LET THERE BE DRAGONS (COMPLETED)

Chapter Sixty-Three: It's Goodbye, Again

"I have sent scouts and Infernos to all directions. They'll announce your name as the new king and demand submission. We should make a royal march to the city of Alplesar. There's a huge palace there, maybe your highness would like to make it your palace," Arthur said, making his tone very official.

"Ug. Arthur, can you please not call me your highness and stuff?" Josh asked, clearly embarassed.

"You mustn't say that in front of anyone else. We must speak like this in front of other Infernos and Commanders."

"Boy o boy, this is scary. I wish I could just write poems."

Josh, Arthur, Shivam, and Aparajita were still in the Weavers' Residence, occupying Sabrina's home. Sabrina and Sylvia had realized that they would have to leave now, and and had become gloomy at the prospect.

"Hey...Sabrina?" Shivam began.

"Hmm?" Sabrina said from her chair, looking at the ceiling, thinking about the loneliness that threatened to return.

"Why don't you and Sylvia go with Josh, too? I mean...what's in here for you? You should just..."

"Wait...they won't be coming?" Josh asked, clearly crestfallen. Shivam wasn't surprised.

"Not right now, at least, Josh. We have a lot of memories here...it's not so easy to...to just...let it all go all at once," Sabrina said, and Sylvia nodded grimly from her seat beside Josh. The flames crackled in the fireplace as a temporary silence descended.

"Oh...I guess...it's goodbye, then?" Josh asked, sounding as if he was choking up tears.

"For now...I guess so. But we will come to your palace...maybe only a few days later," Sabrina said.

"Oh," Josh said, and silenced himself.

***

Arthur had somehow gathered what seemed to be like a thousand Infernos for what he called, quite relishingly, "The Royal March". Aparajita's jaw dropped when she saw so many soldiers, dressed like Roman warriors from her books on history back home.

"Told you. Heart is Crazy," Shivam said.

"Hey! Big brother! Choose your horse, now!" Josh said from atop a white stallion, which had a dark triangle like shape on its forehead.

"He doesn't need to," a female voice said.

Shivam turned, and wasn't really surprised to see the Seamstress standing right behind him and Aparajita. Josh and Arthur's faces darkened as they anticipated what must follow.

"Is it time already?" he asked.

"Your parents are waiting back home, Shivam."

"They have probably assumed I drowned or something. It's been such a long time..."

"Don't you worry, Shivam, for time cheats. You'll know that when you go back to earth," the Seamstress said. "So, should I open the portal now? You still have the handkerchief I gave you, right?"

"No." The lie was out of Shivam's lips even before he knew it. He wondered why he lied.

"Ah...I guess that's not much of a problem...I have with me..." the Seamstress muttered, looking for the pieces of fabric necessary for travelling across Portals in a silken pouch.

"Shivam!" It was Arthur's booming voice. Shivam turned again and found Arthur trotting towards him. Josh was crying silently atop his horse, eyes huge, face round as ever. 'Man, I'll miss that kid,' Shivam thought bitterly.

"I need a minute with you...it's private..." Arthur said. Shivam looked at the Seamstress, and then at Aparajita. They both nodded, and Shivam walked away with Arthur.

***

"What is it?" Shivam asked.

"I have some confessions to make," Arthur said.

Shivam raised an eyebrow. "Well, go ahead."

"I was jealous of you," Arthur blurted it out. Shivam remained silent, so Arthur continued. "Jealous of everything that you got. The People's Hope thing. The Shadowblade. Tiyasha's love..."

Shivam sighed. He wasn't sure how to react to this.

"I came very close to doing what Tiyasha did..." Arthur whispered. "And I am so very ashamed of it."

"But you didn't betray me...so you needn't say all this to me," Shivam said.

"I just needed to say it. That's all."

"Take care of Josh, Arthur. That kid's been through hell. He deserves some peace of mind now."

"Of course I will," Arthur said confidently. And then, somewhat less confidently, he asked: "Why did Tiyasha do it? I mean...she loved you, right..."

"She did it because she loved me," Shivam said, looking at the ground.

"What?"

"I kissed her and tossed her to the cold ground. I deserve what she did to me."

Yes, he did deserve it. He didn't want to console himself by saying that it was "The Unseen Price" which affected his memory and influened his actions. Though that was, undoubtedly, the case, but he wouldn't use that to justify his actions, his actions that took the life of the girl who had brought him back from the land of the dead.

***

When Shivam and Arthur walked back to where the others were, they found that Josh had climbed down from his horse, and was now bawling like a child. 'He is a child,' Shivam reminded himself.

"Nno...I..I...want you all to stay...for a ff..ew more days...I am the King! I command it!" Josh was saying to Vanessa, the Seamstress, and Aparajita, who were trying to console him.

Shivam crouched beside Josh, bringing his face level with his brother's.

"Hey, little brother," he said.

Josh silenced himself for a few seconds, lips pursed, eyes all red and huge, cheeks flushed. Then he began bawling again. "Why...why can't you stay...only a few more days?"

Shivam stole a glance at the Seamstress, who shook her head to indicate that wouldn't be possible. She had other work to do.

So Shivam just hugged his brother, and Josh returned it, shaking, sobbing, and trying to speak at the same time.

"Hush," Shivam whispered in Josh's ears. "Hush," he said, as tears finally slipped from his eyes. And they stayed like that for sometime, two battle-weary brothers, crying silently as the Portal, that threatened to separate them forever, appeared.