The Fine Flair Of Gowshit

Chapter 9

The Fine Flair Of Gowshit

Part 2

I watched him with narrowed eyes as he zipped toward Xanth, completely disregarding me. Xanth chose that moment to glance away from his screen, the frown he had on earlier replaced by a friendly smile, as he noticed my dragon. Noctis flowed in circles around Xanth for a few seconds before landing on his shoulders. Xanth's tender smile spread wider, as he started caressing my dragon almost as if Noctis belonged to him or something. I huffed, actually shocked at the disrespect my dragon had just shown me. I glanced at Lux, asking a silent question of what the ancestors was wrong with her brother. If her tiny arms could have shrugged, this would have been the moment. I glanced away, shaking my head. She rubbed my cheek, sending out warmth, as if to tell me she loved me. I frowned, rubbing the top of her head, a little hurt that Noctis had just abandoned me without a second thought. Xanth followed my movement as I came closer to him. His amber eyes were lighter than usual.

"Mute, I think your dragon is falling in love with me." He chuckled, glancing down at a now sleeping Noctis. You have got to be kidding me.

I signed. "Oh really, I didn't notice. Hand him over." Xanth watched my movements with careful eyes. He blinked at me as I finished. When he didn't respond, I rolled my eyes, reaching for Noctis, but Xanth stepped away. He titled his head to the side, a smirk cresting the edges of his face.

"If I didn't know any better, I say you were… jealous." I glared at him, scoffing.

"I am not, just protective." I reached to grab for my dragon again, but Xanth graciously sidestepped me once more. I blew out a breath before scowling.

"Would you mind giving me my dragon?" Xanth chuckled, his eyes wide with shocked amusement.

"Protective, maybe, but I'm also sensing something else. You... You really are jealous, aren't you?"

Ugh, this man. I stared at him tapping my foot with my hands placed on my hips. Okay, so maybe I am a little jealous, but that was irrelevant information. Xanth laughed harder. The warm laugh echoed down the hall and sent shivers across my skin. I stared at the wall, my cheeks burning, and somehow, I couldn't suppress a smile.

"Come, I needed to talk to you anyways." He started to walk away but froze when I didn't follow him. I pointed at my dragon wanting him by my side. As youngling as that might have been. Xanth looked down at Noctis, mock shock cresting over the ridges of his face. "You would dare disturb the sleep of this innocent creature. Shame on you." I pressed my lips together, throwing my hands in the air. Fine, he could stay over there for all I cared. He glanced at me, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "I give my word. No harm will come to your dragon while he is in my care." I stepped in beside Xanth, matching his pace with a little trouble. His long legs ate up the pace, and it was hard for my short legs to keep up. Xanth must have noticed because he slowed down a little. "How are you feeling today?" I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. "Good. Sore, but good." He watched my hands with alert eyes before nodding.

"That's good. Did your team ask about the King?" I paused for a bit. They had, but again, my voice inhibitor prevented me from voicing the real answers they had wanted. It was frustrating, and I felt as if my team deserved to know the truth. I wasn't some lone hero, my ancestor recited about. This was my secret, and it was my burden to carry, but I kept thinking was our team strong enough to handle it. I could not specify much besides a yes or no, but Xanth read between the lines. If Xanth had not figured it out on his own, I could almost guarantee he would never have known as well.

Xanth stared at me as I went through my inner turmoil. Patience and caring energy radiating from the depths of the brown orbs. I signed.

"It was asked, but they understood that some things are just not meant to be spoken, but I am beginning to understand that maybe this wasn't the right decision." Xanth nodded, placing the Bio-telescreen in the side pocket of his robe. "I recognize, but we should keep this issue underhand." He crossed his large hands behind his back. A pensive look cresting over the ridges of his face. "Everyone on this team is counting on me to get them through this alive, and I have no more room to fail. The less they know, the safer they will be." I frowned, already jumping to a different decision. In my mind, the old Mute would have thought the same, but what Daisha had said earlier had me thinking from a different angle. Zaylee had almost suffered at the hands of the King. It was making me think this wasn't the way at all. If I had told her what the Crown was capable of, I had a strong feeling that our team would have been better prepared to deal with his fury and malevolent intent. I stared at Xanth for a few minutes. I had never noticed it before but now that I had a closer look. I could tell Xanth was carrying his own heavy load. It was taking a visible toll on him. His shoulders were slightly slumped and there were dark circles under his eyes from what I assumed was from lack of sleep. His eyes were bright, but underneath, they were tired. Xanth was exhausted, and the incident from his father only added to the weight upon his shoulders. When I had confessed that I had been through so much to my team. It felt like everything was ultimately lifted from my shoulders. I could finally trust those around me again, and I felt a stronger connection between us. Our links were brighter, and I could feel their emotions even if I was on another planet. There was a charge in the air that was starting to shift us in a new direction. I had a feeling that it would start to affect us in a positive way. I placed a hand in front of him, pausing our pace to the training room. "Xanth, I want you to know that I genuinely don't blame you for the king's maliciousness. You are only trying your best, and I… we appreciate that."

Xanth's jaw flexed, and his brown eyes flashed a bright amber as he stared ahead. He turned his head back to me. I had to force myself not to take a step back. Dark energy swirled around the light one. They shifted intertwined with each other. Xanth wasn't just carrying heavy responsibilities as captain, but he was working through his own past. His eyes were so full of anger and hatred that I had to remind me that it wasn't toward me but his father. We all have our own stories, mute. Those words, just keep coming back to me. Xanth fixed his face, but I had a feeling he wanted me to see it. I blinked as Xanth started talking again. A hidden restraint festered in his voice.

"Going up against the Crown, and the glacier tournament is proof that my best is no longer enough. If I want to protect this team, then my best will never be enough. I need to be stronger and smarter than I have ever been. That includes keeping you from my father's wrath." He locked eyes with me, and for the first time, I saw fear in those amber orbs.

"I saw the way he looked at you, Mute. I can almost guarantee he will try to come for you again, and he will have to go through me…" I held up my other hand, pausing Xanth's big macho man speech. I took a step back from him. Xanth followed my movements with slow eyes. They were narrowed, slightly, but it was more from confusion than anything else. "Let's make one thing clear, Captain." Xanth crossed his tattooed arms across his broad chest as I spoke. We locked eyes. His light-brown ones with my dark ones. "I didn't go through darkness and turmoil, just to hear someone else tell me they would protect me. I do not have the welp marks on across my skin and worked through horrendous training, just to see someone step in front of me. I don't need anyone else's or your protection, but I will accept it as long as we do this side by side." I smirked, remembering the wise words of Daisha. "It is no longer about just you or me, Xanth. It stopped being that the moment we joined this team. No more secrets. No more hidden agendas. That's what almost got Zaylee hurt. And that's what almost killed me." I watched as Xanth flinched. It was subtle, but it was there. Pain, and shame at not protecting us, descending over his face. I sighed; it was emotions I knew all too well. "If we do this. We do this together or not all. Deal?" After I finished, I placed my hand on his arm, hoping to establish a connection of moral understanding. I needed him to know that I meant no harm toward him, but this was something that needed to be said. Xanth glanced down at my hand on his arm. I went to remove it, but to my surprise, he took it in his. His skin was warm as his large hand engulfed my smaller one. His calloused fingers rubbing against the palm of my hand left tingles in its wake.