"For every good reason there is to lie, there is a better reason to tell the truth."
-Xamdú
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Ake opened his eyes and noticed his surroundings were littered with his things. He sat up and blinked away the blurriness shrouding his eyes. Soon, he realized he was back in his room. It smelled of fire and burning wood throughout his room causing him to relax much more than he wanted to. The scent of burning wood had such the effect on dragons. The sight and feel of fires comforted them as well.
As he dragged a hand down his face, he sighed and lolled his head back against the head of the bed. His mind was filled with fog and he could hardly manage to keep his eyes open.
"Ake, you are awake, at last!" Ake heard the sound of Oraanu's voice as he rushed to his side.
It dawned on him, his wound. He checked his side and saw bandages wrapped around the side of him covering his entire lower torso. The pain came back the moment the realization came to him causing him to lean over and hiss. Karos, he thought. His heart hammered out of his chest in worry.
"He... You must check on him."
His voice was raw and strained. He had not known how long he had slept but it seemed as though it had been for more than two or three days.
"Ake—"
"Do not tell my father of this. You mustn't."
"I cannot promise you that."
"You must! My father will not... he will not have this. If he knows of my condition," Ake breathed through the pain. "He will not approve of things as they are."
Ake watched as Oraanu backed away from him, lips pursed.
"... Again, why are you being unreasonable?"
Ake grabbed onto his wrist before he could take another step from him.
"If you do not, I will," Ake warned.
Oraanu's eyes narrowed into tiny little slits as he huffed and turned his back to him.
"That is no ordinary wound, Ake. If it was one, you would not have been affected. It was obsidian. He could have killed you!"
"I am still alive, am I not? He means me no ill will. He—"
"As I am sure he had. I am sure that is what your past ancestor had thought when he laid dying in a pool of his own blood."
Ake held onto the side now pulsing with pain ignoring Oraanu's comment. Karos would never cause him intended harm. He would never. His grip tightened around his wound not wanting to breathe an ounce of truth to those words. Oraanu had never liked him.
"... I will do as you wish, however."
Ake's eyes widened.
"For you, because I know what he means to you. But after this no more."
"Thank you, Oraanu. Truly, I am in your greatest debt."
Oraanu showed him a small smile before bowing his head.
"Your question..."
Ake continued to look at him.
"From before... " Oraanu mumbled. "The answer is yes. It... is something like that. The feelings that I feel... when I am with him."
Ake kept his gaze transfixed on him as a small smile formed on his lips. Before he could say anything in response, Oraanu rushed out the door causing Ake to smile more to himself. In all the centuries of knowing him, Ake had not ever seen him act in such a way. Maybe, just this once, he could believe in his words and entrust Karos' care to him. He leaned his head back against the bed as the pain resurfaced.
If he was in this amount of pain, Ake could only imagine what Karos was feeling. His eyes closed and his eyebrows kneaded in thought before he sighed out. He will be fine. He will be fine, Ake said more to himself to sooth his mind. It was filling with thoughts of everything that could go wrong. His greatest ancestor was much in love as well and his love did not turn out to be what he expected it to become. It became the death of him.
Ake's eyes opened as they filled with water. He would never do a thing to hurt him. He would not. So why... why was there such doubt swarming in his mind?
"Ake."
Ake looked around trying to put a body to the unfamiliar voice. His eyes landed on the human that had come with Karos some time ago. He was still dressed in human fashion wearing the seals of golden griffins along the sides of it.
"You should not trust so easily," the human said as he walked closer.
"Who are you?"
"Baastian, but my name is not nearly as important right now, Ake."
Ake sat up with furrowed brows.
"If you care for Karos, as I think you do, then you must not leave him in the care of his like or anyone else's, for the matter. He will be killed."
Ake's eyes widened.
"You must go down yourself."
"Oraanu nor Fariel would allow such a thing to happen. If he dies, so will I."
Ake watched as Baastian fiddled with his hands looking this way and that. Baastian's eye soon met with his after a moment. It struck Ake as odd.
"It is the gem that ties you together, yes? All someone needs to do is simply take it out."
Ake's lips pursed as he shook his head. Oraanu would never.
"Fariel is not so trustful either. He had planned those things that had happened to Karos to separate the two of you."
"Lies."
"Both him and your father. I had heard Analia and Fariel discussing such things, I swear. I would not lie."
Again, Baastian looked towards the door. Just who had told him to do this, Ake wondered. He would play along however long it took. Yes, he was in love but he was not dumb. He worried for Karos but not so much to where he could not think things through properly. Ake sniffed and looked at Baastian.
"Why are you here? Why are you telling me this? You are no friend to me. You do not even know me to care for my well-being."
"... Karos is my... he is my older brother," Ake heard him mumble. "If you do not care so much for him, I do."
Ake sat up at this and looked at him with narrowed eyes.
"Because all dragons think of us as vile creatures or things meant to be played with for all of your amusement. I do not trust in your words or your said love for him."
If Ake could go down there himself, he would but he cannot. Not in the condition that he was in and not with the responsibilities that tether him to Isla. The human was baiting him, Ake knew but his words still festered in his mind like an open wound. Still, Ake simmered. How dare he talk to him this way.
"Do you know who I am?" Ake growled.
"Do you know who I am?" Bash questioned back causing Ake to muscle down the pain that came with the slightest hint of movement and rise. He walked close to Bash but he did nothing more than stare. They looked nothing alike, not even in build. Karos never once mentioned to him that he had a brother. Then again, Ake realized he had left out many things about himself as well. In truth, they hardly knew one another.
" 'A human dares to question me?' Is that not what you are thinking? Your bias is still alive and real. I knew Karos would not change a thing about you."
Eria came through his door with a plate of hot food and water carried on a golden tray. She passed by Baastian without giving him a glance causing Ake's eyes to lower and find their way back to his bed.
"Ake, My Prince, come sit and eat. I will be sure to take him out of your room."
"Who allowed him in here?" Ake hissed as he pushed passed Bash no longer interested in entertaining a pointless conversation with him.
"I am not so sure... "
"Make sure he does not find his way back in here again."
"As you wish."
Before he could protest, Ake watched as Baastian was taken out of his room. Moments later, Eria came back and knelt to the floor by his feet.
"Eria, rise. You know I do not care for such rules."
"I overheard... some words said between the two of you and I stress you do not listen to them."
".... Eria, I am trying my best not to be bothered by his scathing words but I am."
Ake looked at the fruits on the tray before turning his head away from it.
"Is this how far my love for him goes?"
Erica shook her head.
"Do not listen to him."
"He implied that I am merely toying with him which I am not. I am not, I love him, I do. For reasons I cannot quite understand yet, but I plan on spending all of my days figuring out why."
"Your words are sweet as they always have been."
"He has my gem, my very living heart," Ake went on. "Does that not show my love and my trust?"
"It does, My Prince."
"So then why—why do I feel this way?"
"Eat something. You must be famished." Eria dipped a spoon into the bowl of golden liquid. He opened his mouth and swallowed it down one after another before finally rising and heading out the door.
"Ake!"
His face was growing hot, he could feel it. That room was suffocating him. He needed some fresh air to help clear his mind of all what had happened. Before he could turn the corner, he heard the voice of his father. He stopped and pressed his back against the wall.
"Kill him."
Ake's eyes widened.
"Once you have his gem, kill that human."
"I take orders from no one but the gods," he heard Oraanu's voice say.
"It is no order. It is a request... That human will kill him. You know that. So you must get rid of him first."
"And your words would finish the task. You had given him your word."
"To appease him. To make him happy. For that, I would do anything in the world even if it means saying empty words with little meaning."
Ake closed his eyes and turned his head not wanting to listen to any more of their conversation. Instead, he turned back around and headed to his room.
He opened his door and rummaged through his closet not bothering to say a word to Eria. As soon as he found a robe that did not look too regal, he stripped off the white one he had on and put on a darkened orange one.
He felt the pain and the tear of stitchings from his movements. His heart hurt far too much to feel much else. His father was that kind of man. He had always been. He was foolish to believe otherwise. Tears were massing in his eyes as his body shook. He could hardly put his arm through the hole because he was so upset.
"Ake what are you— where are going?"
She grabbed his arm but Ake shrugged her off and continued wrapping a sash around himself. Silver blood seeped through his bandages and into the robe but he did not care.
"Ake, speak to me, please. What has happened?"
Ake wiped at his eyes before turning to face her.
"I am going down below as I should have."
"Ake!"
"It seems as though I cannot trust anyone. No one but you," he breathed.
Her eyes lowered to the floor.
"I knew my father was a liar—" Ake's voice broke. "But not one whereas he would make me feel so hurt and belittled by them."
"You are upset, but Ake... do not... do not go back down there."
"I must."
"There will be repercussions for this. It could become much worse if you do not think."
"He should have told me the truth. I do not care about his anger nor the punishment that will come after."
Ake opened up one of his windows causing Eria to grab his wrist.
"At least allow for me to come with you."
"Eria..."
"I do not want a thing to happen to you... Mercy will have forsaken you."
"Then so be it."
"Ake." She tugged down on his sleeve just as his vision became blurry. His mind spun in circles and because of such he could barely stand. Eria caught him in her arms.
"Forgive me, Ake."
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[A/N]
All kinds of character conflictments in this chapter!
Tell me your thoughts down below!