The Crown Of Fire

Eddie IX

It took him all morning but he'd finally found Alex.

Eddie really felt bad, about all the stuff that he did to the badger and the mouse, he didn't believe he'd said anything to the fox, but he apologized to her anyway. He apologized to everyone so far except for Alex.

Alex, who, it seemed, had been avoiding everyone since Omdrus sent for him. It was strange. He knew that Alex had come into the tent, albeit late, the night earlier. He assumed that Alex would've slept in, but he hadn't. It seemed that he'd awoken before anyone else.

When Eddie found him, he was standing near Omdrus's tent. Alone, just standing there. Octavia was speaking with rabbits, as odd as that sounds. He'd heard Eddie before he actually said anything. Well, the boy supposed that Alex could probably feel the guilt and shame radiating off him like the smell of a kid who hadn't showered in a month.

"Good morning, Eddie," he spoke. "How are you feeling?"

The boy in question shrugged his shoulders. "Fine, I guess. You?"

"Just trying to grapple all of this."

Eddie nodded and pursed his lips. "Listen, I just wanted to apologize for all that stuff that happened while I was... you know. Mainly for kicking, and hitting, but also for calling you an oaf, an idiot, and stupid."

"Don't worry about it," Alex waved off. "I've been hit harder and called worse."

"I also wanted to thank you," Eddie told him. "You had every opportunity, but you never gave up on me. Thanks for that."

"Ah, it's not a problem," Alex spoke. "You would've done the same for anyone of us."

"Yeah," the boy replied. They stood in silence for a moment. But then Eddie noticed the sword on Alex's hip. It was ornate in design, there was a wolf carved into the hilt. There were designs that he'd only seen in Celtic cultures. "Where did you get the sword?"

"Oh," Alex let out a breath and looked at Omdrus's tent. "Right."

His hand went to it as if he'd forgotten it was there. He seemed to want to go in and speak to the wolf. But he also seemed hesitant, and unsure.

"The wolf is kinda... kind of a lot, huh?" Eddie questioned. "I mean, he's huge. And he's got those eyes."

Alex laughed. "Yeah, yeah."

"If we're being honest, it's like listening to God talk, right?" Eddie spoke.

Alex smiled again. "If God was a wolf."

The great wolf emerged from his tent. Everyone in the army gathered again, Octavia approached the two boys. She didn't say anything, she waited for Omdrus to speak.

"My friends!" Omdrus called, the benevolence of his tone seeping into their ears, the benevolence of his being resonating with their eyes. "Today, I bring news that shall not disappoint. While we may still have a war to fight, a war with the mage who has taken all your joy, and all your pride." he paused and looked to his crowd of warriors. The centaurs, the satyrs, and the dwarves. The dryads, the Earthborns, and the animals. All of those whom he called, his people. "The sword, Caliburn has been drawn from the great rock wall!" There was cheering, everyone seemed so joyous. But at Omdrus's words, he glanced at the sword that Alex carried. It seemed that the boy before him had decided to participate in a war that was not theirs to fight. "The prophecy is being fulfilled!" The great wolf nodded toward Alex, who cleared his throat nervously and approached the wolf. He stood uneasily before the crowd, despite how happy they seemed at it.

"Can you believe it?" Octavia whispered from beside him. "My brother? A sword-wielding warrior?"

"No, I can't." Eddie replied.

"The boy who wields this sword is Alexander, of Woolton!" Omdrus boomed. "He has said himself that he will fight this war with us!"

"For Ashiver!" the people chanted. Alex looked among them nervously, but his gaze lands on the two kids, one who is oblivious, and one who knows what the haunted look in the boy's eyes means.

The one who knows that Alex is hiding something.

~

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