Embrace

As the sprawling mountaintops of Tor's northern reaches blotted out the night sky, it seemed from Barion's perspective as if the Steppe was ever so far away. Just how long had it been since he and Fusala had crossed the border expecting to hunt down only a single Demon? He had become so accustomed to the quiet life of a traveller that the last few weeks had been enough to exhaust him both physically and spiritually. Having laid thousands of Demons to rest, he felt no better knowing that the invasion of Gria had been somewhat stalled by his efforts, for the hordes of corpses he had left in his wake would one day rise again.

The land was perilous there, near the mountain range, but still more hospitable than the sun-scorched plains of the Steppe. A roaring campfire illuminated their modest camp, flanked by the wagon and the stagecoach. The stars had been out for many hours, but not one of them could bring themselves to rest. The sounds of bubbling could be heard from the wagon's side, where Fusala fiddled and worked with her reagents. Just as Barion was about to doze off where he sat, he heard someone else approaching from his side.

"Would you like to chat for a while, Barion?" Dorma asked, seating herself beside him.

"I'd like that." He replied.

"Things have been rather chaotic lately, haven't they?" She mused, "Are you well?"

"Unbelievably, yes." Barion answered, "How have things been in the capital?"

"More hopeful than you might think." She answered, "Certainly, the influx of displaced villagers from the countryside is causing trouble for His Majesty, but when I left, an alliance had just about been brokered between humans and Elves."

"Humans and…" He repeated, "You mean, Aelf'ahlnohma?"

"Precisely." She smiled, "-And not only that, but we were successful in incapacitating Tiamat. Her corpse is currently gathering dust somewhere in northeastern Branda."

"She isn't truly dead."

"I know that." She lowered her head, "...I've heard that you can no longer summon the Sword of Light."

"Well, a Hero can only exist for so long, I suppose." He replied, "It hasn't stopped me from fighting."

"Leviathan has risen as well. According to Manyu." Dorma continued.

"That isn't too much of a problem. Not much it can do from the ocean."

"He said something awfully similar."

"I'm surprised he agreed to come along with you."

"It took a little persuasion. He's certainly simmered down a lot since then, hasn't he?"

"We were all a little hot-headed back then."

"That's true." She smirked, "That's very true…"

It was difficult for either of them to recall the specifics of 500 years ago, other than how energetic they all were as young adults. Though their bodies hadn't aged a day, their minds were another story. World-weary and disillusioned with a world they should never have lived to see, the ravages of time had nonetheless left them debilitated with weariness.

"It's all happening again…" Dorma lamented, "Were our efforts worthless, in the end?"

"No." Barion answered, "We gave the world the time it needed to stand up on its own two feet."

"But if we fail now…"

"That won't happen." He insisted, "We'll make sure it won't."

"How pleasant to see you haven't changed a bit." She smiled, "...Has it been hard for you?"

"No." He paused, "...No, it hasn't."

"Look at me."

"Dorma-"

"Look at me, Barion." She repeated, "Please."

He didn't want to.

Why was that? He didn't have a problem looking anyone else in the eyes and telling them whatever they wanted to hear, so why couldn't he bear to do the same with Dorma? The truth was that he already knew the answer, but simply didn't want to admit it. As he reluctantly met the sorcerer's amber gaze, a lump formed in his throat.

"I can always tell when you're lying." She smiled sadly, "Do you really think we could have journeyed together for so long without having that kind of connection?"

"That isn't-"

"-Or, are you just too afraid to ask for help?" She interrupted, "Do you worry that being comforted will draw you away from what you need to keep moving forward? You bottle everything up inside, believing that it will make you stronger, but even if that's true, when does it end? Can you still notice the occasions when it's fine to be vulnerable?"

"We've already had this conversation once before."

"-And we'll have it as many times as it takes for you to realise that this is no way to live." She rejected, "Speak to me, Barion. I'm right here."

Saying that, she spread her arms wide in a welcoming gesture, inviting him with a smile that could melt even the coldest of hearts. For a moment, Barion averted his gaze, reluctant to even open his eyes in fear of what would happen if he considered the possibility of being honest about his feelings. He understood the meaning of her words perfectly, but even so, a faraway worry continued to tug at his conscience. Pushed to the edge of his resistance, he leaned into Dorma and was immediately wrapped in her tender embrace.

"It is hard..." He admitted, "I don't want to do this again."

"Nor do I." She whispered back, "We earned our rest long ago."

"-But if we give up, the world won't be able to cope." He continued, "If we can't find a way to stop this cycle for good, it will just repeat again. That kind of responsibility… nobody should have to bear with it."

From the perspective of a mere mortal, the challenge seemed insurmountable. To defy the very ways of the world would no doubt incur the wrath of unspeakable powers. As he steadied his breathing, Barion felt tears pooling in his eyes. It was embarrassing for a Hero to show such weakness, but he had never been afraid of embarrassment. No--it had always been Dorma's total acceptance that he had scurried away from. Forced to expound his pent-up emotions, burdening another with his troubles--it destroyed the affectless veneer of confidence he had always tried to project. He felt both pathetic and content, loath to accept Dorma's unconditional support but simultaneously seeking her touch with the neediness of a child.

"You don't have to be strong when you're with me." She smiled, "Whenever you can't endure it anymore, I'll always embrace you. Because I'm the only one who understands just how painful it must be."

"Hah…" Barion sighed, "Thank you, Dorma."

"Struggling just makes victory all the sweeter, after all." She remarked, "When all of this is over…"

"...What?"

"No, don't worry." She backpedalled, "It's not important."

"I read your letter." Barion replied, "The one you wrote when we parted ways last time."

"I hope I made my intentions quite clear with that."

"You did. But I don't want you to pretend like your own feelings aren't important to me." Barion continued, "When we've brought this horrible age to a close… I'd like to try living a quiet life for once."

"My, is that some kind of offer?"

"You know what I mean." He separated from her, "But, you are right. There are more important things to focus on now. But… I'll make sure to ask you properly, when there's time."

"Then I'll dearly look forward to the day when you do so." She beamed, "Tomorrow, we'll be working our way back to Gria along the quickest possible route. Every second we waste is another we could be spending theorising how to bring this cycle to an end."

"I suppose now that Aelf'ahlnohma has gotten itself caught up in the mix, this really is a do-or-die situation." Barion crossed his arms, "But still, hearing that the Elves have finally come out of hiding is quite the piece of news."

"Would you believe that the one responsible for the alliance was the Elven Queen herself?" She asked, "She's been absolutely dying to meet you."

"I'm surprised anyone important even knows I'm still alive…"

"She took some of us in after we were through battling Tiamat." Dorma explained, "The two of us had a long, fruitful conversation. Do you remember a girl named Din, by any chance?"

"Din?" Barion perked up, "She was… the thief I helped out in Branda."

"Ex-thief, you mean. She's Her Majesty's personal handmaiden now."

"Eh… that's an impressive step up from where she was when we parted ways."

"The two of them are practically joined at the hip." She smiled, "She wanted to accompany us on our journey to find you. Had we known you were so close, we wouldn't have dropped her off at Gria on the way here."

"It sounds like I'm rather popular."

"Well, Larion has a very good reason for wanting to see you."

"Lar-" He paused, "...Wh-Who's that?"

"Her Majesty, of course." Somehow, Dorma's smile was a little frightening, "She's a Half-Elf, you know? The girl was brave enough to reveal her heritage to the entire court during her royal procession. Quite a bold move, if I do say so myself. Reminded me of someone, actually."

Barion blinked, "You're joking…"

"Well, I think it's about time we got some rest. Don't you?"

"Wait. Wait, wait!" As Dorma stood, he quickly followed after her with a fearful expression, "Tell me you're kidding!"