Chapter 11

TW// Violence, blood

When they reached the cave, the morning sun was already up in the sky. Tivon didn't realise he was so tired till he sat down on the ground.

Elias put his swords and coat down and asked Tivon. »Do you want to eat anything, before you-« When he turned around, Tivon was already asleep, his head resting on the side of the bed. »Before you fall asleep.« Elias whispered with a smile.

He carefully picked him up, so that he wouldn't wake him up and put him on his bed. I guess I can rest a bit too. He lay down on a bed on the other side of the cave and fell asleep.

Tivon woke up before Elias did. He thought that if Elias was still asleep, he could get them something to eat. He glanced at Elias to confirm he was indeed sleeping.

Elias looked even more peaceful and gentle when he was sleeping, his hair loses, falling freely. And he is thought to be one of the cruellest murderers. The thought of that made Tivon laugh, for some weird reason.

Tivon quietly took the coat and Elias' dagger and silently left the cave. The weather was cloudy, and Tivon predicted that it must've been afternoon already. He went through the tunnel out into the woods. There he gathered some lonyes - round mushy sweet fruits.

When he gathered enough, he headed back to the lagoon and on the way back, he gathered sila flowers and leaves. Tivon knew that Elias had some rice stored in the cave. He decided that he would make Lonbuns, which were little rice buns mixed with lonyes and sila flowers, wrapped in sila leaves.

When he got back, he managed to make a fire, from the wood that had been there since yesterday. Tivon boiled some water on it. He quietly took some rice and purple blossom leaves from his bag, relieved that Elias was still sleeping.

When the rice was cooked, he mixed it with lonyes and sila flowers, wrapping everything in sila leaves and putting them in fire embers. He boiled another pot of water and put in the purple flower leaves, letting them soak in.

When Elias woke up and looked around to see if Tivon was still asleep, a quick panic rose in him when saw that he wasn't there, but then he smelled something from outside. The scent was sweet, and it made Elias ravenous in a second. He headed outside, to find Tivon by the fire.

Tivon turned around. »Just in time. They are ready.« Said Tivon as he was taking the Lonbuns from the fire.

Elias put his hair in a messy bun and sat beside the fire. »What are these?«

»Lonbuns.« He handed him one of them with a glass of tea. »And tea.«

Elias bit into the Lonbun. Its flavour was sweet and mushy and with every bite you had a nice surprise of the sour sila flowers hit your tongue. Elias couldn't help himself, he was so hungry that he ate it in a second. Tivon was pleased that he liked it.

Elias took a sip of the tea. »Where did you get the fruit?«

»Outside the tunnel.« munching down on his Lonbun.

Elias almost choked on his tea. »You were outside alone?«

»You sound like my father.« frowned Tivon.

»S-sorry, I didn't mean it like that. It's just... What if Pit was there?«

»What even is Pit's problem?«

Elias sighed. »He's... He has problems if I put it nicely. He can never mind his own business. And... I don't want him near you. He is particularly fond of... small, young boys.«

A shiver went through Tivon's body, swallowing hard on the Lonbun. »That's unsettling to know.«

»Don't worry, if I'm around he won't do anything to you. Tomorrow when we set sail, I'll make sure he doesn't get near.«

It thundered. Elias and Tivon looked up, as the first droplets fell down on them.

»Guess we won't be doing anything fun today.« Said Elias as he stood up and took the remaining food. Tivon followed him to the cave and right when they got there the rain started pouring down.

»Just in time.« Said Tivon as he sat down, still munching on his Lonbun.

Elias sat down. »Can I ask you something?«

»Yeah?«

»Did you know about me before you met me?« Tivon nodded. »What did you know about me?«

»Not much actually. Everyone described you as brutal and unforgiving, a murderer with no empathy that came out of nowhere. They call you The Grímur or The Masked man.« said Tivon, looking at his cup of tea.

After a minute of reminiscing he answered. »I see, the same story everywhere.«

»All stories wrong.« Finished Tivon.

»Wrong?« Elias looked at him. »They are true enough.«

»You don't look brutal and unforgiving. And I never saw you kill more than maybe three men.« He stood up to put his coat down.

Elias had to laugh at how naive Tivon was. »The stories are true. I am a cruel, remorseless killer.«

»I don't believe that.« Said Tivon his look fixed on him.

»You should. I'm dangerous.« He said quietly looking outside as it thundered. It was getting dark. »I'm just different around you.«

The glass shattered on the ground. Elias turned around to see Tivon on his knees.

»Tivon?«

Tivon managed to get on his feet again, supporting himself on the stone wall. »It's o-okay.«

He moved towards the stone shelves, where his bag was hanging. His hand was shaking as he was opening the bag.

»Tivon, what's happening?«

»It's j-just the pain.« He took a big breath, his head hurting more with every move he made. »I just n-need the medicine.«

He fell, pulling his bag with him. Elias ran to him.

»I'm okay, I'm o-okay.« He said again as he supported himself on his elbow and opened the bag. As he was tossing around the bottles, panic rushed over his body, when he pulled out the bottle of his medicine, empty.

»N-no.« The pain hit his eye, and he slammed towards the ground, Elias catching him in time.

»Tivon, what is happening?!« Elias' voice was full of panic as he realised that Tivon's body was hot like it was burning from the inside.

»I ran out of Hyssopy f-flowers.« He grabbed his left side of the head as another rush of pain went through his body.

Elias could hear his voice cracking. »W-what can I do? Tell me how to help you!«

»There are some blue Hyssopy flowers o-outside. In the forest r-right before the village.«

Tivon moved his hand from the eye. It came out smudged in red. He was bleeding from his left eye.

Elias' mind went into a spiral. I need to find that flower. He picked Tivon and leaned him against the wall. »I'll be r-right back. Hold on for a bit.«

Without further hesitation, he quickly ran outside into the storm. He didn't think about the coldness of the night or the rain blinding his vision. He was thinking about the flower, about Tivon's shaking body fighting the pain. Hold on a little longer.

He came to the end of the wood near the town. He was frantically looking around. Blue flower, blue flower, blue flower. Then suddenly, in the corner of the eye, he saw it. The Hyssopy flower. He quickly grabbed a bunch and started running back to Tivon.

As he was running back, he suddenly crashed into someone.

»What the fuck-« Elias looked Pit directly in the eye. »You.« He said with a bitter voice. Elias could smell the alcohol on him.

When Pit saw Elias' frantic face, he said. »Why the rush?«

Elias clutched the flowers in his hand. »None of your business.«

»Ohhh, is this for shary?« He stepped closer to him. »Huh? Is that for him, lover-boy?«

Elias pushed him aside. Pit continued. »Did something happen to him? Would have been a shame.«

Elias stopped.

»Maybe he is hurt because of you.« Said Pit with a smile.

Before Pit could notice, Elias grabbed his knife, launching at him. Pit barely jumped away. Before he could realize it, the next stroke of Elias' knife sliced his arm, blood spilling on Elias' face. Elias' pupils were pinpointed, filled with rage, his expression cold. It reminded Pit of who he really was.

»Hey, s-stop-«

Elias punched him in the jaw. Pit fell to the ground. When he managed to open his eyes, Elias was on him, the knife pointed to his throat.

»Elias don't. P-please.«

Pit was breathing heavily, shaking from fear. Elias was taken aback when he saw the flowers in his hand, beside Pit's head. His pupils widened.

»Tivon!«

He released Pit and ran to the cave. Tivon was lying on the ground, shaking. Elias held him, breathing heavily.

»Tivon, I got the flower.« Tivon wasn't responding. His body was burning hot. »Tivon? Fuck!«

Elias grabbed the water near him, crushed the flower in his hand and mixed it with water. He held Tivon's head and poured the mixture into his mouth. Please work, please work, please work.

After only a minute Tivon's body started to cool down and he eventually stopped shaking. His breathing came to normal again. Elias had never in his life felt such a relief. He hugged him tight. Thank all the Gods and Saints.

Elias had to laugh at himself. The cruel, remorseless killer, a murderer with no empathy was scared that this particular boy had almost died because of him.