Book of Fates ✔

Flames

"I'm not the only one who's interested in history of other nations." Alexander glanced at Leir with respect.

"Don't seek a friend in me. I'm not that kind of person."

"And what kind of person are you, Leir?"

"The kind that trusts no one, but yet keeps his word."

They went in silence through two more hallways, identical to the previous ones. Charna continued strolling a few steps ahead, with her chin up and her back tense, like a warrior ready to strike. Tane and Nagal were leisurely walking a few steps behind, quietly squabbling about something as usual.

"May I ask you a question?" Alexander flicked his eyes sideway at Leir again. The man looked enormously tired, but his gait was still firm and confident. "Just out of professional curiosity."

"Spit it out."

"You said the fomoires aren't welcome in Sutāla, you can't even approach Sutālian borders without fear of being killed if I understood you right last time we spoke."

"So?"

"Where did you learn their history so thoroughly then?"

"I have my sources," Leir cut the man off. Also, my sources say that your daughter is with the daitias right now, Leir thought, but that's something you don't need to know just yet. He changed the subject. "Regardless, I'm not trying to boast of my education here. I'm simply trying to point out that we can be one hundred percent sure all the traps we came across aren't sophisticated enough for the daitias or their ancestors. If they were the ones building them, there would be an unbreakable magnetic field that wouldn't let us even approach Paititi. Or there'd be laser cannons that would dissolve us into molecules. Or—"

Leir's voice unwillingly trailed off as they reached another dead end. A massive stone door with golden cravings rose before them, locked tight as all the others and literally grown into the walls.

"Is this a joke?!" Charna barked and cocked her head to glare at Alexander, her eyes glowing with pure rage. "This is the third dead end you brought us to during the last two hours! Are you doing this on purpose?"

"I'm looking for the shortest way in," Alexander answered matter-of-factly. "If you know better..."

"Oh, I know better! I know that it was Leir who promised to keep you alive, but not me! If you're—"

"Charna," Leir gave the fomorian a meaningful look. She pressed her lips together in an offended line and silenced.

"Why can't we just smash the wall open?" Nagal suggested, approaching, Tane trotting along with him.

Tane chuckled in amusement, brushed his sweaty hair from his forehead and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his pants, making some kind of a show out of it. "Smash it if you want to. But I'm not going to watch while some prehistoric viper strikes you, hopping from the crack."

Nagal grinned. "Are you going to save me?"

"Maybe." Tane shrugged, and grinned too. "Maybe not. Or maybe I'm going to charm the snake away with my compliments."

They both whinnied, jostling and nudging each other in a playful fight like two naughty children. No one bothered to glance in their direction.

"And what if we will never get out of here, Leir?" Charna would not relent. "Are you going to be so friendly to this human still? Or will you remember that you're Leir Hellhaith, Kraine's son, the heir to the Pateal's throne, the protector of your people?" She looked into his eyes. "My protector."

Leir didn't answer. He watched Anya's father study symbols on the walls, perplexed. Alexander didn't care about his companion's arguing at all. The man was doing his job of discovering mysteries. Probably, Alexander is the only one who's still sane here, Leir thought.

"I do remember very well, thank you, Charna." Leir finally said and met her coffee brown eyes. "And since I am your prince as you just pointed out, I wish to hear no more of your complaints regarding me or my behavior."

Charna's face stiffened, revealing her battered pride. "As you wish, Your Highness," she replied, her voice devoid of emotion, and averted her eyes.

Leir almost felt sorry for treating her that way. He considered her to be his friend, they'd been through a lot together. And he also knew she considered him a friend, too. Even more than a friend apparently, though Leir had never promised her anything. Or had he?.. Anyway, now Charna was crossing the line with those words.

Kraine's son ran his hand through his tousled hair, collecting his thoughts, and then spoke in a more serious, business-like tone, "There's always a way out of the impasse. I can make some upgrade on the lightning crystal. And we can use the remaining energy of it to break the wall as Nag suggested."

"Save your grandiose plants," Alexander groaned, his finger traveling along the marks on the wall, face scheming. "As I mentioned before, Paititi citizens were also humans, so they led mundane lives. There are lots of different chambers and building in here. We've tried to go through the part of the temple where official ceremonies were held, we failed. Yet, we can try another wing the commoners lived in. It would take some time, but we don't have many options."

"Lead the way," Leir nodded.