Their post was a long-abandoned stone house that had been repurposed with an observation tower a few decades ago. They were positioned deep within Sapphire territory, in a wooded area with theccia trees that were covered in lovely magenta leaves and blue flowers with star-shaped petals.

Asa almost felt bad grinding the pretty leaves and mixing them with Dalis-purified stream water to brew a tonic that soothed the mind's stresses and increased awareness of one's surroundings. Zander ordered all watchers to finish a mug of theccia tea before taking their shift.

Asa, for obvious reasons, was rarely on tower watch. For that, she could be grateful for her aura that made her a beacon of light sticking out over the treetops. The rickety tower looked close to collapse. Being atop it felt like begging for the next strong breeze to fling you and the tower down like a small kid slapping his blocks.

Still, the view from above the tree line was gorgeous. Mirrevar's mythical countryside, the serene little stream where they drew water, Goddess Hill in the not-so-far distance, and a skyline canopy created by the most magnificent lifeform in existence, made the occasional threat of falling to one's death worth the risk.

Asa easily imagined having a peaceful life here with her shield-brother and Thunder. But they were behind enemy lines in the middle of a war seven centuries in the making, in a land contested for its historical significance, during a time when the kettle was stirred and boiling over. Nine times they had left Sapphire blood pooling beneath the purple and blue trees in their little forest and several more times in the fields beyond.

Their assignment made it impossible to avoid conflict. Scout the Sapphire's defenses on Goddess Hill, their total numbers, their strategy, and assassinate Alexia Bluerose. While they didn't feel devotion to Iceheart, Zander ensured they worked on the objectives.

"We do it to watch for peace," he'd say when pressed on why they didn't just treat their time like a vacation to a scenic getaway with a high risk of death.

Asa didn't buy it. If he had an aura, she was sure it would go gray when he thought about serving Iceheart. He was too honest a man to be good at lying and too big to be good at hiding. There was more. The way he looked at her when he said it, she just knew that Werner threatened her.

So, they watched for intruders and they hunted for answers in the vast fields of flowers that seemed painted by a particularly imaginative Goddess. It was said that Celegana's favorite Divine had been Leverith, and it was no small wonder that she'd gifted her little sister Covademara and the result was the most fertile, colorful land in all the world.

With each skirmish, Asa kept as many of the Sapphires from dying as she could, often regretting it when Zander started questioning them. They spoke of Alexia Bluerose with fanatical devotion, as if the monster that destroyed Ferrickton were the greatest hero of all history.

Zander beamed at their praise, usually flashing it at Asa as if he held proof that he was right about the monster. But the love of the Sapphire people only forged Asa's hatred in stronger flames. "The Hero of Leverith," they christened the Monster of Ferrickton. They regaled them with tales of her heroism, beauty, and kindness. To the Elagrimear Horned Apes she was a savior that led them across Mirrevar without losing a single man and who returned after the battle to save hundreds of them from Zamael's scythe. To the Pinarus Sentinels she was a voice of peace that rallied them toward an end to their worries.

Each and every one of them, whether young or old, man or woman, ugly or handsome, treated Bluerose like she was Leverith's gift to Leveria. It made Asa so divinedamned sick that she wanted them all to die. Her aura turned to black during the interrogations, she shook, thirsting for murder. The monster didn't deserve anyone's devotion. Death and destruction were what she brought and the comeuppance she would reap. For Ferrickton, Uncle Barnett, and for sweet Allison.

Asa was the last of her family, and Zander wanted her to welcome the person that had made this so. She neither could, nor would, let go and "see the bigger problem" as Zander called it. Alexia Bluerose wasn't the fastest path to a Leverian peace that could withstand the Celegans. She would do naught but divide Ruby and Sapphire.

Killing her was one order from Iceheart she'd gladly oblige.

When the captured soldiers withheld information or gave inconsistent responses on whether Alexia Bluerose was in Mirrevar, Zander refused to beat answers out of them. Instead, he ordered Asa to restore their wounds, then released them with the request that they send Alexia out to him so they could arrange peace.

He was being naïve. Even if the monster left her den, Asa had a cordesine vial and an arrow for her heart. Zander would either forgive her or not, but Asa couldn't forgive herself if she let the monster go unpunished.

Her aura shifted from light to gray to dark and back again as she mashed theccia leaves in a bowl. How could a world with such beauty contain so much ugliness too? From precious moments with the people she loved to fantasizing about murder. From seeing the wonders of this land to feeding the soil the blood of their neighbors. From loving Zander with all her heart to despising his childish infatuation with the woman that had destroyed what remained of her family. She wished she could just stay where the light shined, but kept being pulled into the darkness.

Yet, there was one thing that always brought her back.

Kenneth sat beside her, sharpening his blade on his whetstone. He grunted like primordial man coming out of his caves, pointing at the meat Gordan roasted at their small fire.

Asa rolled her eyes at him, grinning like a fool.

The meat did smell good. Paladin, Zander's magnificent destrier, could outrun stags, and stags couldn't outrun Zander's blade. His whetstone was out too. Weapon maintenance a priority of his, Kenneth mimed Zander's attention to detail, exaggerating his concentration face.

Asa chuckled, trying to pay sufficient attention to her leaf mashing as she noticed she'd overdone it.

Kenneth snorted through his nose, keeping the laughter from bursting through his lips. Zander was so immersed in his work he didn't acknowledge them.

The rest of their outpost was busy following Zander's directives. Sir Gabor of Oakmont and his squire Emeric patrolled the southeastern edge of their woods while Theo and Vernon covered the northwestern corner. Everyone listened for their callsign, a squirrel's slow bark, for possible threats and a faster bark for imminent threats. The last two members of their post, the sisters Edrea and Erina womanned the watchtower, as usual. Erina's sharp eyes and Edrea's skills as a sharpshooter made them the best duo up high, while their inexperience in melee combat made them the worst duo on the ground. All in all, Zander ran a good outpost, needing little guidance from his staff-sister.

Kenneth set the whetstone down, then nestled on the ground beside Asa. She raised her eyebrow at him. Her voice went higher and slower, cautious of whatever shenanigan Kenneth prepared. "What are you doing, Thunder?"

He let out a contented sigh as he stretched. "Sunbathing."

They were in the shade, the outpost surrounded by those splendid theccia trees. Asa rolled her eyes even as her smile climbed her face like a midday sun and her aura brightened further.

Kenneth leaned on his side, supporting his head with one arm, posing like he was Sebreena Ruby getting her portrait painted. Asa had to suck in her lip to keep from laughing again.

"I made a bet with Vernon," he said.

Asa paused her mixing, the smile already rising on her lips. With Vernon involved, this was bound to be good. "I'm betting on Vernon being right," she teased.

"Not this time," Kenneth said, clicking his teeth, sneering as if he was Irvaine Celvine.

"Doubt it," she mumbled, flashing a coy side-eye at him as she went back to mashing theccia.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"I say that you were born paler than snow," Kenneth said, "but have progressively tanned yourself. Vernon says that you've always been this way and that I'm a blockhead."

"Who wins the bet if you're both wrong?" Asa asked.

"What kind of a question is that, Shiny?" Kenneth propped himself up in an even more grandiose exhibition. "I win every day that I get to bask in your light. Soon enough, I'll start looking as shiny as you."

"Any day now," Gordan muttered.

Kenneth may've been called Thunder, but he was lighting quick with a verbal riposte. "Talking about that meat, right Gordo?"

Asa giggled, warmth spreading through her. The light around her glowed brighter. Had somebody told her a moon ago that she would ever feel any semblance of warmth toward Kenneth, she would have never believed it. Now she could hardly imagine a world where he didn't brighten her days.

Times like this, she wished she could find him attractive. But perhaps that was what made her relax around him? There was no threat that this man would use her. It was a strange feeling, not having to worry about being a notch on some guy's tribute belt.

In Zander and in Kenneth she had found the first men in her life outside of her own family where she was more than a pretty face or an opportunity to be mined for personal gain. Sure, Kai Blazelord had acted like a second father to her, but that was conditioned on her talents. Sure, Wayn Bearbreaker was jovial with her, but she was still his servant. Neither of them had ever made Asa feel unconditionally accepted in the way that Zander and Kenneth did. Bereft of all other family, Zander and Kenneth were her brothers now. Zander was more than sufficiently attractive, but he'd found a way to make her feel like there could never be a physical connection between them. If Kenneth had been similarly appealing, she doubted he would make her feel the same way.

"What did the Thunder say to the Shiny?" Kenneth asked.

Asa shrugged, knowing whatever he was going to say was going to uplift her. Let him build the suspense, she decided, rather than making a quip of her own.

Kenneth took his place on their log, their legs touching as he spread himself out. Thunder motioned for Gordan to give him a steak.

"They're still quite pink," Gordan warned.

Kenneth waved for the meat anyway. "Gordan, you know I like it raw and juicy. Send that meat my way, my man."

Gordan shifted, blushing like a princess lacking any level of ease with sexual innuendo. He was cute, even if too scrawny for Asa's tastes. He seemed to religiously avoid talking about attraction. When Asa had told him that Erina liked him, he acted like he'd rather be kicked in the bits than give them something reproductive to do.

"It's a little small, don't you think?" Kenneth said, gripping the steak Gordan offered him.

"Then it suits you," Zander said, breaking from his concentration to flash a grin.

Kenneth chuckled as Gordan rushed back to the cookfire. "Remember that time I killed the biggest divinedamned wolf the world's ever known and you cooked it while I was sleeping?"

"Sleeping? Is that what we call passing out from pain these days?"

"I was downright heroic that day," Kenneth said, tearing into the steak. "You remember how I tricked you?"

Zander chuckled. "How could I forget such a brilliant trap. I think even Alfread was in awe."

Alfread. Why did they always have to mention Alfread? Asa could've done without thinking about him. He was probably deep in love with Sebreena Ruby right now, not sparing any thoughts for Asa and her foolishness. She looked down at her mixture, but couldn't bring herself to grind the leaves when it was hard to hold on.

Kenneth jabbed her with his elbow, soft enough to jar her out of her self-hating thoughts but not so hard that it would hurt. But he'd probably hurt her someday too. And she'd probably deserve it.

"You should've been there, Shiny. I got this man to be proud that his meat was only half the size as mine."

Unlike Gordan, whose blush was threatening to turn him into a raspberry, Asa wasn't shy with innuendo. She only hated when it made her feel that the only value she possessed was her body. But true to his promise, Kenneth hadn't made a single overture toward her since the night Zander forced them together.

"Well, it's just like my pa used to say, 'Asa belle, jes' because a prized hog is around doesn't mean ye can't be satisfied with a nice strip of bacon.'"

True to his pseudonym, Kenneth boomed with laughter. Zander covered his mouth, shaking his head as he chuckled. Even Gordan grinned, eyes fixed on his task. Her aura lit the afternoon, shining bright as she took in their joy, making it her own.

Recovering from his laughter, Kenneth took a bite of steak, reddish juice splattering on his lips and spurting some on the white of her robes. Kenneth tried to wipe it away, but some things were truly hopeless. He shrugged apologetically then offered her a bite. "How do you like your meat, Asa belle?"

Asa rolled her eyes. "Raw and juicy," she said, leaning in and tearing into the steak. There was no clean way of handling it, the juices spattering on her face and spurting back at Kenneth. Smiling, she wiped her face with a red sleeve and rubbed the excess onto his breeches.

They shared a giggle.

"I can give you your own," Gordan said.

"Don't mind them, Gordan," Zander interrupted, sheathing his blade. "They're a couple of little degenerates. Leave mine on for another degree."

"Make sure you cook all the flavor out for him, Gordan!" Kenneth rebutted in his signature raucousness.

Asa wiped the bloody juices off her lips, then grinned at Kenneth. "What did the Thunder say to the Shiny?"

Kenneth looked up at the sky, the sun moving toward its final rest. He was blushing! Kenneth! There was a first for everything. Though, she suspected he was acting. Born in Rubinia, he probably would've been star of a troupe. Intrigued, Asa leaned closer. Suspense was well-and-built. Her voice came out high-pitched and conspiratorial. "Well?"

"I am struggling," he said, "to find the right way to say it." He glanced at Zander.

Zander pointed to a meadow to the west where there was a break in the wooded area. "You two, go inspect that area for possible ambush locations. I don't want you back until you're finished looking for what you need to find."

"Maybe by then your meat will be sufficiently charred and flavorless for your liking," Asa quipped, taking the last bite of Kenneth's steak for herself.

Zander made a rude gesture with his hands. Asa reciprocated.

In the meadow, they halfheartedly searched for possible ambush locations, but they both knew Zander sent them over here so they could speak in private.

"Do you know what the Shiny said to the Thunder?" she said, peeking out at him from behind a tree.

He shook his head, somber. If this was an act, she was beginning to fall for it.

"I'm glad I found you," she said, meaning every word with all of her heart. Her aura bursted with radiance, making the whole clearing glow. He really did make her shiny.

Kenneth nodded, his gaze falling to his twiddling thumbs. He carried on the charade, his tone severe as a medican delivering a terminal prognosis. "I've been lost all my life."

Asa awaited the punchline. With all the buildup, this was threatening to be one of his finest. But when it didn't come, she wanted to make sure she didn't make light of his seriousness and let this side of him go back into the dark.

"I never really felt like I belonged anywhere," she told him. "To my dad, I was a reminder of the woman that died so I could live. He spent more nights drinking with the tavern maids at The Rusty Pickaxe than in our shack. Kids my age treated me like I was different, made me feel like I was in the wrong place. In Rubinia, I was a novelty, a prop or toy, an exotic doll or a glowing witch to be mined for their pleasure. I've never had a home." She met his eyes, seeing them growing glassy like they were holding back the tide. "Until now."

Storm clouds rolled in, darkening Mirrevar as dusk approached. Kenneth crashed into a clump of purple hyacinth. He breathed in. He breathed out. Thunder rocked back and forth, holding his knees to his chest.

"My very first memory is my mother dragging me to Old Iron in the middle of the night. She was going to kill me. But she leapt instead."

Kenneth may indeed have been the world's greatest actor. But Asa realized that this was not the act. This was a glance behind the curtain. Possibly the first in years. Zander didn't see this side of him. His family—the sisters he described as the succubus and the mute—didn't make him feel like he belonged, didn't make him feel safe at home. But she did.

Lightning crashed around the clearing, no rain falling from the clouds of darkness dominating the sky. Asa sat beside him, an arm around him, heads pressed together side-by-side as he rocked.

"We're just two lost souls waiting to be found," she said, massaging his broad, sinewy back.

"That's the thing," Kenneth said, his pitch going high.

He got up, strode to the center of the meadow as thunder boomed nearby.

Asa wished she could take his pain away, make it smaller. Gripping at her chest she realized this was a love as true as any she'd ever known.

"What did the Thunder say to the Shiny?" Asa asked.

"Thunder said," Kenneth croaked, fighting back the tide of tears that he'd held off for so long all on his own. "He said he hasn't been lost since you shined your light into his darkness."

Letting out a hitched exhalation, he went toward their little stone house in the middle of a big warzone.

Asa wasn't about to let him get away from her that easily. She dashed after him, called out his name, took hold of his hands and squeezed as hard as she could. "If you ever feel lost, come find me."

"I already have," Kenneth whispered.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.