Preparing For The Road Ahead

He languidly opened his eyes, feeling her warmth as she tightly clung to him like a child. Dakran glanced out the window, It was still dark, but the moon had already set. It was time for him to wake up and begin preparing for the journey ahead. Horses to be saddled, bags tied, and he, Rom and Athan did all the necessary supplies.

He didn't want to leave Maya. Her soft even breathing comforted him that she was having some rest. Most nights, she slept like a rabbit. He could hear her sobs echo in the dark of the night. He had tried to comfort her, but she repeatedly said that she didn't want him close. I guess this is progress, he thought.

He closed his eyes again took a deep breath, and gently lifted Maya, but her eyes snapped open, and she jumped out of his arms like he was fire.

" What are you doing?" She was wide awake, and she was fiercely glaring.

" You fell asleep in my arms. I was just putting you on the bed, that was all," Dakran was calm and collected, despite her reaction.

" I'm sorry. It won't happen again. I don't want you to get the wrong idea." Maya mumbled, picked up a pillow and hugged it.

" Not long ago, you were sobbing for another man in my arms. How could I get the wrong idea, a little red? Trust me. I couldn't, even if I tried," he got off the bed and began packing his things.

She watched him with a keen eye. She did a quick mental check on her body and concluded that he hadn't tried or done anything while asleep. She felt lost. The pain of losing Sylus lashed her heart and her soul. She couldn't let go. She wanted to, but for some reason, those few happy moments they spent together haunted her day and night, and she desperately clung to each of those moments.

Rom was finally speaking to her, but he was distant. He was right. It wasn't the same anymore. She felt her heart squeeze and her chest tighten at the thought that she had lost her brother, too, in some way.

" I'll be back to get you when we are ready to leave. Go back to sleep. The road ahead is long, and you won't sleep on a soft bed for a good while." Dakran approached the bed and pushed her down on the bed, albeit a bit resistant. She sunk back into it eventually.

Dakran's steps halted in front of Edýia's room. He knew he would find Rom there. Even though he said, he would let her go and move on. He, now understood that he couldn't. He scoffed to himself. What a mess, he thought.

He slowly pushed the door open and peeked his head inside, ensuring that Rom was in. Dakran was greeted with a full head of red hair. He sighed in relief when he saw that Rom was fully clothed and wouldn't have to endure the awkwardness and uncomfortable silence. He didn't want to ask, but Rom felt compelled to explain himself.

He gently patted Rom on the shoulder " Rom," he called, and Rom grumbled something and turned around to look at him.

" It's time. Let's go," Dakran tugged on his tunic. Rom lethargically rolled out of bed and replaced himself with a pillow in Edýia's arms.

" She sleeps like a log. She won't even notice you are gone," Dakran silently chuckled patted Rom on the shoulder, and waved him to go.

Rom nodded and followed Dakran, glancing over his shoulder one last time to Edýia, who whined in her sleep, and a grin settled on his face. She noticed he was gone.

Dakran and Rom walked to their next target, Athan's chamber. It seemed that their kind mainly kept to themselves. They weren't very outgoing people. Athan was probably the chirpiest of them. He was a little goofy and loved to play around.

Dakran knocked on the door, and they waited for a good while, and he knocked again. Dakran frowned, shrugged, pushed the door open and gave a quick look inside the room. It looked empty.

Rom felt something cold touch his neck. He looked from the corner of his eye and saw Athan with a wide idiotic grin plastered on his face.

"That's how you die," He causally exclaimed and sheathed his sword. Dakran chuckled and scratched his head " You're light on your feet." He said, closing the door " I am. I'm trained in sword combat and hand-to-hand combat." He informed as they walked through the corridors leading to the castle's main entrance.

Stepping outside, they all looked at the changing sky " It looks different today," Athan commented and narrowed his eyes, trying to focus his vision.

" The season is changing. The summer is almost over. The sky will split open soon," Dakran said and walked towards the castle gates but halted his steps when the gate creaked open. Dakran pulled his sword in one swift move.

A full head of golden hair appeared first, and someone else followed behind. He realised it was Ian and Azra. " Awake. Glad that you could join me," He amusedly said as he approached with a white war horse.

Dakran chucked " I didn't know you could saddle a horse," He amusedly said and reached to take the reins from his hand.

" Of course I do. Who do you take me for?" He rhetorically asked and raised his hand to stop Dakran from answering the question.

" I'll go get the rest of the horses,"' Rom walked past the two " I'll come with," Athan hurriedly followed Rom.

" I'm guessing this one is for Iris," Dakran patted the horse's head, and the horse whined and shook its head when he stopped.

" Yes," Ian caressed the horse's mane and neck to soothe him " I wonder what his name was," He absently mumbled and looked over his shoulder when that gate cracked open.

Dakran shrugged " It doesn't matter. She can give him another name. The horse will learn it eventually, but these are war horses. They rarely bother naming them." Dakran shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at the four horses in the yard.

" I'll get the bags and tie them to the saddles," Dakran sighed and looked one last time at the sky. Something didn't look right. The clouds were charcoal grey, which was unusual for this time of year.

In the dining Hall, Haren growled, groaned and hissed when he felt his head throb with pain. He opened his eyes and looked around, taking stock of where he was. He pushed himself off the floor and saw his cock hanging out. The last he remembered was sitting on the plush sofa with a glass of Galanthian wine in his hand. After that, everything went blank.

" Crap! What the fuck happened?" He asked no one in particular. He stood up and pulled his trousers up, touched his head and hissed. His eye fell on a shiny metal thingy, it had a small stain of blood on it, and he guessed that was what hit him.