Page 29

The others agreed and settled in around the small fire Kai and Mira had built, but I found myself unable to relax. The events of the day kept replaying in my mind - the eerie silence of the ruins, the otherworldly Guardian, Sky’s cryptic hints to his past. There were too many unanswered questions.

Unable to relax, I made my way over to where Sky sat near the entrance away from the others, his blue eyes gleaming in the moonlight as he scanned the darkness beyond.

The stars were bright, but not nearly as bright as the ruddy moon taking up nearly a quarter of the night sky.

With the sun gone, I could make out the haze clinging to the edges of the moon and swore I could see a storm brewing on the northern side.

No matter how many times I stared up at it, something about a giant planet-like moon put me on edge.

“Can’t sleep?” Sky asked without looking at me.

I shook my head, settling down beside him. “Too much on my mind.”

Sky’s ears twitched, but he remained silent for a long moment. Finally, he spoke, his voice low. “I know the feeling.”

We sat in silence for a while, the crackling of the fire and the soft breathing of our sleeping companions the only sounds.

I found myself studying Sky’s profile, the sharp angles of his face softened by the moonlight.

His blue eyes seemed to glow as they scanned the darkness beyond our shelter in never ending vigilance.

Now that I had a chance to really look at him, I could take in the full breadth of his handsomeness.

It had been over two weeks since I’d seen him last and I felt like I was forgetting the sharp angle of his nose, the chiseled jaw, and the way one of his fangs was just slightly visible all the time.

I felt my heart flutter as he glanced my way and caught me staring.

My cheeks burned as I turned away, but he didn’t call me out on it.

In fact, he seemed to almost relax. Maybe he liked it when I looked at him.

But I might’ve been making it up. Wishful thinking and all.

“Sky,” I said softly, “what happened the last time you encountered a Guardian?”

He tensed, his tail flicking uneasily. For a moment, I thought he wouldn’t answer. Then he sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly.

“It was during my first expedition into the deeper parts of the wildlands outside of Selas,” he began, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I was part of a party of scouts - seven of us total. We were exploring an ancient ruin, much like this one. We thought we’d found something valuable - an artifact of great power. And, unfortunately, we were right.”

Sky’s eyes grew distant, lost in the memory. “The Guardian appeared out of nowhere. It was different from the one we saw today - larger, more... solid. It warned us to leave, that we were trespassing on sacred ground. But we didn’t listen. We wanted that payday. We needed it.”

He paused, his jaw clenching. “Our leader, a man named Vorn, thought he could bargain with it. Offer it something in exchange for the artifact. But Guardians don’t make deals. They protect. And when Vorn tried to take the artifact by force...”

Sky’s voice trailed off, his ears flattening against his head. I reached out hesitantly, placing my hand on his arm. He flinched slightly but didn’t pull away.

Sky took a deep breath, his voice low and pained as he continued. “The Guardian... it unleashed a power unlike anything I’d ever seen. In an instant, Vorn was gone - not just dead, but erased. As if he’d never existed at all.”

I shuddered, imagining the terrifying scene. Sky’s eyes were haunted as he went on.

“The rest of us tried to flee, but the Guardian’s wrath had only begun. It pursued us through the ruins, picking us off one by one. I watched my companions vanish before my eyes, their screams cut short as they were wiped from existence.”

His hand clenched into a fist. “I was the only one who made it out alive. To this day, I don’t know why I was spared.

Maybe the Guardian thought my druidic connection to nature made me different.

Or maybe it was just by chance. The longer I go on, the more I think it was the latter.

Nothing but dumb luck saved me.” He glanced over at me, his eyes glassy in the moonlight.

“And the worst part was, when I returned to Selas and to the RSB barely alive and seeking aid, they… they denied it.”

“What?” I gasped. “They wouldn’t help you?”

He just shook his head. “You’re na?ve… You all are.

Just like I was. The RSB cares about one thing and one thing only, expansion.

When newcomers, scouts, and soldiers die, that’s just part of the deal.

They’re expendable as long as the expansion continues.

King Garameck’s people need food, supplies, and resources.

And it’s our job to make sure the monsters are gone so those resources can be found.

The sacrifice of the few is the price to keep the many alive. ”

I sat in stunned silence, processing Sky’s words.

The weight of his revelation settled over me like a heavy cloak.

I’d always seen the Royal Scouting Brigade as a noble organization, protecting the people of Selas and pushing back the wilderness and monsters.

But Sky’s story painted a much darker picture.

“I... I had no idea,” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the crackling fire behind us.

Sky’s beautiful blue eyes met mine, a mix of pain and resignation in their depths.

“Few do. The RSB is good at maintaining its image. But out here, in the wildlands? We’re expendable.

Just bodies to throw at the cause. And when people like you and me cause trouble, well, we get thrown out sooner.

That’s why Boromia gave your party a suicide mission and hired me as your guide.

He wants us all gone. Two birds, one stone. ”

I felt a chill run down my spine, remembering how Captain Boromia had backed us into a corner.

For a fleeting instant, I was almost proud the RSB had chosen us for a special mission, happy to prove that we were more than just newbies and have a real chance at getting ahead.

But that was quickly snuffed out when it became obvious that we were being set up.

The RSB was clearly up to something and I just wasn’t smart enough to know what it was yet.

Sky’s theory held a ring of truth to it, but I had a feeling there was more to it, I just couldn’t put my finger on it.

“Is that why you’re so... distant ?” I asked softly, searching Sky’s face. “Because you don’t trust anyone in the RSB?”

Sky’s ears twitched, his gaze dropping to the ground. “Partly,” he admitted. “But it’s more than that. After what happened with the Guardian... I couldn’t bear the thought of losing anyone else. It’s easier to keep everyone at arm’s length.”

I nodded, understanding dawning at last. Sky’s gruff exterior, his reluctance to form close bonds - it all made sense now.

He was protecting himself from further pain.

It made my heart ache, like I knew exactly what that felt like.

I had no memories to go with those feelings, but I felt them just the same.

I supposed it was something left over from my last life.

I guess some hurts lived in deeper places than memories could reach.

“But you’re here now,” I said gently. “With us. Why?”

Sky was quiet for a long moment, his tail swishing slowly behind him. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and uncertain. “I... I’m not sure. Maybe I’m tired of being alone. Or maybe...”

Sky trailed off, his gaze distant. I waited, hardly daring to breathe, as he seemed to wrestle with something internally. Finally, he turned to me, his blue eyes intense in the starlight.

“Or maybe there’s something about you,” he said softly. “Something that makes me want to... to try again.”

My heart skipped a beat at his words. I opened my mouth to respond, but no sound came out. Sky’s ears flattened slightly, and he quickly looked away.

“Forget I said anything,” he muttered. “It’s late. You should get some sleep.”

But I couldn’t let the moment slip away. Gathering my courage, I reached out and gently touched his arm. “Sky,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “I’m glad you’re here. With us. With… me.”

He turned back to me, surprise flickering across his face.

For a moment, we just stared at each other, the air between us charged with unspoken emotions.

Then, slowly, Sky’s expression softened.

The corner of his mouth twitched upward in the barest hint of a smile, his fang catching the starlight.

It made my stomach flutter again and heat burn in my cheeks.

“Get some sleep,” he said, his voice gentle. “I’ll wake you for your watch.”

I nodded, reluctant to break the moment but knowing he was right.

As I settled down near the dying embers of the fire, I couldn’t help but glance back at Sky’s silhouette, outlined against the starry sky.

Something had shifted between us tonight, a new understanding forming.

And despite the dangers that surrounded us, I felt a glimmer of hope for what the future might hold.

Maybe it was possible to find some happiness in this world. To find something beyond just fighting to survive. It was a hopeful thought, one I wanted to be true more than anything. Only time would tell.