with that knife? One would think you were about to alert Blikrot, you know."

Arthur looked dumbly at the knife he was holding. What WAS he doing with it?

"Um, well, I was just kind of checking my knife out...I'm an ex-Inferno, remember?"

"Ooh cool man. Doesn't it multiply then? I mean, like the knives of Infernos? It does, doesn't it? Doesn't it?" Josh asked in a single breath.

Arthur smiled despite himself, amused by the boy's curiosity. "Sure it does," he said, and stabbed the air with the knife. Another knife materialized out of thin air, it shot upto the river, and then splashed into its water.

"What are you two upto?" Tiyasha said, walking up to Arthur and Josh.

Arthur found the muscles of his stomach clenching. "Isn't your boyfriend entertaining you?" he asked, and then cursed himself for it.

"I don't have a boyfriend," Tiyasha said. But her face blushed like a red moon.

"Yeah right. Well I was just showing Josh how my knife worked..." Arthur said.

"You haven't taken your supper yet. Should I bring the Tiffinbox?" Tiyasha asked.

Arthur sighed. He was sure he would get another bowl of boiled vegetables.

"Yeah, sure," he said. Then he folded the Capture-Painting carefully into his leather bag.

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Thoughts?

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