Chapter Twenty-Four (Killian)
The next morning, men were moving about the camp quickly, rushing about to fulfill their orders before we left for Xolun in a couple hours. The horses beat the ground with their hooves, neighing impatiently as they were saddled and latched to wagons where weapons and medical supplies were placed.
I stood in front of the full length mirror in my tent, frowning at the sight of myself standing there in full armor that glinted dangerously in the candles in the tent. I finished adjusting my holster, sliding my sword into its sheath before I grabbed my helmet, blowing out the candles and heading out into the cool, misty air of the morning.
The sun was just barely peering over the edge of the mountains, casting a cool spray of pinks, oranges, and purples. White scatters of clouds smeared the skies, drifting along gently toward the ocean that seemed particularly calm today, licking the shores gently. I headed down the center of the camp toward Alexius' tent, pulling up short as I watched his servant, Ana, duck from inside. She paused to glance at me out the corner of her eye, a look that made me somewhat suspicious before she bowed and departed. I waited until she was a good ways down the path before I opened the flap to Alexius' tent, walking inside to see him dressed in his armor and I expected to see him looking cocky and powerful, but he honestly looked unsettled, as if he had a million things on his mind. He didn't even notice me.
Nico did, though. He sat at the desk, wearing a fresh change of servant's attire and was using the dagger Alexius had given him to pick things out from under his long black nails. He looked up, narrowing his eyes considerably when he saw me. He cleared his throat loudly, startling Alexius from his thoughts. I smiled lightly, approaching him as he turned to face me, adjusting his gauntlets before placing a hand on the handle of his sword.
"Good morning, Alexius. Did you sleep well?" I asked, cocking my head to look at him as he brushed the hair out of his face. He nodded slowly at first, then shook his head afterwards. I frowned, but he said nothing and the quick flick of his eyes toward Nico told me he didn't want to talk about it in front of him. I nodded respectfully, watching as he went to his helmet, picking it up and pausing to stare at his reflection.
"We leave in two hours," I told him quietly, coming to stand beside him, looking into the black helmet, watching our reflections stare back, "We'll mass teleport to Xolun and set up camp. I volunteered us to do patrols with members from our unit by our choice. Is that all right?" He nodded, then grimaced at his reflection as if he suddenly couldn't bear to look at it anymore. He lifted his eyes to meet mine.
Now I was concerned. Something in those green eyes had changed. I couldn't tell what it was, but it was almost as if they had become softer. I frowned, but said nothing to Alexius as he turned away and went for the opening of his tent. I noticed Nico had gotten up to follow, though, he was weary of both of us, watching us and probably prepping himself should we decide to turn on him.
As soon as we stepped outside, Marikas was coming down the path toward us. Nico instantly stiffened and got behind Alexius, who narrowed his eyes and tensed his body. I didn't understand the instant reactions of defense, which told me that they were hiding something about their situation back at the warehouse. Though, now was not the time to ponder that.
"Cambion," Marikas shouted to Alexius, who grimaced, other men slowing down to watch with interest as Marikas drew nearer, "Don't forget to bring your tag along." Alexius blinked, looking surprised and almost dropping his helmet. I looked up at Marikas in disbelief.
"You want Alexius to bring the prisoner?" I asked. Marikas nodded, smirking in amusement as Nico gulped audibly. He gave Nico a very hungry once over, that Nico responded by stepping completely behind Alexius now.
"Of course," Marikas answered casually, "He could become a useful hostage. Don't give him armor or anything. He'll ride in the wagon with the other servants. Bring your Ana as well."
"I don't want Ana to come." Alexius responded firmly. Marikas raised an eyebrow at the defiance before smirking. He reached out, taking Alexius by the chin, stooping so their faces were closer. A bolt of irritation and possessiveness coursed through me at the physical contact and the way Marikas seemed to shiver at being so close to Alexius, who didn't show a lick of interest in Marikas, much to my relief.
"Unfortunately," Marikas drawled in Alexius' face, "I couldn't care less what you want. This war is about what I want, and what I want is that pathetic mongrel and your lackey to join you in it. They don't have to fight, just be there. Is that understood?" Alexius ground his teeth together so hard, I'm surprised they didn't shatter. Marikas studied him with a hard stare, daring him to protest, but instead, Alexius just gave him a curt nod. Marikas smirked at that, roughly letting go of Alexius before turning to face me. He narrowed his eyes for a moment in a manner that made me entirely too uncomfortable.
I had a feeling he was suspicious of me, but he didn't have time to make comment about it because he seemed to see something else that angered him. He shoved past us to yell at some soldiers from my unit that were screwing around instead of working. I sighed in frustration, watching him leave before I looked at Alexius, who seemed uncomfortable now.
"Damn it." He cursed under his breath, then turned to look at Nico, who instantly stepped back, looking embarrassed about having to use Alexius as his shield against Marikas. Alexius narrowed his eyes at him, but said nothing for the longest time. I frowned, reaching out to touch Alexius' arm.
"It's all right, Alexius. Nothing will happen to them," I assured, making him glance at me doubtfully, "I'll make sure they stay with the servants in a safe zone. We'll block it off with tents."
"They attacked us in our tents before," Alexius reminded me bitterly, "That didn't stop them." I averted my eyes, then noticed Nico shifting uncomfortably, glancing back and forth thoughtfully. He didn't seem to like the idea of going into battle without his weapons or armor. I looked back at Alexius.
"But you trusted Ana enough to keep Nico safe."
"And Nico got away from her."
"Because of the mistake of leaving. Simply order Ana not to leave Nico's side. Surely Nico wouldn't leave her to die."
"To spite me, he would."
"What kind of person do you think I am," Nico protested, making us both stare at him drolly before he blushed and cleared his throat, "I wouldn't let her get hurt. I'm not going to hurt other people just to hurt you. That's not how I work."
"Of course not." Alexius replied sarcastically, making me cock a brow at him. He glared at me curiously, but I said nothing and just shook my head before looking at Nico with a cold stare.
"Do not let Ana get hurt, then, Nico. That's your job. If you fail it, you won't need to worry about just Alexius hunting you down and ripping you to pieces." I added darkly. Nico grimaced, shifting uncomfortably. Alexius looked at me gratefully for a split second before he cleared his throat, turning around and heading for the place where we would gather for the mass teleportation. Nico trudged along behind us, muttering curses under his breath along with the occasional prayer that he not die.
"You wanted to say something before." I murmured to Alexius, keeping my voice low. Alexius glanced behind us at Nico, who was hardly paying attention. He was glaring at the men we passed, who eyed him like a delicious piece of meat set out for the lions. He was too busy with self-preservation to care about us. Alexius turned back to me, then looked away with a grimace.
"You mentioned a place called Erini?" He asked. I frowned.
"Yes." I replied. Alexius hesitated again, as if he were debating whether to continue or not before he sighed wearily, glancing at me.
"I dreamt of it last night. Or, rather, my soul visited it." He answerred. My eyes widened and I almost tripped over my own feet at hearing him say that. That was why he was acting odd. He'd visited Erini, the realm of the cambions. The cambions surely knew who I was and knew about my mission, as their representatives informed them of the plans to bring them all there for safety. Had one of them talked to Alexius? My heart was hammering hard in my throat, but I said nothing suspicious and kept my expression calm as I tried to feign at least mild surprise.
"You visited? How? You don't know what the realm looked like, right?" I asked. Alexius nodded, glancing around again as if he were paranoid someone would hear before he sighed again, this time heavily as if he couldn't believe he was discussing this.
"The realm that you talked about is the realm I dreamt about as a child," He responded, this time causing my expression to break out in full shock, "The mountains, the plants, the trees, even the ocean. I met with another... With another cambion named Mallurak."
Mallurak, I remembered. The cambion of the Ahnz. He didn't need much persuading to go to Erini. He only asked that his human lover be allowed to join him and be allowed to leave when she pleased, even on the occasions when he couldn't. The council had agreed and allowed this. Mallurak and I had never officially met, but I'd heard much of him and surely he'd heard word of me and my mission.
"And what did he say?" I asked curiously, still pretending that I didn't understand. Alexius looked like he wasn't sure if he wanted to go, again, but he continued speaking anyway.
"I want to live in Erini." He stated. I blinked and looked at him, surprised as I stopped walking now. Alexius stopped as well and Nico ran into my back, then leapt back as if he had touched fire, hissing at me with bared fangs. I ignored him, though, staring at Alexius, who just stared back at me stoically.
He wanted to live in Erini? Already? What had Mallurak said to him that made him change his mind so quickly? How long had he thought about this? Was he considering everything?
"Erini," I repeated for confirmation and Alexius nodded, while Nico just looked at us in confusion, obviously not knowing about the realm special for cambions, "Alexius, you do know what that means, don't you? Whenever war comes about within a pantheon, you will not be allowed to leave."
"Why would I leave the place that I dreamt of as a child to escape people like him?" Alexius asked, pointing at Nico, who glared at him and snapping his teeth at the finger. Alexius flicked him in the nose as a response, making Nico yelp. I frowned, pretending to let that sink in, but I already knew that Alexius wouldn't be the type to leave a haven. A place of eternal beauty and peace, the one thing that Alexius longed for most in this world, even more than revenge against his kind.
I said nothing more, just nodded. Alexius returned the gesture before we continued on toward the wagons. Nico trailed behind us, groaning in disgust.
"I can't stand this," He complained, "I hate being here. Send me back to my realm."
"No," Alexius responded, "Why would I do that? I enjoy your suffering."
"Hey, I never enjoyed--"
"Of course not," Alexius retorted bitterly, pausing as we allowed a couple men and their horses to pass by in front of us, "You had to force yourself to do those things to me. You're actually a good person at heart."
"Whoever taught you sarcasm is an asshole." Nico sneered in repungence.
"That would be us." I responded, making Nico glare at me, but from a good distance. I looked away at Alexius again, frowning in concern as I watched his eyes flicker for the groups of men that were preparing for yet another battle, and quite possibly, Alexius' final battle. If he was serious about leaving for Erini, I might even be able to transport him today during the battle. While everyone was busy, I could take Alexius out into the forest and teleport him. He'd merely come up as another general lost in battle.
However, I was getting a bad feeling in the pit of my gut. I wondered if maybe it was the fact that it was nearing the time that I should either confess to Alexius or hide my existence from him as long as I could... But could I really do that?
I had unintentionally drawn closer to Alexius. Everything about him brought my body to life, my heart, mind, and soul. All of it warmed me to the core and made me feel alive again. Though it burned at the hunger that I had yet to sate, his presence was warm and soothing. I couldn't imagine being away from Alexius for even more than a few hours. Just thinking about it made me ill.
I couldn't imagine not being able to touch him, to run my hands along his smooth, soft skin and savor the sounds of his breath, his moans in my ears. I feel his heat around me, his arm encircling my neck and holding me closer, as if just holding him wasn't enough. He needed me to hold him. The sex I had with Alexius wasn't just something to sate his hunger or get off. It was something we both needed. And it was the closest I would ever get to Alexius confessing himself to me, and I knew that.
And I cherished it.
Even though he never said the words my heart ached for, his body told me plenty. He moved like liquid mercury, fluid, beautifully, dangerously. He was a deadly cat that liked showing off when we were together.
But I loved Alexius too much to take him for myself and allow him pain. He'd suffered long enough and the only place he could ease that agony was to reside in Erini, where he was safe and happy.
"We're leaving soon." Alexius murmured, bringing me out of my thoughts. I looked him, seeing his lips set in a grim line as his green eyes flickered, the pupil shrinking as if he could sense the same threat I could. I cleared my throat, straightening as I searched the group, noticing the horses for Alexius and I placed nearby. Ana stood there, placing the saddles on a third horse that I'm sure was meant for her and Nico.
Alexius strode across the grassy fields with a pride and strength that made a few men glance sideways with interest. I followed close behind him, ignoring Nico complain about wanting to go home behind us. I had wished plenty of times that my home of Atlantis still existed, but wishing did nothing. Action did and while I couldn't bring Atlantis back, I could save other people from experiencing the same agony of losing their cherished homes.
It was the whole reason I threw my name into the ballot to become the representative of the vampyre race.
Alexius hopped on his horse and I did the same, glancing to the side to see Ana climbing onto her horse, helping Nico up, who grumbled about having to ride with her. She merely pinched his cheek hard enough to turn it red before she pulls on the reins, causing the sleek white mare to whinny eagerly for a well needed ride. I looked down at my horse, his slick black coat well groomed and shining healthily. He nickered, tilting his head back and pulling at my reins in a gesture that told me he wanted to hurry up and get the teleportation over with. I smiled lightly, stroking his coarse black hair. I glanced at Alexius, who seemed interested in his horse as much as his horse was with him.
His black horse cocked its head from side to side, pawing its hoof at the ground before shaking its head, letting its long dark hair fall across its neck. Alexius stared at it for the longest time before gently stroking its hair. The horse relaxed at this and neighed, rearing its head back for more attention. I swore I saw a smile beginning at the corners of his mouth before Arachnae came riding out in front of us on his speckled black and white horse, armor protecting its silky coat.
"Mornin', men," He announced, his voice booming over the army that had gathered to leave, "We'll be heading to Xolun now. You all know the drill. And once we arrive, we'll make camp on the edge of the forest. General Alexius and General Killian will take one member of their unit to do a patrol and make sure the enemies aren't already staked out, like they were last time. Let's try not to fuck up this time." A few men chuckles, others grimaced uneasily.
Alexius remained stoic, his grip on the reins of his horse tightening. I frowned, but said nothing as Arachnae gave us the signal. At once, all eyes fell shut, only to open a moment later.
The camp and the warm forests of Ivacha were gone. No more salty beach scent or meals being cooked.
The rich scent of vegetation, flowers, and soil filled the air thickly, colliding with the humidity of the realm known as Xolun. We had appeared just outside the forest edge, turning our heads to the right to see the thick foliage that stretched out far beyond to several pointed mountains. Water falls spewed forth from their caverns, filling pools at the bottom, probably leading to a river somewhere nearby. The sound of exotic birds chattering and calling out eagerly, nervously even at the new visitors. There was even the sound of a monkey shrieking in fright, the sound of it taking off through the trees rustling leaves and causing trees to bend under its weight. Somewhere in the distance came the loud roar of a proud, powerful leopard, sending the birds into flight. Flashes of vivid blues, reds, purples, and even pinks fled through the forest canopy and streaking across a gray-blue sky, thick clouds rolling around.
"Welcome to Xolun." I stated as I passed Alexius on my horse. He frowned a little, then looked away to stare into the woods in awe. Our group walked along the edge of the forest to where the sound of water trickled and splashed. The horses moved a steady lope, the armor and supplies jingling as we moved.
All around us the sounds of the forests came to life. Birds continued to twitter amongst each other excitedly, the faces of monkeys peering through large, ovular green leaves. A monkey called out as a test, swinging itself to the end of its branch. Instantly Alexius looked at it, surprised at how bold the creature was despite its size. It was a small creature with round brown eyes set in a small head, its tail coiling around itself before it darted back to hide, gone with its previous bravado.
A few new faces, the furry bodies of them slinking along the branches, belonged to lemurs that whispered amongst each other curiously, following along side our army. Their expressions were intelligent, curious, and told us they too could feel the impending battle. As it seemed to strike them, one cried out in horror and leapt through the trees. Seconds later, several more followed it deeper into the jungle.
"What were those?" Alexius asked me as we ducked under vines that had draped themselves across the path to several trees on the other side before the jungle broke out into grassy plains. I glanced after the lemurs, then looked at Alexius with a light smile.
"Lemurs. They're a type of primate."
"They're so..."
"Chatty?"
"Yes. Not as much as the other creatures. The monkeys?"
"Yes. Monkeys can be a little mischevious and nosy, so don't leave your pack unattended. They like to riffle through bags and play with things that are not theirs. Should you catch them doing so, pretend to attack them and they'll flee. They're cowards when it comes to facing a man in black armor wielding a sword." I explained, chuckling as I peered up to eye a particular monkey that had tried to creep across the trees over our heads. It squeaked and turned back, slamming into its siblings that tumbled back onto its makeshift nest. I looked at Alexius to see him gazing around the forest in awe.
"I've never seen these kinds of plants, or flowers, or trees before. What kind of forest is this?" He asked, still dazed by the sudden change in geography. I glanced around, spotting a large bird perched on a small branch, its round black eyes watching us suspiciously before it flew off-- Alexius' eyes following it the entire time.
"It's a tropical forest. A rainforest, actually. We must be lucky as it seems to have already rained, though, it could happen again at any time. Hopefully after we get our tents up, as I'm not fond of the mixture of heat and rain. It's an unpleasant feeling." I responded, then paused to watch Alexius' eyes latch onto a particular bunch of purple flowers that had bloomed across a thick bush of vines along a tree side. There came a tender croaking from within the bundle before it fell silent at the sound of us passing by.
"That frog is the color of the flowers." Alexius said, looking at me, his eyes widening a bit. I smiled at his child-like awe and gave a short nod.
"Yes. But don't touch it. It's skin is poisonous. It hides there and waits for an unsuspecting victim to touch it. The poison paralyzes its prey, giving the frog time to eat it or escape it. All depends what poor soul touches it." I informed. Alexius seemed amazed at this news. We continued on with Alexius asking occasional questions. I smiled, enjoying the experience of teaching Alexius new things. My heart swelled as I watched him absorb everything around him by the bundles, my responses to his questions and the way he stared at everything as if it were a treasure.
I caught sight of Nico staring at us and glanced at him out the corner of my eye. He was staring directly at Alexius, as if he couldn't believe Alexius was so easily entertained by knowledge and discovery. I raised an eyebrow at him and he looked at me, blushing hard and quickly looking away. I looked at Ana, who was smiling gently as Alexius asked a few more questions.
We continued along the path until we found a safe dip into the woods for us to make camp. We set up in a circular shape, tying the horses up between the tents. Alexius and I remained on ours, however, along with Nico on the horse he shared with Ana and Xav on his own horse. Ana climbed down, but grabbed Nico's leg, making him stiffen. She narrowed her eyes at him.
"If any harm should come to my master, you will be the first one I go after and I advise you, that if you wish to remain of the male species, you take very good care of my master." She warned, making Xav and I chuckle. Alexius was too busy gazing at a hummingbird that was fluttering around a bustle of yellow flowers. Nico scrunched his nose up in distaste, tightening his fists on the reigns of the horse that grunted in irritation at being left alone with the incubus.
"Why do you care so much about him? Don't you know what he is?" He demanded. Ana frowned, letting go of him to step back.
"Quite frankly, don't know, don't care. He is my master and he is kind to me. You best do well to protect him. I don't make idle threats, incubus." She replied curtly. Nico curled his lip, but said nothing more as he steered his horse to stand beside Alexius, who snapped back to reality and looked at Ana curiously.
"Best of luck, stay safe." Ana said. We nodded and began to move out. Unfortunately, I was no longer with Alexius now and the loss made my heart ache. He and Nico went off to the east while Xav and I went to the west. Our horses moved through the trees graciously, avoiding the tree roots that had pushed through the dirt to reach for the sunlight that bled between leaves in the thick canopy.
"So, I noticed Alexius flipping out about the jungle. Has he never been to one?" Xav asked as we moved along, the birds around us chirping and the monkeys fleeing. I looked at him out the corner of my eye before giving a short nod.
"It's his first time."
"He seems to enjoy it."
"Certainly. It's a new world to him and I'm sure he's glad I volunteered him for patrol so he can enjoy every corner of this land." I paused, watching several chubby yellow birds inching across their little branch before one by one taking off toward the higher reaches of the canopy. I smiled, tilting my head back to inhale the warm, wet hair before looking at Xav, who was staring at me.
"Hm?" I asked. Xav shrugged, steering his horse ahead of us with a chuckle.
"I can tell Alexius is beginning to effect you." He responded. I raised an eyebrow, nudging my horse to catch up to Xav's as we trotted through the trees. Frogs ceased their singing and birds moved away to give us space.
"What do you mean?" I asked. Xav shrugged, eyes searching the trees.
"He seems to have an affinity for nature. You seem to now take the time to soak in everything."
"Well, I've never thought about it before. Alexius makes me think."
"He does, doesn't he?" Xav murmured under his breath. I looked at him curiously, but he said nothing as we continued our patrol in silence, allowing the birds to once again begin their callings and monkeys to move more obviously through the canopy. Again in the distance came the loud roar of a leopard, the sound echoing through the trees before fading gently.
Yes, I admitted to myself. I was letting Alexius effect me. I could only hope, however, that Alexius was letting me effect him, if even just a little. I needed time, but I'd run out. I had to get Alexius out of here and to where he belonged-- Erini.