Chapter 19
Thion
BIG THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING PAID SUBSCRIBERS:
@christianhurd
@miadanny
seannolo04
chitwoodc
SPEAKER
The fog from that morning was low lying. started to.
It was much more visible up there on the cliffs of the coastline. The sea was calm today. Could teach us a lesson about being close to the edge.
Remembering the stories told to me of the unforgiving gales.
I could feel the humidity was high because my hair started to curl at its edges. Perhaps a storm was brewing in the mountains.
It began to feel stuffy under my helmet and a part of me wished to ride without it. But I knew how stupid that was.
“We have been riding for hours! Could we please take a break? My thighs are killing me.” The whining fiend sitting in front of me made me sigh.
“For someone who is meant to come from a desolate wasteland filled with punishment, you did know how to complain a lot,” I said as I gently pulled on the reins. My horse came to a peaceful stop, happy to focus her attention on the soft grass beneath her hooves.
“And I can’t believe you hadn’t given your horse a name. Bad parenting on your part that is.” she remarked, taking her headscarf off at the same moment as my helmet came off. Just as I started to appreciate the fresh wind on my face. I got hit with her hair as she whipped her head around to slide off the horse.
“That wasn’t necessary,” I stated, muffled as I pulled strands of thick hair off my tongue. My face contorted with disgust but she just ignored me.Her eyes focused on my horse as if she were a puzzle to solve.
“Yes. You are such a good girl! You have been with him for so long and he hasn’t even given you the time of day.” she spoke, scratching the horse on her nose. With a few grunts and nods she mocked back with a wide smirk. Enough to show off her fangs. Yet my horse wasn’t afraid. If anything, she had grown quite fond of the hellion on this ride. At one point Sylia fed her some grass, leaning her forehead against hers.
Both of them stayed still.
Like living statues, the only thing showing they were alive was the faint wind playing with her brown coat and the hem of Sylia’s red skirt.
My eyes narrowed as thin outlines were traced in her coat by the claw-like fingernail of the hellion. All that I heard was grungy, heavy breathing and the waves hitting the coastline beneath us.
Breathing which I usually wouldn’t have been able to hear in the city.
It felt… calm…
“You’re good with horses,” I stated, watching their interaction. Sylia didn’t shift her focus but her large red eyes looked into mine. Her eyes had that shimmer again. The same shimmer when she attacked me those two times. The same shimmer which made me want to run but not look away at the same time. The shimmer where I never knew what to expect.
“Your heart rate is increasing and your breathing has became more rapid” she spoke, her eyes still cutting deep into mine. My eyes narrowed as I bit the inside of my lip thinking.
“It is the weather. Worrying me. The humidity is high today and I am not used to it. I also thought there was a storm coming over the mountains,” I stated as I pointed towards the far peaks barely visible in the mist and over to the sea.
Taking a deep breath, I turned back to face her again but her eyes this time were focused on my horse again. The shimmer was gone.
“How much further?” she asked in a monotone voice as she placed her footing to jump back into place on the saddle.
I offered her my hand but she refused.“A little more. Perhaps an hour or two,” I stated as I saw her placing her hair scarf around her horns again.
“Why do you hide them? I understand why in the city but why out here? In the open lands?” I asked, watching her finish and she just turned around to look at me. Her stare blank and sharp.
“In the city, I know what to expect. And I can decrease those chances. Control them. Out here, I do not know what or who to expect it from.” She said as a sigh escaped from her and she spoke up again. “People do unpredictable, horrible things… to survive. To live Paladin.”
Except for the hooves on the damp soil, the grunts from my horse and the crashes from the ocean, the rest of the ride was silent.
———
Just as the wizard tower came into view the fiend resting against my front woke up from her nap.
How could she have fallen asleep in those conditions I didn’t understand but it made me feel better about having to camp outside for the night if it came to it.
“Oh. It is this tower…I remember this view” She yawned, mumbling as we came to a halt.
In the closing distance, I saw the commander keeping busy with paperwork, leaning against the brittle oak doors.
“You knew about this tower?” I asked with my eyes brows raised as my voice cracked a little. Moving closer I felt the colour drift away from my face as I remembered how overwhelming the structure of that thing was.
Overcompensating much…
I waited for the grimace on my face to disappear before I removed the helmet, taking a breather.
I remembered the tower was a source of isolation for the Wizard who lived there. Only he and a select few knew where it was located. Those select few were the Queens Council Guard and those who wanted to become members. The elf loved his peace and didn’t want to associate with the common folk.
Or… any folk that wasn’t elven to be frank.
I also remembered he was an expert in his field.
That would explain why there was hardly any wear or salt water damage on that structure.
Likely protected and repaired by him or someone else with magick.
“Of course. I am probably why you are here silly,” she whispered in my ear with the most innocent smile, greeting the Commander with a friendly wave.
Oh!
Oh my Gods…
What a nice, abrupt, impulsive and totally not normal thing to drop on someone.
Was she the one who killed him?
I hadn’t even thought of that!
This time…My face did go pale and I felt the nausea coming.
“Paladin! Finally, you made it.” The Commander spoke in his usual sarcastic tone. His smile lingered, his eyes observed us both. Fixed on Sylia longer than was comfortable. “And you look like you have seen death itself.”
“Yes. I mean- My apologies Commander. I got preoccupied,” I said, stumbling over my words as I tried to remember where I had placed the paperwork from this morning.
Did I even grab it?
Gods why did that throw me off so much!
“It is fair to be preoccupied.” He smirked as his eyes narrowed down at Sylia. His lip twisted into half a smile. “As much as I admire your taste Thion I didn’t take you for someone who brought his… tavern bard with him. Even if she is a rather lovely specimen,” he added as his half smile turned into a sneer. Eyes still dead set. Confident in his remark, his fingers traced the lines of his neck subtly. My lips pressed together and my eyes widened at the comment.
I felt my body wanting to move. To jump in and say ‘It’s nothing like that.’
My eyes flashed between the two of them.
His body stood tall.
Towering over her, he threw his head back just enough to make himself look bigger, wider.
Why?
Whilst Sylia, like a pale statue, both in her posture and her face, looked at him unaffected.
Greeting him with a simple smile as her eyes narrowed but the same spark I saw before ignited in her eyes again.
And just for a moment…
I was afraid…
Not for myself.
But for the commander…
“Thank you for the compliment. I am a friend of Thion’s and as you can tell he and his family keep good company. As for my skills? They lay in the Infernal and Cults. Not your local brothel. Which is something your team seem to be quite competent in right now. The skills. Not the brothel part I assume.” She clicked her to tongue as her eyes focused on him
“As for the legalities? He offered and we did the paperwork this morning. That’s why he is late. The scenery was also quite lovely,” she said, taking a breather as she revealed the paperwork to him.
Her eyes not shifting from his gaze, her face remaining unfazed and bored “It seemed silly for your group not to give the experience and opportunity to a Hellion such as myself. The field is already so competitive, discriminatory and prejudiced. Especially against the fae and hellion kind. I mean when was the last time you have seen a Hellion in a high ranking field as Thion’s or yours Commander?” Her voice sharpened as did her eyes, taking the commander’s hand and shaking it. Her tone was lush, polite and stinging with each word. Dripping with the true satiric remarks as her eyes challenged his.
The tension was thick enough that you could cut it with a blade.
Time seemed to stay still for a while.
Their gazes gnawed through each other, like two rabid wolves growling and seeing who attacked first.
“I appreciate the diligence from you both. The lieutenant will be thankful for your skills and service. I am also glad someone like you is aiming for better.” His fingers slowly wrapped around the papers as he unrolled them and his eyes finally broke contact with hers to read them through.
We all stayed silent for a minute or two as he read but soon enough we were given the stamp of approval.
With a nod and a shove in the duffel bag the scrolls made it in with all the other paperwork.
“All right, Change of plan,” his voice was brittle as he cleared it. “The tower is in a bit of a state even after clearing everything out recently. There isn’t much room basically. Therefore Thion you would stay outside to guard. Be on alert for anything that might happen. It isn’t uncommon for activity to linger.” He commanded as he raised his fingers towards Sylia.
“You. Have you a name I could borrow?” He joked with his half smile but Sylia didn’t look impressed.
“Call me whatever you wish ” she smiled back, arms crossed. Her claw nails were digging into the sides of her arms.
She didn’t trust him with her name…
Did she know he was a fae?
“You are smart…all right, Red it is.” He said it with a smile and I felt my ears ring. “You come inside to speak with the lieutenant. She will update you on everything and then you can use your… skills,” he finished and Sylia nodded. “After that, we will head back to Alkress for filing and processing.
“Alkress?” Sylia asked as her head tilted a little to the side. It was probably the first time I’d seen her truly baffled. I could see the Commander looked at her confused so I answered for him.
“It was where we came from. The Town? The name of it. Alkress Coastal Town. Most people just call it the Coastal Town for short cause it was the closest and the most popular town out there. But that is its full name,” I explained and I swore I could see the cogs in Sylia’s brain stop turning as her eyes went wide and her shoulders hunched forward in embarrassment.
“Of course! Of course it is…” she said with a chuckle as she walked over to the door. “Could I meet this lieutenant already?”