The dust of Solastera had not yet settled completely, but the group was already moving away from the central square, leaving behind the echoes of civic fury. The boy with frightened eyes clung to Cale's robe, his little trembling hand. The hostility of the survivors hovered in the air like a toxic cloud, reminding Cale that salvation did not always bring gratitude.
Hasty steps stole the attention of the demigod, along with the hoarse voice.
"What was that, Cale?" Alinys asked worried. She watched her brother intensely "Since when can you do something like this?"
"I'm as surprised as you are, sister. But unfortunately I don't know what to say other than that I am making good use of it to protect myself."
"This sounds like a big bullshit..."
"Well, we have something more important here" Mikhal intervened, handing a water canteen to the young boy "After all... Why were the monsters of chaos looking for such a young and human being?"
The boy hesitated and squeezed his fingers into Cale's robe, hiding himself even more. Cale crossed his arms and sighed low picking up the canteen. He takes a sip of water and then delivers it to the boy.
"You must be thirsty after crying, no? Drink some water."
The little fingers clenched each other, then held the canteen. He drank the water with great thirst, trusting only in the words of the demigod. While watching the boy, Cale noticed his wounds. Bruises and scratches showed signs of violence.
This was beyond what he had seen before.
Without turning, Cale just ordered:
"Prepare something to treat the wounds of this human."
The bond theiodesmos vibrated in the hearts of the two subordinates. Being the closest one, Aries immediately looked for a bag they had brought with them, full of jars and groceries. He separated some herbs and oils, confused and slightly irritated by having to take care of something as delicate as a human child.
Only saved by Yvaine, who returned from her other task in the square, and took his place. The delicacy of the goddess was enough to make the boy comfortable and watch her. Although he kept Cale as his safe haven, the curious eyes did not leave Yvaine.
"You still haven't told me how you knew that guy was going after the boy" Alinys crossed arms, not leaving the subject aside.
Cale rolled his eyes.
"Of course, he made a point to welcome me while you were busy with the show. He sounded like a sadistic bastard when mentioned looking for the boy."
"Why would he want a human...?"
"Probably for being a heretic" Mikhal murmured, without turning his eyes from the human boy.
That word echoed in silence without giving room for absurd reactions. When the looks weighed on his shoulders, Mikhal pointed to his own neck and then looked back at the boy. Now everyone could see the birthmark that human had.
"That is..."
"Let's not assume anything hastily" Aries growled crossing his arms "What should this boy know?"
The humans wandering around cast hostile looks at the group. It was really uncomfortable to have a serious conversation when humans could be so inconvenient.
In addition, Cale was not very patient to accept hearing curses silently.
"Now that you have stopped the chaos in Solastera, what do you intend to do?" questioned staring at Alinys and Mikhal "Yvaine received the mission to go to Bortoise and assist in the ascension ceremony. But what about you?"
Alinys sighed heavily.
"I will go to another region to keep guard. I want to attract Guyel there... but now I do not know if this will be effective." She cast an enigmatic look at the young boy who now had his wounds treated.
"As for me, well, I must go to Bortoise too. I think we are in the same boat, my dear Cale", Mikhal smiled and approached the demigod "After all, I also have no intention of attracting unnecessary attention."
The conversation about each other's plans ended, but the tension in the central square, with the angry looks of civilians, was a constant reminder that Solastera was no longer a refuge. The group, now with an unexpected passenger and heretic, needed to move.
"Come on, there's nothing else here for us" Alinys declared, casting a last look at the humans staring at them.
The instant they were all going out of town, the boy pulled off Cale's robe, preventing him from walking. Down his eyes, Cale could see the fear in that human. He had to be patient with a human child, but it was not unknown to Cale, who used to play with them when he went to pray in the temple of his hometown. Cale crouched down, standing at the height of the little one, and gave him silent permission to see his face under the hood.
"What's wrong? Are you afraid? Or is your family around?"
Quickly the boy denied with his head.
"They are not here... Grandma was taken by the evil man."
Raising his eyebrow, Cale was interested in the small track. It seems that the young boy had a problem. Considering Guyel's interest in that human, perhaps he was the supposed evil man. Or someone related to him.
It would not be safe to leave the child alone when neither humans nor monsters seemed to desire their evil. Cale would take it with and think of something to solve the situation. Would Cale have a problem dragging a human child with him? After all... Cale was a cursed fugitive who escaped his own exile. Security passed away from him.
"A bad man, hm? And what makes you think that I'm not also someone evil?"
"No, you aren't!" The boy hurried to hold on to Cale's robe "Purple dawn... is you, isn't it?! Our savior!"
Widening his eyes, Cale found himself unable to answer. Raising his head, the eyes of amethyst met with similar surprise in his theiodesmos. Those words were too strange, especially since Cale is unable to save his own skin, who will say he is someone's savior.
Besides, Cale was too selfish after all he went through. However, the squeeze on his shoulder made him give up these worries. Outside the serious look of Yvaine, as if the cosmos were inside her eyes, and the nod that made Cale sigh and carry the boy in his arms.
"Well, a cursed and a heretic is all the gods need to fear, right?"
The journey to Bortoise began with the sun still at its peak. They moved quickly, avoiding major roads and villages in order to decrease the chances of attracting the attention of Guyel and his henchmen, or even the blind fury of other humans.
During the journey, the group's dynamics began to change. Alinys, who wanted to spend more time with her twin, tried to talk to him although it was difficult not to face the little boy in his arms.
"Haa... hey, boy, what's your name again?"
The boy shrank on Cale's chest, and turned his face fearful.
"Wow... wait, this is new" Cale smirked "You're not good at something."
"Quiet, Cale." she growled, her cheeks getting red "He's just acting right and not talking to strangers."
"Hahaha how wonderful you call yourself a stranger" Cale laughed funny, but also looked at the boy poking his cheek softly "But it's important that you tell us your name. We shouldn't keep calling you boy, right?"
The boy squeezed his lips and hesitated before whispering.
"Linus."
"Linus, huh?" Yvaine approached the other side of Cale, and offered a piece of bread "Would you like to eat? Here, try this bread. You too, my lord."
Linus just started the piece of bread after seeing Cale eating too. He was an observant and shy human, but who clearly displayed a comfort near Cale. Every time Yvaine wanted to do something to the boy — was to offer water, food, a robe to warm him up — she first gave it to Cale.
Looking further back, Aries became increasingly grumpy in watching such interaction.
"Hahaha... Honestly. Five hundred years after and you're still a grumpy and jealous dragon" Mikhal teased, poking Aries' ribs.
"And you remain a chatterbox for someone who is hiding from his own mother."
Mikhal's smile froze.
"Damn, right in the wound, hm?"
"Instead of talking nonsense, why not talk more about the boy" Aries continued the conversation, despite leaving no room for jokes about his jealousy. By the corner of his eyes, Aries observed Mikhal "You seem to know something."
Mikhal sighed and all his relaxed expression became more serious. Walking a few steps behind the twins and Yvaine, only the two talked as if exchanging a secret.
"That mark on his neck is definitely a birthmark of the survivors of that people. And as far as I know, they are the only ones who are called heretics."
"So they are still alive and wandering the lands of Keonna."
Mikhal smiled from the corner, his colored eyes turning to Aries.
"You know this better than anyone, since... you are also a descendant of the Forgotten World."
A shiver passed through the Aries' spine. The mention of one of several names to his original land, always caused an agonizing sensation inside him. A squeeze in the chest and the desire to come back.
A story hidden by time. Mysteries about what really happened so that a fertile land and abundant in their faith... has disappeared in the chaos of wars. The disaster that is told as fairy tales, but in the end was marked on the skin of its survivors and descendants.
Aries could only feel even more upset.
"The gods really abandoned the ancient people. So what keeps us all alive marching into an unknown future?"
The night fell, and with it, a sharp cold enveloped the makeshift camp. The fire, kept low so as not to attract attention, crackled softly, casting dancing shadows. Alinys and Yvaine slept at a certain distance, while Linus, nestled between the tunic and a trunk, finally slept in a deep sleep, lulled by exhaustion. Mikhal was in his wake, his colored eyes sweeping the darkness as his fingers played with a flower.
Slightly away from the camp, there was a river where Cale bathed naked. The light of the moon and the swaying of the trees brought a peace not felt long ago. The cold water did not bother him, but it seemed to be just what he needed to calm the storm that was growing inside of him.
"A savior, hm?" murmured looking at the sky.
He didn't match the figure of a savior. However, those words hammered in his mind incessantly.
"You'll catch a cold" whispered a voice behind him.
Cale didn't even have to turn around, and a thin smile sprang from his lips.
"Well, and I thought you'd be going around to help Mikhal on the wake. It seems like you're not concerned about our safety."
"And I thought you were resting rather than getting naked in the middle of a stream in the cold of the night."
Cale laughed, and only then Aries appeared among the trees, crossing his arms. The vision of that demigod skin exposed to the moon, bathed in its light and those purple eyes sharing the mysteries of the universe... was simply fascinating. Aries found himself sitting on the bank of the river, his arm resting on his knee as he watched silently.
His master did not seem bothered by the attention, but he did not show himself too much. Cale only wetted his arms with the water of the river, which covered his thin waist. The body was thin and with few apparent muscles, but worthy of a divine statue to be erected at the highest point of Keonna.
"I noticed that you talked a lot with Mikhal. Do you miss the Academy's times where you two just watched the demigods struggling in class?"
"I must not miss as much as you do, playing happy family with Yvaine and the human."
The acid humor of Aries did not go unnoticed, but definitely amused Cale.
"I didn't know that 'faithful subordinate' included bouts of jealousy. First the scale, and now Yvaine? It looks like I'll get a new beating for it."
Aries clenched his fingers, even though he did not take his eyes from the body of his master.
"I hate this connection" he murmured "I hate the fact that I always feel like an idiot when it comes to you."
Slowly Cale walked down the river, gradually the water level was dropping. Before it became too revealing, Aries shouted.
"Don't come!! Stop provoking me... stop making me feel as if I am weak by mere worldly feelings..."
Raising his eyebrow, Cale was surprised by such a reaction.
"Weak? Why do you think this is a weakness? You're attracted because you're my subordinate, aren't you?"
The breath of Aries weighed, it was clear his difficulty in just looking at the face of his master, and not his body. Only that for Cale, his attempts were just part of his personal fun.
Extending his hand, Cale smiled charmingly as he ordered:
"Come to me... Aries."