Solaria's Last Light

.: 1 :.

It was insane how much the climate changed once Maion crossed the Neptunic bridge. The serene sunken city contrasted heavily with the cold wasteland of Pluto. He almost felt stupid for coming so unprepared. Snow had soaked through his boots, chilling him to the bone. He had almost been knocked over by the wind so many times that he was beginning to regret this journey. He touched the small envelope in his pocket, a visible puff of frustration escaping his blueing lips. The elf was beginning to think that maybe he had lost his way, confused among the endless mounds of snow that glimmered with the light of the moon. He wiped his nose on his sleeve, two-toned orbs narrowed as he pressed through the whipping winter wind. He couldn't bear to check the gilded watch that hung from his belt out of fear that the metal would make his already frigid fingers even colder. He felt like he had been out in the tundra for ages and the terrible thought clouded his mind that maybe he'd die out here... he'd die here in this frozen wasteland and never see his family again.

However he was quickly pulled from that thought when another sound arose from above the whistling wind. The sound of bickering- no, fighting. Maion whipped his head around, brows knitting in confusion. The dark tundra suddenly felt a bit more lively as he rested narrowed eyes on the pair responsible for said spat. A duo that looked eerily similar, sporting the same thick grey skin and intricately worn white hair. Elves, dark elves to be more exact. He could pick that out by their taller, lanky-ish builds. Their words were jumbled, but Maion quickly realized that they were speaking a different language. The two stood inches apart from each other, spitting and hissing in words that he could only identify as foul and tasteless. A frown spread across his face as he brushed his hand against his belt. The dagger his sister insisted he took with him hung neatly in its sheath as he waded through the snow toward the pair.

"Hello?" He called over the snowstorm, surprised by the volume of his own voice. He hadn't spoken since he departed the boat in Neptune. The fiery gazes of the two snapped to Maion, the taller of the two pinching the bridge of his nose. "See what you've done, Heloise? Your incessant whining has drawn the attention of locals, you ought to be ashamed of yourself." He spoke in common now, his tone laced with annoyance as the shorter, who had been pinned by the other as Heloise, scoffed. She swatted the taller over the head. "Listen here, you gobshite. At least I have a reason for being here! You stay here much longer 'nd yer mommy will be worried for you." She retorted to the taller, giving him a firm elbow in the ribs before the bounded through the snow over to Maion. He jolted back slightly as she stuck out a hand toward him.

"Heloise Notos. Sorry 'bout him. He likes t' play hero, even though he's nothin' but a stuck up lickarse." The girl was taller than Maion, but then again most people were. He was always told he was short for an elf. She sported a deep red scarf that almost swallowed her whole. Her voice was stern as she shot a glare back to the other dark elf, who had strode over to join the other two after recovering from the wind being knocked out of him. He took a fistful of the girl's scarf, yanking her back by the fabric before offering a hand of his own. Maion gazed down at the clawed, bandaged hand and reluctantly took it in his own. He shook it neatly, clearing his throat, "Hugo Notos of the Orlabelle faction. I apologize if that numbskull caused you any issue. She's rather brash." The glare that he tossed back toward the other dark elf made Maion shudder. He plucked his tan hand back, wringing it with his other. This dark elf was even taller than the other. His expression was dull as he examined Maion through one good eye, the other being obscured by bandages, which seemed to cover almost his entire body. The two were related some how, but they hardly acted like it. He looked between the two, sucking in a deep breath. "Maion Apeliotes." He smiled nervously, picking at his nail as he tried to ignore the daggers that were being glared between the two. "I'm sorry to intrude... but you said you were from the Orlabelle faction, right? What are the two of you doing so far from Mars?" He could hardly imagine that natives of the war-torn city just... went on vacation to the frozen wasteland of Pluto. They exchanged glances that for once didn't seem full of malice, and within the same breath they spoke:

"On business." They looked disgusted at their synchronization. Hugo turned his head and stuck his nose up, while Heloise continued. "We're just here on some...adventurin' business. Nothing to worry your pretty little head about." She nudged the other roughly. "We ought to get going though, aye? We'll be eaten by a winter wolf if we keep standin' out here." The thought of being left alone in the snow brought a surge of anxiety to his chest. He was tired, hungry, and on the verge of tears. "Wait- please!" He could hardly stop from blurting, reaching out. The duo seemed shocked by his outburst. He shook, clearing his throat before he continued. "The two of you are adventurers, yeah? Then maybe you can help me... if it doesn't make you stray from your adventure too much. I just need someone to escort me to-" he paused, remembering the contents of the letter in his pocket. Be discrete. "To... to my cousin's home. You see... I'm not from here, but my cousin has sent for me. He's terribly ill and I need to care for him." The lie made his tongue feel like lead, he was never a good liar. However, it seemed that the two bought it quite quickly. They once again exchanged glances, wordless stares. Maion wrung his hands anxiously as he waited for the answer. He knew he shouldn't be going against the wishes of the penman, but he couldn't bear being alone in the tundra any longer.

"We'll accompany you." Hugo spoke as they cast their gazes back upon the elf. Relief welled up inside him as he swayed on his feet. He lurched forward, engulfing the two in an obligatory 'thank you' hug. It was custom of his family. The two seemed unsure how to respond, but the slight reciprocation from Heloise in the form of an awkward pat sufficed. He leaned back, adjusting himself as he drew in another deep breath. "I promise that this won't take too much of your time... I just hate traveling alone." He smiled anxiously, turning on his heel. Without waiting for much of a response, Maion began to wade through mounds of snow once again. He'd cast glances over his shoulder every once in a while to reassure his anxious mind that the duo was still with him. They of course kept their distance, but were close enough that Maion felt as if he were a traveling member of their party. A silly dream for someone like him, he could hardly even wield a dagger correctly. Still, the thought brought him a bit of warmth as they marched on through the snow.

❆❆❆❆❆

The wind seemed to still after a while, which Maion thanked Sol for. His eyelids were beginning to grow heavy and he was sure that he couldn't feel any of his toes at this point. They had walked,

and walked

and walked

They tread through mounds of stone. He was beginning to feel that same sort of hopelessness that he felt when he was alone. He felt hot tears bubble in his eyes, rolling down his cheeks. In a way, the warmth was sadly comforting. He was sure they'd die here, and the two dark elves didn't offer much comfort. They were deathly silent throughout the whole trek. He felt almost as alone as before. He was only moments away from giving up, collapsing in the snow, and just dying there.

When he was nearly knocked over by Heloise. "AYE!" She cried, grabbing hold of the elf to keep him from tumbling into the snow. "Light at twelve o'clock! Maion 's that yer cousin's place?" He was about to voice his confusion, before quickly remembering the lie that he had dug himself into. "O-Oh! Yes! We're here." He scrambled through the snow, suddenly regaining all feeling in his limbs as he scrabbled for the cottage that was tucked away in the snow. He had made it. The penman was speaking the truth. He promptly collapsed on the front step, tears now slipping from his eyes out of pure relief. "Yes- oh Heloise, Hugo! We're here!" He turned his head to see the others standing a few feet back, huddled together. He quickly realized that they were reading something and a surge of dread left him as he patted at his pockets. The letter. He must have dropped it when he was running. He rose to his feet, eyes wide.

"W-Wait! Please, I promise I can explain-" The pair's gaze snapped up to him, laced with an unidentifiable emotion. He felt awful for lying, but felt even worse for breaking the one rule listed in the letter. Heloise opened her mouth to speak, but before anything came out the door behind Maion swung open.

"Oh my Sol! You three must be so cold out there, please do come inside."