Tales of a Dead God

Chapter Eleven: The Missing Pieces

Ciro followed Noah up the steps of the inn. Both were anxious and Noah had no clue if this guy was telling the truth or really was just crazy. Ciro was a bag of nerves. It had been centuries since he had last seen his brother; to this day, he was thought to be dead. As they walked closer, they heard muffled yelling coming from the room. Noah motioned for Ciro to wait in the hall.

Noah went in to find Theo and Gabriel yelling at each other.

"You need to grow up and realize that those stories are just that," Gabriel retorted to whatever Theo had said.

"But if magic exists then the Gods really could have roamed..." Theo was cut off.

"Not everything you read is based on facts Theo," Gabriel interjected. He was becoming heated. Neither one was about to back down.

Theo slammed the book down. "Then why did Elmar tell me that Gods existed?"

Noah kind of coughed to get their attention. They both looked at Noah standing in the doorway. "So um..." Noah didn't really know how to phrase this.

"Yes?" Gabriel folded his arms. He was weary of what Noah was about to say.

"So Ciro is outside." Gabriel looked ready to kill Noah. "BUT! Before you say anything. I think we should hear him out."

"Exactly." This came from Theo who was looking at Gabriel with an expression of determination. He wanted to be right so badly.

Gabriel held a hand up to stop Theo from continuing. He looked over at Noah, eyebrows furrowed. "Did you say Ciro?"

Noah nodded.

He felt the paper that had been sitting in his pocket since the day they left the elvish town. Gabriel knew he would at some point need to talk to this man. Elmar clearly knew something he didn't and he trusted Elmar.

"Noah, just... just tell him we'll talk tomorrow." There was a tiredness in his voice. The yelling had dried his throat out and this whole thing had sent him into a spiral of confusion.

"Alright." Then Noah left.

Theo watched the two without a word. When Noah left, he turned his attention to Gabriel, but he knew better than start the argument again.

Gabriel pulled his shirt off and paused. Theo noticed dark jagged scars that covered Gabriel's back. His breath hitched, making Gabriel pause. Theo began rummaging through a bag to appear busy. He soon heard Gabriel slip into bed and he let out a pent-up breath. Soon after Theo decided to head to bed as well. His head was swimming with questions and replaying the events of the night. He tossed and turned but eventually found sleep.

~~~*~~~

The next morning Theo woke up on the floor and a pretty little bruise on his forearm. Gabriel was still asleep and Noah at some point made it back last night. Theo stood and stretched before inspecting the bright purple bruise. He saw Noah sprawled out all over the bed and quickly put two and two together.

"Fucking asshole," Theo mumbled as he grabbed his pillow. He stood over Noah full concentration and TWACK!

Noah received a full face of the pillow. He yelled out in surprise as he shot up. Theo stood there, face scrunched and pillow still in hand. He was getting ready for a second hit, but Noah held his arms up to block the hit. "What are you doing, you psycho!"

"You kicked me off the bed!"

"No, I didn't." Noah rubbed his eyes. He had a bewildered expression as he sat there waiting for Theo's next move. He glanced down at Theo's arm. "Maybe I did."