Messenger From The Sky

Chapter Eight: Keeping Secrets (Part I)

Erin found herself standing on the roof of Orion's Seat, marvelling at the sheer beauty that was Dorafeir. The sun had begun its late evening decent, transforming the sky into a collection of magnificent colours whilst bathing the entire capital a deep orange.

She now stood, arms resting against the stone balcony, enduring the slight chill that hung in the air around her. Even though it was summer, crisp traces could still found within the heart of the Serandore kingdom.

After making her way into Orion's Seat, with Casius in tow, Erin had finally managed to track down her brother - who had then given her one heck of a lecture. Apparently she wasn't allowed to just barge into his abode whenever she felt like it.

His abode... Her eyes wandered over to Elric, who stood beside her, his gaze fixated on the glorious view that lay ahead. He's like a proper ruler, she thought. Always taking himself too seriously, never overlooking anything for the sake of his people.

Moments after her brother had concluded his royal lecture, Erin had taken the opportunity to casually introduce Casius before explaining how he - Elric Maelstras - could help with their current dilemma. Even she had to admit that his solution had been rather amusing.

An aloof grin pulled at the corner of his lips as she wondered about whether or not a certain knight, who had been assigned to watch over Casius for the evening, was banging his head against the wall.

'So...' It was the sound of Elric's voice which disrupted her chain of thought. 'How's Bayloch?'

'Quiet,' Erin replied, her gaze never shifting from the illuminated gathering of houses in the near distance. 'The Cryptess has been on a roll lately, protecting the town and keeping watch over the Library.' The grin she wore faded a little when she realised just how meagre her duties sounded compared to her brother's.

Elric nodded. 'Good. That's good.'

'And how's life as the beloved Champion of Serandore?'

'Ah, it's no walk in the park, that much I will say. Father left behind a lot when he died, although I'm only just starting to gain trust and approval from leaders of the neighbouring kingdoms. It's hard, but I'm slowly starting to adjust.'

Erin's features relaxed and she managed a slight smile. 'That's great,' she said. 'It seems like Father made the right choice by making you his successor.'

Elric snorted. 'You think? I mean, I've got Darrius as my Head Knight, and he's so supportive, as are the other knights of the Serandonian Army, but I'll never be able to live up to Father's expectations.'

'Well, it could have been worse,' Erin muttered. 'He could have picked me - the family klutz. Luckily the disease didn't make him delusional. No, he just stuck me in the background where I belong, watching dusty old books and dealing with a talking ornament who pisses me off to no end.'

In the corner of her eye, she noticed her brother's face darken. 'Don't think like that,' he said. 'Standing guard over the Library of Great Magicians, over the family secrets, is a very important task, too.'

This time it was Erin's turn to snort. 'Yeah, right...'

'I'm serious,' Elric said. His brows furrowed and he turned to face his sister, who took note of his forehead, of the multiple creases which sat over his skin, making him appear older than he actually was. 'Look, no matter what happens, Erin, you will make it into the history books. You'll be known as the person who stopped the darkness from getting their hands on the heart of the Maelstras' secrets.'

'But-'

Elric reached out, taking her hands within his own. 'And no matter what happens,' he continued, 'I'll do everything I can to ensure your contributions do not go unnoticed. Okay?'