Embers of Sun and Flame: Before We Have It (Fuegoleon x OC)

Chapter 39 Paintings

She had taken his hand, and given him a smile, as if to tell him to follow her. As if to urge him to come after her, even if they were holding onto each other.

But... she wouldn't need to urge him. She wouldn't need to tell him to follow her.

Because he would.

He would.

Neither of the thoughts, the urging nor the certainty of following after her, were conscious, verbalized thoughts. But they didn't need them to be. Because that's how it was; simply was.

She would follow him. And he would follow her. There was no need to dress it into words, within their minds or spoken out loud. Just like their declarations of love, those words merely lingered in the air around them, and were spoken, without a sound. And sometimes it could be found from a smile, or the gentle, caressing, yet firm and secure hold of a hand; it could say it all.

Just like the hesitant step he took, wanting to go through before she did. To be sure. To be safe. But she stood closer, and slipped in first, leading him through. And as they emerged to the other side, they were surrounded by a lush forest.

Trees reached high above their heads, the branches creating as if a blanket of leaves, through which sunlight was still able to filter through. The grass was green, and plants had taken over the area around the path that led to the arc, from which they had emerged. But the arc itself was worn down. The grey surface of it was cracked, slightly blackened at the edges. It was as if the arc was the only thing worn down by time.

Though, nature was meant to grow with time, which could hardly be said about a stone arc.

I hope the condition of the arc doesn't affect our chances of getting back home, he thought, but the portal closed without an effort. No sign of disruption. Nothing to indicate that they wouldn't make it back home.

She tugged onto his hand, down the path. "Come on love," she giggled, this time out loud.

And the sound, the melody of her voice collected his attention from the arc, the surface of the stone, onto her eyes as the corners of his mouth tugged up.

"It's just a small walk away from here," she continued, accompanied by the sound of birds, rustling of leaves, and the swaying of grass around their feet.

They continued for a while in silence, until he finally thought about it; what Lady Indomita might have to give them. "What is this... collection, from which we may choose something?"

"It's a collection of books, artifacts and... miscellaneous items she has gathered over the course of her life," Solara replied, but there was a hint of a frown on her face, even if only in passing.

"She's a collector then?" He asked as the frown became reflected onto his expression as well.

"She fashions herself as one," she replied. "But some have... called her as a guardian, I think. Though I don't know if that's quite accurate either, because she does collect things."

"What does she guard?" It was a fair question, asked with a quirked eyebrow as a clearing peeked through the trees.

"Knowledge," she made a rolling motion with her head as the statement flowed past her lips, as if a breath. "And items she deems best not ... be out in the world."

He wasn't quite sure about what to make of the information. Though it had been established that Lady Indomita was old, older than the Witch Queen, and thus she might have seen how the world works, better than those with a more limited lifespan like the two of them... Would there not be something within her collection to better the world around them? And if so, then withholding that information was less than productive.