chainless DISCONTINUED

8 - Plummet

trigger warnings // mentions of death and alcohol.

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The mage hands the orb to Techno, the magical spell looking much smaller when in his hands. Ra peers at it, watching the swirling colors of blue and white, and maybe there was some yellow? Or that could have been from the reflection of the sun above them peeking through the clouds.

He wasn't sure, but he couldn't dwell on it for long when Meredith began to speak. "This will protect the two of you guaranteed." He blinks, "Two?" Ra questions.

"Yes, Little King. Two." She emphasized. His heart sunk, but wouldn't that mean...

"What about you and-"

"-Cali and I will be fine. I will be here to protect them. Techno isn't able to defend against long-range attacks unless he gets hurt in the process. And you are the top priority. It would only make sense for you two to have the barrier."

"But- But, didn't we just go through this? About how dangerous it was and..." He trails off when he spots the look in her eyes, Meredith was confident in herself and her abilities. She only smiled softly at him, walking up to him and reaching up to rest her hands on the sides of his face.

"Do not fret. We will be alright." He didn't realize what she was wiping away until he felt the soft burning itch on his cheeks, he was starting to cry. Why was he attached? He didn't know these people. He couldn't even remember their names.

He saw the flash of a memory, of smoke, and the smell of burning flesh. He shakes it away, avoiding Meredith's eye contact. Instead- he stared at the space between her green eyes. The young hybrid mutters under his breath, the three adults not catching what he said. "What? Say that again for us." Cali asks him, stepping closer to the group, cupping their ear.

"..Ra." His given name aired out of his mouth. 'I have a feeling that...things won't go well. Even with their confidence.' He thinks to himself. Meredith's smile brightens, reaching up and pushing his bangs out of his face. "That's your name, isn't it?" He softly nods.

"That's what they gave me when I arrived." 'The gift of a name...I should have been thankful for it, to be called something. Yet, I always felt like a piece was missing...'

"It is wonderful to have met you, Ra." She pauses, one last thought coming to her mind, "-There is a huge library back home that I feel like you would enjoy exploring, do that for me?" He doesn't reply, his eyes flickering down. For the first time, he stares into her eyes, sea-green shining with tears. Looking back on this moment years later, he felt like she knew. This would be their last interaction. "Now, hold back those tears, remade into pure joy is when they are allowed to fall." Ra nods softly as Meredith pulls her hands away from his face. He felt cold again.

"Let's get going, kid." He glances at Techno, the mean staring at the fog hovering above the ravine. It was time to cross, the wind has died down. Ra takes one last look at Meredith and Cali, the Lady Mage and the Mole Hybrid, radiated confidence. He wished back then, it survived.

Ra takes a step on the bridge, taking a deep breath in as he spared a look down at the pit. It was dark and covered in mist, you couldn't see the bottom even with how much the sun began to shine upon them. He releases a shaky breath, willing himself to move forward, feeling the suspended bridge being weighted down behind him as Techno walked onto the bridge.

The two pause as Techno draws a half-circle, a moon crescent, over the top of the orb, activating the barrier.

"You know magic?" Ra couldn't help but ask, curious. "Only sigils. I don't have actual magic in me. Get going, we can't stay on this for too long." He lightly knocks Ra forward, getting the boy to walk again.