Songbreaker

Chapter 7: Fracture

After Galleous had sent word to Thalleous about the attack on Sendaria, he drops everything, to head back home. Yvana is left to deal with Achillean's bad temper and distasteful attitude until she and Thalleous learn what the Songbreaker's endgame could be, adding pressure to their investigation as well as a ticking clock

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It didn't matter how anyone found out about the attack. It didn't matter that they weren't there when the attacker struck. It didn't even matter that they still had too many questions for the former Tidesinger. Nothing mattered except getting back to Sendaria. Thalleous had to know that Senn and Ria were safe, that they didn't get caught up in something that he had tried so hard to hide from them until he knew they were ready. He knew they weren't. He hadn't finished training them. Instead, he had decided to go on a wild chase trying to find the so-called Songbreaker.

Thalleous said nothing for the entire journey back to Sendaria, fearful of what he would find when they got there.

It had been over a century since he had last seen Achillean and suddenly every burning question that smoked his mind was gone. He didn't care about that anymore. He didn't even care when Achillean protested leaving his cave to go with them, but Yvana wasn't letting him out of her sight. Not after finding the map in the back with all the listed attack locations as well as places that have not been hit – one of which was Sendaria. Thalleous just wanted to get back. He wanted to know that everyone was okay.

Achillean, of course, didn't care. As Thalleous sped on ahead, Yvana trudged behind him with a firm grip on Achillean's bound hands as she dragged him along with her. After he had strangled her, she had grown all too wary of the Nestoris and she wasn't willing to take any chances. By dragging him with them as they investigated the Songbreaker, she would have her eye on him at all times. That way, she could determine herself whether he was up to no good. Also, it made her feel good to have a firm hand on the man who was likely to kill her. She enjoyed being one step ahead of her personal enemies.

However, there was always one who managed to slip from her grasp every time they met... She had to push him deep down into the back of her mind, for the time being.

Occasionally, Achillean would try and get the better of the Kaltaris champion and attempt to trip her over, or to turn the tables and find a firm grip on her, but Yvana wasn't having it; yet all they could do, given the situation, was scowl at each other and hope their faces didn't stick. Achillean didn't want to bring his staff – he knew he should have destroyed it when he had the chance – but a part of him was glad. It meant that, when he was deemed trustworthy to be released when they inevitably worked out that he was not the Songbreaker, he could get his own back at Yvana – even if it meant he had to kill her in the end.

He did not take kindly to her, at all.

All feelings had to be pushed aside when they arrived in Sendaria and, on the other side of the river between them and the village, structures were still smouldering, and smoke could still be seen rising from the ground. Whoever had attacked the village was long gone.

As were the people...

Thalleous wasted no time in wading through the currents of the river to make it to the other side and immediately began calling for Senn and Ria, shouting in every available direction, looking under piles of rubble and collapsed dwellings. Yvana struggled to get Achillean across the river for his resistance was persistent and it seemed that he would not relent. He would rather be anywhere else than following the two champions on their foolish escapades.

Then again... Maybe not anywhere else...

"Thalleous!" Ria's exasperated voice on seeing the champion's markings glow in the doorway of the last-standing dwelling was music to Thalleous' ears as he let out a huge sigh of relief and enveloped the Sendaris female in a hug as she raced towards him.