They trudged on, trying not to stop, but the land had grown rockier and even more difficult to manage. The days were boiling hot and the nights were so cold that their water froze. Not that they had much water. The canteens were emptying and they still had a long ways to go.

They had at first talked a bit, mostly Tella, Demus and the wanderer about the talismans and other legends, but as time went on, they grew silent, unwilling to use precious energy on speech.

Collin tried to navigate them truly, but after a few days shaking his head he told them that is was almost impossible with all the land looking the same and they sky hazed over day and night, there were no stars to navigate by.

Will went along cheerfully, for the most part. For some reason Fairien hadn’t come to him lately. Will wondered vaguely why, but didn’t spend much time on it. Fairien probably, like him, didn’t feel like talking in this heat and cold. Will couldn’t say that he blame him much.

“…I don’t know about you all,” Tella said on the seventh day of travel, “But I’m getting really tired of this place… My canteen is empty.”

“Mine too.” Will said. The other’s nodded in agreement.

“Mine’s been gone for two days now…” Collin sighed.

“Two days! Jeez! Why didn’t you tell us?” Tella asked.

“It was my problem. I drank it too fast.” He muttered. Tella shook her head.

“You’re a child,” the wanderer said, “Of course you used up more water than us. We would have been glad to give you some of ours.”

“… Well it doesn’t matter anyway. We don’t have any now.” Will said.

“And there’s not really any end in sight.” Demus sighed.

“We can’t drink from the springs.” Collin said stubbornly. “We just can’t. You guys don’t understand what kind of terrible chemicals this land holds.”

“I understand well enough.” The wanderer said. “You said this land was fertile at one time?”

“Yeah. And this is what happened.” He sighed. They sat in silence.

“Well goody. The sun is going down. Now we get to be cold instead of hot.” Tella muttered.

“I think I actually prefer being cold.” The wanderer said.

“It does make for better sleeping.” Demus agreed. Tella rolled her eyes at them.

“You two are weird.” She said. While they all argued Will slipped off into the shadows. He had to walk a good ways away before he couldn’t hear them anymore. He slipped himself down into a spacious deep rut in the ground and leaned against its wall.

“I’m so thirsty.” He said softly.

“Then you should get something to drink.” A voice said next to him. Will sighed, not moving his eyes from the sky.

“I wish.” He said. “We ran out of water.”

“Oh. Terrible.” Fairien said leaned back against the wall as well. “Well, I can make water.”

“What?” Will said turning to him. “You can?” Fairien nodded.

“Of course I can.” He said. Will smiled.

“Where have you been anyway?” he asked.

“… Mmm… Just around.” Fairien said softly.

“Ah. Just around. Hear they have nice salads there.” He mumbled. Fairien broke out into a grin.

“You want me to make that water or not?” he asked. Will nodded, handing him his canteen.

“Alright. This is great. I’ll just tell the others I found another canteen that had some water in it and share it out.” He sighed. “They’ll be happy.”

“Mm. Be quiet a minute.” Fairien told him, holding his hands over the canteen. Will waited as Fairien’s hands began glowing a slight whitish color. Fairien closed his eyes and moved his lips silently.

“Two hydrogen… To one oxygen…” he said softly.

“What’s that mean?” Will asked.

“It’s a proportion….” He said. Will frowned in confusion. Fairien sighed, continuing, “It means I’m using the air to make water. Just like when it rains.” He said.

“Ooh…” Will said. Fairien smiled as the glowing faded. He gave the canteen a shake and Will heard a slosh. He grinned at that wonderful sound.

“So you do have a purpose!” he said taking the canteen and holding it up.

“Take a drink. See if I can’t make good water.” Fairien said. Will unscrewed the top and brought the rim up to his lips. Just as he was about to take a swig he stopped and frowned. Fairien blinked at him.

“What?” he asked. Will shook his head.

“You said you made the water form the air, right?” he asked.

“Yeah..”

“… Collin said the air was polluted, just like the rest of the land so…” Will’s face crumpled in dismay.

                “The water is polluted too…” Fairien said and cursed.

“Oooh. This sucks…!” Will shouted, turning the canteen upside down and emptying the water. He sighed and took Fairien’s hand, looking it over carefully. “Are you sure you don’t have a purified in there somewhere?” he asked.

“Uugg… I don’t know. I’m not too good at all that chemistry stuff. Making water was about as far as I got. I just left all that stuff to Minerva.” Will paused for a long moment. Fairien tensed slightly.

“Minerva…” Will said softly. Fairien looked at him, fear entering his eyes. He cursed again.

“This is why I didn’t came back …” he groaned. Will frowned.

“What?” he asked.

“You’re going to ask me about her, aren’t you?” he asked. Will sighed and put his head back against the wall.

“Mahito was acting very strangely.” He said.

“Ah. So you got that?” Fairien asked with weary sarcasm.

“Everyone ‘got that’… But… There was something in his eyes… When he looked at me and said…” Will gulped, remembering what Mahito had said.

You’re property. Merely property. My property.

“What was he talking about?” Will asked. “It was like he was speaking directly to me. He was, wasn’t he?”

“What do you think?” Fairien asked lightly. Will glared at him.

“Something wasn’t right!” he said. “That… That just didn’t sound like Mahito! Granted, I don’t know the guy all that well, but even I could tell… something… was wrong.” He squeezed his eyes shut and breath in, shuddering.

“Fairien, who’s property am I?” he asked. Fairien closed his eyes and sighed waiting a long moment before answering.

“… Minerva’s.” he whispered.

“… Oh.” Will said in a disconnected voice. “Of course… I’m Iyokian… she created me… So…”

“Minerva was speaking through Mahito, though, something was wrong with the connection. Mahito can’t take strain like that… It’s driving him insane.” Fairien said.

“Do you think Minerva knows about you?” Will asked. Fairien shook his head.

“I don’t know. I really don’t know Will. But…” he turned to Will, “you are not property, do you understand me?”

“I’m…” Will began.

“You’re not hers! I don’t care if she did create you!” he said angrily. “She abandoned you, and all the Iyokia people. Anyone who would do that doesn’t deserve to be your creator.” Will sighed and looked down quietly.

“I’ll take your word for it.”

 

 

Collin lay alone at the bottom of a hill. He squeezed his eyes shut and sighed. His body felt so dry. He was beyond thirst, now he just ached.

How many days is it you can go without water? He asked himself. But his mind was so foggy he couldn’t remember. The others were off always, a few hills away. He hoped they didn’t come down here and find him dead.

“Thirsty?” a voice asked. Collin groaned. Great. Now he was hearing voices. This never ended did it?

“Hey! I asked you a question. At least respond.” The voice said. Collin made a growling noise, as a light went off in his head. This voice was familiar… In fact…

“Am I wasting my time? Are you already dead?” Mahito asked angrily prodding him. Collin yelped, realizing who was sitting next to him and jerked himself up. He glared at Mahito with the small amount of strength he had left.

“What do you want?” he growled. Mahito shrugged and handed him a canteen. Collin took it, looking at it suspiciously. His hands shook as he uncapped the bottle, realizing that there was water inside.

“It’s not poisoned.” Mahito said. “From my own supply, if you must know.” Collin glared back at him, realizing this was one of Mahito’s occasional capricious moods and that it might be a good idea to take advantage of it while it still existed. Besides, if he refused, Mahito might get angry and kill him… Collin put the bottle to his lips and turned it up, drinking thirstily.

“Don’t drink too much at one time or you’ll make yourself sick.” Mahito chided. Collin brought the container down and stared at Mahito over its top.

“What do you want?” Collin asked. “I hope you don’t expect anything in return.” Mahito wrinkled his nose at this.

“Of course not.” He said. “I just wanted to talk to you.”

“Well I don’t want to talk to you. Leave me alone.” Collin said. “I told you…  I’m not defenseless anymore.”

“Oh, no doubt.” Mahito said. “Your skills have grown but unfortunately not your intelligence.”

“What are you talking about?” Collin asked.

“You don’t get it, do you?” Mahito asked smiling as he narrowed his eyes.  “Do you know why I need to take you back to Area?” he asked. Collin stared at him hostilely, refusing to answer. Mahito grinned evilly.

“To stand trial.” He said. With that he stood up and began to walk away. Collin’s eyes widened staring after Mahito.

“What?” he shouted standing up and running after Mahito. “What are you saying?”

“Just what I said.”

“What am I standing trial for?” Collin asked. “Treason? How dare you report me as a traitor! I’m following my orders! Exactly!”

“Orders eh?” Mahito said stopping and looking down on him. “I believe I ordered you back to Area.”

“I don’t take orders from you.” Collin growled. Mahito smiled and shrugged.

“Well, that’s not what the trial is about anyway.”

“Oh?” Collin asked.

“Mmm… Yes.” Mahito said. “It’s quiet interesting. You’re quiet the news story in Area. All the papers have had stories on you. It was rather shocking.”

“What’s that?” Collin asked, realizing that he was going to have to play Mahito’s games if he wanted any information. Mahito smiled looking strait into Collin’s eyes.

“You’re wanted for the murder of you master.” He said. Collin gasped in horror, unable to mask it from Mahito.

“… H-How dare you!” he breathed angrily. “How dare you! You know that couldn’t be true! You know it!” Mahito shrugged.

“Come on Collin, even you have to admit the evidence was there. Think of the circumstances around your master‘s death. A high ranking Arean like him, dead, obviously there for a long time, his apprentice gone, and then later discovered with the enemy, and… protecting the enemy. Interesting indeed.”

“That’s not what this is!” Collin shouted. “My master told me to follow them and protect them. That’s the last thing he said to me.” Collin caught his breath, growing red in the face. “I don’t care what you say, I don’t care if all of Area thinks I killed him. I really just don’t care anymore… I know what I know, and I will not disregard the last order he gave me.” Mahito rolled his eyes, as if in boredom.

“I know you didn’t kill him, Collin.” He said. “If I’m not mistaken, that honor goes to Princess Tella.” Collin flinched slightly. “Funny isn’t? You’re protecting the very ones who killed you master. Strange world… You know Collin,” Mahito continued, “If you’d like, I could take you back to Area and vouch for you. If someone like me stands up for you, the senate won’t act. I know them.”

“Oh yes.” Collin said darkly, his tone taking on something more, “You know very well about the senate and their inability to act against criminals!” he shouted, his face flushing in anger. Mahito paused, as if in confusion at the anger.

“… I see the past weighs heavily upon you.” He said quietly.

“Did you think I forget something like that?!”

“No I didn’t expect that. I will make no excuses for my actions back then. But know that I would not repeat them.”

“I will never trust you. You haven’t changed that much.”

“Collin, I want what is best for you because it would be a shame to see one so young and so devoted to the Arean cause killed for a crime he did not commit.” Collin stayed silent for a moment then,

“I must complete my mission.” He said.

“What mission?” Mahito mocked him. “There is no mission. You blindly follow an old uninformed order... If you follow our enemies, you go to your death.”

“You’re concerned about my death?” Collin asked looking up at him through narrowed eyes.

“No.” Mahito said. “But Area is. She wants you to return to her. She wants her child back.”

“If only I were a child.” Collin growled softly. “You want my answer? I’ve given it to you before. You do not determine my fate; I decided that long ago. I follow my own path now.” Mahito smiled and drew himself up to his full height, looking down on Collin.

“You must make things difficult, mustn’t you?” he said quietly. Mahito slowly reached into his cloak and brought out his short sword. Collin stood up and held his hands together, until they glowed.

“Don’t toy with me Mahito. I’ve told you before, I am not helpless.” He said. Mahito smiled lightly and with a movement too swift to see, leapt forward, pinning Collin against the rock shelf behind him. Collin squawked in surprise trying to release the energy built up in his hands but Mahito pushed the cold burning metal of his sword against Collin’s neck. Collin gasped softly, feeling the power drain from his body and into that sword. His chest shuddered and he could feel tears building up in his eyes. Mahito watched him, smiling slightly.

Inside Collin’s mind this nightmare played out, twisting his innards. This was too real, too real… It wasn’t a memory… He made a gasping sob and tried to push his body into movement, but Mahito had trapped him. He let out a moaning scream of terror, before Mahito’s hand clamped over his mouth.

“That won’t work.” Mahito growled. “Your friends can’t save you now.”

 

 

The wanderer and Tella lay awake, staring at the sky. Behind them Demus slept peacefully. The wanderer watched the thick morose clouds circle above them and wondered absently when dawn would come. She hadn’t been sleeping well. She looked over at the staff she kept with her now, constantly. It seemed to be the only shred she had of Azrael and her world. It gave her a little comfort, but not much. Tella sighed beside her and the wanderer realized that Tella too, must be worried. At least Demus could sleep. She looked over at him in the fading light. Demus sighed softly in his sleep and twitched.

There was a soft trudging sound as Will walked up toward them. He plopped down beside the wanderer and Tella.

“Hey.” He breathed. “So you guys-”

“Be quiet.” Tella whispered. “Demus is sleeping. At least let one of us get some rest.”

“I’m awake.” Demus said softly. They turned to him, seeing that indeed his eyes were open and he was rising to a sitting position.

“Oh, sorry.” Will said. “I didn’t mean to-”

“No no. Be quiet…Something’s…” Demus frowned, blinking and perked up his ears, “Something’s not right.” He said.

“Eh?” Tella said sitting up.

“What is it?” Will asked. Demus’s eyes widened as he jumped up.

“Where’s Collin?” he asked.

 “Ah, I don’t know.” Tella said.

“He went down the hill…” the wanderer said standing.

“Come on!” Demus shouted, grabbing his sword.

“Wow, wait!” Will said getting up and following them. Tella grabbed her staff and began to run. A scream filled the air.

“That’s Collin!” Tella shouted as they all ran harder.

“Look!” Will said stopping and pointing, “Down there!”

 

Collin jerked, squirming against the rock painfully. Mahito was charging his sword, the little blade glowing a hot blue, sparking every so often, burning Collin’s skin.

Collin, voice called in his head. Collin gasped, his body stiffening, Collin, be brave. We’re coming.

“Don’t worry Collin…” Mahito cooed darkly, “I’m not going to kill you. I just have to build up enough power to teleport us to Area… Yes. Just hold still and it won’t hurt.”

“You aren’t taking him anywhere.” Demus’s voice came softly form the darkness. Collin felt Mahito stiffen, realizing that a blade was pointed at his neck. Mahito's sword though, Collin realized, was fully charged and ready.

“Oh no, Hailian?” Mahito asked. “You think not?” he grinned as the energy released and Mahito’s and Collin’s bodies flickered. Demus gritted his teeth, but held his place.  Their bodies flickered once more, but reappeared, solid as ever. Mahito gasped, looking widely around, realizing that his magic had failed. Demus closed his mouth and frowned at Mahito.

“What have you done Hailian?!” Mahito hissed.

“Not me.” Demus said smiling softly. He moved his chin slightly, motioning upward. “They did it.” Mahito looked up the rock shelf. Tella and the wanderer stood at the top of the cliff, holding their staves up, gazing down on him. Tella grinned.

“Thought you could get away Mahito? Not with our block you can’t.” she said.

“Why don’t you let Collin go now?” Will said, stepping up behind Demus. “You let him go, we’ll let you leave.”

“I don’t think so.” Mahito growled digging the blade closer into Collin’s neck. Collin’s hands tightened into small white fists.

“Stop it…!” he pleaded.

“Drop your weapon Hailian or I kill him now.” Mahito said. Demus paused. Collin tried to squirm, but Mahito held him still and glared at Demus. Demus slowly stepped back and let his sword fall to the ground.

“Demus!” Tella said anxiously. Demus glanced at her and looked back at Mahito.

“Let him go.” Demus said softly.

“Oh no. I won’t give him up. Or this opportunity.” He said.

“Opportunity?” Demus asked. Mahito smiled evilly.

“To kill you all.” His pupils contracted as he jerked his free hand up, shooting energy toward Demus. Demus shouted as he was shot down, hitting the ground. Will gasped, jumping back. Mahito turned his eyes to him and shot another bolt of blue crackling energy into the air aimed at Will. Will jumped, but was unable to avoid being hit. He too fell to the ground, groaning.

“Will! Demus!” the wanderer shouted. Demus cursed under his breath, remembering Collin telling him about Mahito’s ability to channel magic through his hands, just like Collin was able to. Mahito turned his eyes upward to Tella and the wanderer. The wanderer gasped.

“Tella,” she whispered, “We can’t defend ourselves while holding this block up…” Mahito stood back, letting Collin fall to the ground, as he gazed up at them. Tella cursed lowering her staff and jumped forward, shouting out a spell as she flew through the air. Mahito gripped his sword with both hands, raising it.

“Eklema!” he shouted. Tella gasped, realizing that she had stopped in midair, her feet dangling. She looked fearfully at Mahito, who in turn smiled and jerked the sword forward. Tella screamed as she was thrown backwards, and slammed into the rock shelf, pinned there by an invisible force. The wanderer scrambled down the cliff to her friends, holding her staff defensively in front of her.

“What a pretty little talisman…” Mahito said in a singsong voice. “Too bad its half dead…” the wanderer stopped and stared at Mahito. He had that same strange look he had taken on when they met before. He dropped his eyes to Collin and leaned down to pull him up again. Collin groaned, but made no further resistance. The sword had taken too much of his energy for Collin to muster any movement.

“This little talisman however, is quiet full of life…” he said eyeing the bulge in Collin’s shirt. He reached down, pulling the chain up and over Collin’s head, taking the Mirror from him. Collin made a weak noise but did nothing more. Mahito carefully slipped the Mirror into his cloak and dropped Collin again. He faced the wanderer and peered at her.

“What can you hope for wanderer?” he asked.

“Mahito…” the wanderer whispered. She gripped her staff, wishing she knew how to use it, just enough to help her friends… But the staff did nothing. Mahito grinned and raised his sword to attack. However, he stopped short, his eyes focusing behind the wanderer. The wanderer blinked and turned around to see Will getting up. As he rose, he grabbed Demus’s fallen sword and stood facing Mahito.

“Go on wanderer…” he said softly. “Go help the others…” she blinked at him, wondering what Will was playing at. He couldn’t handle a sword. She paused uncertainly.

“Go on.” He said again, turning his eyes to her. The wanderer gasped softly, and blinked, wondering if there was something wrong with her vision. Will’s eyes had turned from their constant vivid blue into a smoldering green. She felt herself moving off to the side, as he had directed her to do. Tella suddenly found herself able to move as she dropped the rest of the way down to the ground. The wanderer stepped quickly over to her and Demus, who were now standing and watching Will. Mahito paused uncertainly at Will’s actions.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Protecting my friends.” Will answered.

“You can’t.” Mahito growled, lunging forward, crossing blades with Will. The sharp metallic sound echoed through the bleak landscape with nothing to muffle the harsh clangs. Will skillful jumped, striking at Mahito pushing him back. Mahito cursed in surprise pulling his sword down and away from Will’s. Will merely stared back at him as they watched each other poised for action.

“What trick are you playing at boy?” he growled.

“No trick.” Will said simply. Mahito snarled and struck out, a quick and normally deadly blow, but Will countered it easily scraping his blade across Mahito’s. Tella, Demus and the wanderer watched Will in amazement.

“Was he just joking when he said he couldn’t handle a blade?” Tella asked.

“There’s something weird going on…” the wanderer said softly. Demus nodded, flinching at the sharp clangs of the sword fight. Will drew back pausing for just one moment, then charged in, furiously striking blow after blow. Mahito shouted in surprise and anger as his sword was knocked painfully from his hands. Tella gasped and felt her knees go weak. She watched Will’s movements with a kind of dream like premonition… She had seen these moves… These techniques were…

She shook her head, dismissing it.

I’m imagining it… she told herself. Will strode forward, holding his blade to Mahito’s neck. Mahito froze staring at Will. He stepped back slightly, his heal hitting Collin’s side. Mahito blinked and looked down at the child.

In the foggy mists of Collin’s mind he felt his body jerk upward and found himself standing, locked in Mahito’s arm. As soon as he realized this he shuddered in horror and tried to force his body into movement, but Mahito squeezed his arm around Collin’s neck and held a glowing ball of energy in his face. Will’s sword still rested under Mahito’s chin but Mahito was once again smiling.

“Back to square one it seems.” He said softly to Will. Will blinked, frowning but did not move. He moved the blade closer to Mahito’s neck and in response Mahito brightened the energy he held, glaring threateningly at Will.

“Will…!” Demus said.

“Don’t!” Tella called. Will paused a moment then closed his eyes. He muttered soft words under his breath and Demus’s sword began to glow slightly. Mahito frowned, uncertain of what to do as he stared at Will, wondering what he was doing. Collin whimpered softly.

“Stop it!” Mahito shouted. The glow of Will’s sword brightened then, was gone. Will opened his eyes and at that moment the very tip of his sword became a blinding green light. Tella Demus and the wanderer cried out, pulling their arms up to shield their eyes. Collin screamed and Mahito…

Mahito was gone.

Will dropped the sword and fell backwards, sitting down hard.

“W-Will….?!” the wanderer shouted. They rushed over to him. Collin pulled himself up and stared at Will. Will’s face was completely flushed with cold sweat running down his body. He shivered as they reached him.

“Will?” Demus asked.

“Hey, are you alright?” Tella said grabbing his shoulders. Will groaned, slumping over. “H-Hey!” Tella cried catching him.

“He’s passed out.” Demus said.

“Are you alright Collin?” the wanderer asked. Collin nodded, still staring at Will.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“Wouldn’t we like to know.” Tella said looking down at Will.

 

 

They laid Will down and covered him with blankets. Despite being unconscious he kept shivering and sweating.

“What’s wrong with him?” the wanderer asked.

“I don’t know… I hope he wakes up soon. He’s already been out for hours…” Tella said. It was now late into the night and for once the clouds had cleared off so that starlight shone through.

“Umm…” Tella started, “Has anyone else noticed anything weird about Will, beyond this little incident?” they all paused a moment then nodded.

“He is a little weird at time…” Collin said. “He likes to sneak off at night when he thinks we won’t notice him being gone…”

“He’s changed a lot since I first met him.” Demus said. “He seems a bit more serious… Granted he still has his silly moments…”

“Come to think of it,” Collin said, “Remember what they said at the Wall, when we passed through? They said there was an energy build up when Will went through… I noticed the same thing when we used the Arean transporters back in Iyokia.”

“… But none of that means anything…” the wanderer said. “Maybe he likes privacy at night, and of course he’s changed! We’ve all grown a bit more serious because of this mission. And the Arean scanners… You don’t know what that’s reacting to! It could just be because he’s Iyokian!”

“Oh come on wanderer!” Tella said. “You can’t say Will is normal! Besides what about this thing with Mahito… Is that normal?” the wanderer paused and frowned, looking down. Tella sighed.

“Do you think that he’ll tell us what’s going on?” the wanderer asked.

“We’ll just have to wait until he wakes up.” Tella said.

“What do you think happened to Mahito?” the Collin asked. “Do you think… Will killed him?”

“No.” the wanderer said. “Will wouldn’t kill anyone, I don’t care how weird he was acting.”

“Besides,” Tella said, “that didn’t look like death spell… It was more like… Mahito was there and then… Somewhere else.”

“So, Will teleported him somewhere else?” Demus mused.

“Maybe… That’s all I can think of…” Tella said. “But how in the world could Will pull that off? How could he have pulled any of it off…? Believe me, he wasn’t faking his inability with a sword… And magic like that… No, Will had absolutely no magic ability either…”

“We have to give up trying to figure it out.” Demus said. “We won’t get anywhere until Will wakes up…” Tella sighed.

 

 

 

Mahito gasped opening his eyes. He stood overlooking a dark landscape below him. He stared in confused silence, realizing he must be somewhere near Avrai. He gazed down, looking over to his right and indeed, he could see the glow of the city.

“Why am I here…?” he breathed. What was going on? How had that… that boy…

His mind spun hazily just thinking about it. He coughed feeling his lungs constrict and his body shake. Something was wrong. Something about this whole situation… was wrong…

Mahito swallowed hard and directed his thoughts to where he wanted to go. He wasn’t going to mess with that little group anymore… At least for a little while. He wanted some answers first.

And he knew just where to find them. Mahito smiled and disappeared into the night.

 

 

Will sighed wearily sitting with his knees drawn up to his chin.

“Come on Fairien I’m not mad.”

“You should be.” Fairien answered darkly. Will sighed again and crawled over to him. They were the mists of Will’s sleeping mind.

“I thought I knew better. Thought I’d learn my lesson, but no!” Fairien said angrily.

“So what?” Will said. “You save us at least.”

“I put you in periled… much more than you realize.” Fairien said. “I can’t believe I possessed you again. And what’s worse, now your friends will know something is strange… They won’t leave you alone about it…” he sighed hopelessly.

“It’s not like you didn’t ask first.” Will said. “And besides, I really don’t care if you do possess me, if it will save the lives of my friends…” he paused looking over at Fairien, “That’s why you joined me in the first place, right?” Fairien paused uneasily, his shoulders slumping.

“What about your friends?” he asked drearily. “They won’t forget this… It’s something that kind of leaves an impression…”

“They’ll get over it. They… Well, I’ll think of something.” Will said. Fairien sighed again and nodded, unwilling to think about it anymore.

“You can go back to your friends now, if you want.” He said. Will paused looking down.

“I’d rather not. Can I stay here for a while?” he asked. Fairien looked up at him and blinked.

“Yes. Of course…” he said. Will smiled gratefully.

“I just don’t want to face them yet.” he said closing his eyes.

“I understand.” Fairien said. “But you have to wake up in the morning.”

“I know.” Will yawned. “I don’t want to be more of a burden than I already am.”

“Ha, they might just leave you.” Fairien laughed softly. Will shot him a dirty look and laid down next to him.

“What a good way to treat someone who just saved your life.” Will muttered. Fairien smiled and lay down as well, curling toward Will. He pulled his cloak off and laid it over both of them as a blanket. Will made an appreciative noise and nuzzled the soft fabric as he slipped deeper into sleep.

 

I know, it seems like Will is the main character. I guess he is… for now… It may swing back a little…

I hope all of this doesn’t seem choppy…