Under the Dawn's Light (Book 5)

Chapter 22

YUVEN

Thick clouds broke apart underneath the sun's might as he leaned against the roof of the supplies station while Storm Wardens hauled off boxes and burlap sacks onto the awaiting galleon anchored to the reinforced marble pier. The gangplank ramp split in two sections to direct the flow of bodies for maximum efficiency. He spun his Resonator around his fingers, taste-testing the words he prepared, rehearsed, but still failed to speak out in a frozen instant. Upon the mast, the standard of the Storm Wardens as people continued about their days, the Wardens movements no longer a rare, spectacular sight for their version of normality. Fog wrapped around the peak of the mountain when he twisted around to look back home, to the alabaster citadel where few of its peaks pierced through the blanket of mist. Hippogryphs cawed out and dove through the air, flying free.

Resonator clasped back onto his belt of other tools, he slipped out one of his seax's to flip it in his hands before beholding his own weary reflection. His white waves twirling around his gray feathers which he groomed back with a huff. Though the Warden-Commander bid him to think, he found his thoughts empty from the quick scolding Neven gave him before he saw the truth of what he had wrought; and worst of all, he was a coward.

Yuven slipped the seax back into its sheathe and bumped the back of his head against the roof until he heard familiar voices below. Adara and Fenrer, followed close by Neven with Maria to watch over him in his not yet recovered state. He tucked himself underneath one of the open rafters, waiting for the opportune moment to strike with his apology. His gaze drifted over Maria, remembering her own scathing silence until she said a few simple, patient words.

"Go to him. We can talk about what was done to you afterwards."

He didn't have the bravery to reach out to Fenrer's hand through the light. Sunrays danced over all but one, Fenrer, who tucked himself in his armor with the dark shadows raging within the dull jades and frozen swirls. He knows I'm near... Yuven kept himself a ghost to reality, where none could see him except one with open eyes he slammed shut. Molvisaliz... I am so, so sorry. He drove his teeth into his tongue as he bumped his brow against the smooth tile. You've always been there by my side... and I'm failing that. I'm failing the most basic thing. Back to childish habits, he flinched at Adara's panicked voice hidden underneath defeated acceptance. Shoulders slouched. Footwork sloppy.

"Our first stop is Sivaport?" she questioned the three.

"Yeah." Maria passed a new box of hazebulbs to Fenrer, though with some physical reluctance on his Oathbound's part. "You'll stop at the Sivaport Lodge to recoup from the overseas trip." Her gaze landed back on Fenrer, who swayed in place. "Then it's to the Umbral Gate... aimed at Azahama." Her hand squeezed Adara's shoulder. "You'll be fine, Adara. You've improved leaps and bounds since you got here. You have to give yourself more credit."

You must be unyielding. Physically. Mentally. He mouthed out his own words, and scowled when Adara gave a weak nod to her. I must not have taught you well enough if you give up so easily...

"Only advice I can give is to not rely too much on your force within the flow... but on the smallest step," Neven said, and Yuven chewed on his lip at the foundation he once gave him and Fnerer. "You must not get too ahead of your own path. It will come." He smiled, weary, but stronger than before. Adara gave him a weak nod too, and he threw himself into his spatial distortion when the two turned their backs to him and went for the boat.

Through Neven and Maria, he allowed the spatial distortion to reveal him to the cruel world. "Fenrer."

His spine stiffened, but he turned with a weary sway. Yuven checked on Neven and Maria, with Neven indicating for him to continue and the pressure heightened when he came closer to Fenrer, who held his gaze as Adara hovered by the gangplank, and her hope choked him to death. He knew what she wanted, expected of him. Words failed to lift past his tongue as Fenrer inched back while he remained in silence. On his path, starlight bound, he latched onto Fenrer's arm. Say you want me to come, or that you'd rather I shove myself in a hole... make a decision when I've become incapable of making it. "I'm sorry, Molvisaliz..." he mumbled under his breath, letting Fenrer's sleeve drift out of his fingers. "For what I've done."