It's not often one wakes up to a glowing flower in their face, but that was exactly what Eileen found as her eyes fluttered open. What in the- "Achoo!" Pollen pelted her face, which she feverishly wiped off. Where are we? Vines and glowing flowers filled her vision. Another sneeze pressed against her nose. "Achoo!" The force nearly shot her back. Only a weight on her legs prevented her movement.
What? Her gaze flickered down. Ursus's soft glow filled the room like moonlight. His skin brightened at her touch, leaving a warm trail of light. He really is beautiful. "Ursus." His eyes flickered open. The pure love in them shook her to her very core. "Morning," she smiled.
"Morning," He whispered. A small yawn left his lips before he smiled up at her. "Since when did you have freckles?" Freckles? Reaching up, she touched her cheek. "Ah, it's the pollen. I startled a flower this morning." Never thought I would say that out loud. Granted being here meant she was starting to say a lot of new things out loud. Movement snapped her gaze back to Ursus. He nuzzled deeper into her abdomen.
Her heart flipped. "Ursus." Despite how much she didn't want to move right now, those sneezes had brought forth a wave of liquid that needed to be empty.
"Hmm?"
She shifted. "I got to go."
"Where?"
Heat flushed her face. "No, I have to go."
His eyes fluttered open. "Oh." He yawned again. "You have to go, go."
At his smirk, she fought the urge to flick his nose. He's enjoying this way too much. "Yes, so can you please get off of me?" Another yawn left his lips before he nuzzled ever further. "Ursus!"
Her cry got a small twitch of amusement. "Alright, alright." With a tired push, he laid himself beside her. Another small yawn broke free, before he curled up tighter onto the wooden floor. Just as she pushed herself to her feet, a knock sounded.
"Come in!" She called.
Pavel stuck his head through. From the looks of it, Ursus wasn't the only one who had difficulties sleeping last now. Even now, bagged eyes glanced at Ursus with concern. "How was he?"
Eileen gestured for him to step out. She closed the door behind them. "He cried, Pavel." She frowned. "What you said really hurt him last night." Pavel's jaw clenched. "I know, but I meant what I said. You can't be blind, Eileen. You see how the bond is affecting him."
"I know that." Eileen countered. "You think I want him to be like that?"
"I know you don't but if you cared about him then you would break it." Eileen's jaw clenched. She glanced away from him. I do care about Ursus and the bond was getting worse. She hesitated. Would breaking it really fix it? "But that's not the only reason I came." He ran his hand through his hair. "I looked over the hovercraft and it's stable. I think the crash might have been a hiccup in the system. We should be leaving for the Aecor Islands soon."
The Aecor islands. That was the last stop before they headed back to Lyria. She shuddered. And it's the one with the giant sea creature. As if reading her mind, Pavel sighed. "I know this may seem like a lot, but I really do want the best for Ursus." His eyes burned into hers. "And you should too."
But I do. The words were a lump in her throat. She swallowed the burning words all the way back down. Watching Pavel leave, Eileen couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to get a lot worse.
****
Like ice, cracks ran along the lines of tension as the hovercraft raced along the trees. With their fingers entwined, Ursus squeezed her hand. The slept in brought some color back to his cheeks and eyes.
"Up next is the Aecor Islands," Pavel started. Ursus squeezed her hand. "The Aecorans are normally a nomadic species. For most of their lives, they live in small clusters on islands, constantly traveling and settling down in new locations. When it's breeding season for their Archeons though, they travel deeper into the ocean to warmer waters.
There's a large island where the Archeons are said to settle down and lay the next generation. Some Aecorans choose to settle down and start a family there. Generations are united as the next Archeons and Aecorans grow up together.
But there's been an increased attack with a plesiosaur." With a tap of his watch Pavel pulled up a hologram of what looked like the lochness monster. "It's been interfering with the migration and causing them to get behind schedule. The cold water is making the Archelons lethargic. If we don't chase the creature off soon, the turtles won't be able to lay their eggs in time."
"Which means we need a plan." Donovan glanced at them. "We can't just go diving into the ocean water. The acidity will burn our skin."
"There's a thermal basin not far from the plesiosaur's last sighting. There's a special kind of bacteria there that secretes an ointment that should warmth the Archeons enough to get them to warmer waters."
Eileen's gaze flickered below. The trees of the forest and swamp faded away, shifting to rolling gray waves and large sea creatures. Little mini islands passed beneath them before her eyes widened at a massive one. Reefs surrounded the island, creating a small little shallow barrier where kids and giant turtles lounge. As the hovercraft lowered, the turtles grew in size until they rivaled a car. Beyond the beach and shores were a small little outcrop of huts and villages that merged into the forest and up toward the cliffs.
"And we're here." Ursus clicked her belt, helping Eileen out of the seat again. As she landed on the ground with a little grunt, he landed beside her. Pavel, who was already out, turned at the sound. His eyes flickered from Ursus to Eileen and then back. "Ursus, can we talk?"
Ursus's eyes narrowed. Another crack appeared along the surface. "About?"
"What happened back at Lumanora."
Another crack spread along the tension in the air. It wobbled and seeped deeper into the stillness around them.
"Ursus," Eileen grabbed his hand. "Maybe you should hear him out." The last thing she wanted was to drive a wedge between the two of them. Ursus nodded stiffly.
Taking that as cue, Pavel stepped forward. "I'm sorry. I never should have hidden the fail safes from you. I just didn't want you to be crushed at the thought of being seen as only a weapon. Not after everything."
Ursus's eyes narrowed. "I'm not crushed by that, Pavel. I've always known that dad saw me as a tool. I've accepted it. But that's not the reason I'm mad."
Pavel tilted his head. "Then why are you?"
"Because," he gestured to Eileen. "This whole time you've been acting like Eileen isn't important to me. Agreeing with others that she would be bait, suggesting the bond be broken, even going so far as to accuse her of not caring!"
Eileen's eyes widened. He heard.
"Your health-"
"My health doesn't matter when it's my choice." He frowned. "You can't try and force me to give up a part of myself, someone I choose to be with because of it. You can't force me to do things just like dad did." Something flickered Pavel's gaze. His eyes widened. Just like dad did. The cracks seeped too deep, shattering the existence of the silence.
Anger radiated off Pavel. "And did you see what happened in the cave? You had to race in there and save her." Eileen's face flushed. "A bond is supposed to be equal, Ursus. You can't be constantly trying to save her while sacrificing your own health! That's not a bond, that's a chain!"
Ursus stepped forward. "You are the last person who can talk to me about a chain! Unlike you, I don't move to the council's beck and call. I'm the one that gets locked up with chains, not you!"
"No! No, I do!" Pavel shoved him. "I have to stay and look after my kingdom! I can't just be a coward who turns tails and hides for a year when things get too hard!" Anger shifted into fury as both brothers glared daggers at each other.
Ursus's voice was eerily calm. "Call me a coward one more time."
Pavel's lips curled. "Coward."
Ursus chuckled. It started out slow, until it built up in intensity. "Ursus-" A fist slammed into Pavel's face. A cry of surprise burst from Eileen's lips. "Ursus!" Pavel lunged, slamming Ursus toward the ground. "Stop it! Stop it right now!" A hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her back. "Let me go!" She looked up at Donovan. "What are you doing?"
"Don't." Donovan pulled her further away from the fighting brothers. "This is a year of resentment building up. I'm afraid even you can't stop it."
Resentment? Her gaze snapped back to the brothers. Like boxers, they punch and kick, looking for opening and weak spots. Eileen grimaced when Paval landed an uppercut. "And we're supposed to let them beat each other up?"
"You want to get into the middle of that?" Donovan questioned. She shook her head. No, no I don't. "Besides," Donovan folded his arms. "Maybe now they'll finally face what they both have been running from."
Eileen flooded her arms. Wow, pot meets kettle. "Like you?" Donovan's gaze snapped to her. With a chuckle, he tilted his head. "Maybe." A yelp snapped them back to the fighting brothers.
"You left me!" Pavel punched Ursus's nose. "You left me to deal with our dad's death alone! You left me to deal with everything alone!"
"And what was I supposed to do?" Ursus threw him off. "What did you want me to do? I was attacked! I had to escape!"
"And you never planned to come back!" Pavel stood up. "If I wouldn't have found you, if I hadn't tracked you down, we know you would have stayed in your little earth paradise! Would you have even told Eileen about me? Would you?" Pavel's hands clenched. "Because it seemed like you wouldn't have. It seemed like you were perfectly fine to forget about me!" Pavel gray eyes glowed. "And left me thinking that you died! That the only family member that really got me, that really understood me, died!"
Reaching up, Ursus touched his nose. Bright red coated his fingertips. "You think it was easy for me?" Ursus's eyes burned into his. "You think it was easy to just up and leave everything behind? To go to a new place where I had little idea how everything worked? If it wasn't for Eileen, I would have no one. No one." He stepped forward. "I didn't ask for you to find me! I didn't ask to be dragged back here! I choose to because that's what brothers do!"
"Some brother you are! You're nothing but a selfish, arrogant hybrid!" Pavel snapped, before he turned and stormed off.
At her slight push, Donovan's hold on her loosen. She hurried toward Ursus. As his head turned to her, she reached into her bag and pulled out a rag. She pressed it against his bleeding nose. "Hold still."
Grabbing her wrist, Ursus leaned into her touch. A tired sigh left his lips. "I'm sorry you had to see that."
"Maybe you were man enough to stop running, this would have never happened."
Ursus's gaze flickered up toward Donovan. "Oh, you want a piece of me too?" He snapped. "Then get in line like everyone else!"
"Stop it!" Eileen snapped. Anger, hurt, pain, frustration, too many emotions swirled in Ursus's gaze. Reaching up, she pressed her forehead against his. Her fingertips felt his racing heart, increasing the longer the storm in his mind raged on. "Breathe, Ursus." She inhaled and exhaled. "Breathe with me." His eyes closed as he released a shaky breath. With each inhale, she felt his heartbeat steady. "Do you feel better?"
"Yeah." He swallowed. "Thank you."
Stepping back, her gaze flickered to Donovan. "You're the last person who gets to talk about running away. At least Ursus isn't looking at a lie everyday when he sees himself in the mirror." Donvan's jaw clenched.
As his lips parted, a new voice spoke up."Excuse me?" A woman approached them. "Is everything alright?" Black hair was braided with shells while a colorful seaweed like texture fabric wrapped around her top and bottom. Soft blue eyes flickered to Donovan. "Donovan?"
Wait, did they know each other? Instantly, her blue eyes darkened. Air seemed to shift and crack, Eileen shivered as goosebumps ran up her arms. It was then she noticed the pulsing glow raising up the woman's veins. "You!" She stormed toward him. "How dare you come back here!"
"Asuria." Donovan whispered. As he stepped forward, his gray eyes seemed to darkened until it was deep rich blue. From the look alone, EIleen knew exactly who the woman was. Donovan looked at Asuria the same way Ursus looked at her. Ursus stiffen behind her.
"A hybrid," he whispered.
"After that night we shared! You left me like I was nothing." Her hand gripped a small bump. "Like we were nothing." A small sob escaped her lips. "How could you-"
Donvan stepped forward. He cupped her face, silencing her words. "I'm sorry." His eyes softened. "I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly." He pressed his forehead against hers. "Let me explain everything." A small noise, a hiccup, left the woman's lips. Humming, soft notes left his body as he sung softly to her. Eileen watched the last of the tension eased from Asuria's body.
Movement made her glanced down to see Ursus grab her and entwine their fingers. Looking up at him, the soften in his gaze brought a wave of reassurance. Everything was going to be alright. She sighed silently. Everything had to be alright in the end.