Annoyed as Aelius was being lead by the hand, it was better than running into walls or tripping over people. Senec took him by the wrist and guided him through he current and noise. Aelius gripped his hand, not wanting to be lost to the dark tides.
The ground under his feet went from ungiving stone to slightly giving, wood? They were still indoors as they hadn't entered the wind or sun. The air warmed, stifled slightly, the noise dropped, and there was an umbrella of smells ranging from ripe and fruity to woody and burnt.
"Smells like food." Aelius mused.
"Oh, I'm sure they have that too!" Slavian remarked in glee. "Go find us a table and I'll get us something."
Senec said 'uh' uncertainly, "Are you sure we should-? okay- just..." The boy sighed lightly and, tapping Aelius' arm, lead him further. "Let's find a table."
Senec had to shove Aelius to the side at one moment and catch him just as quickly. Someone walked by muttering unintelligible slurred gibberish. They bumped into a table or two and there was the sound of tinkling glass and the air filled with cheery song.
"Is this a bar?" Aelius asked.
Connecting it brought him back in his mind's eye to the past. Aelius saw himself in camp with soldiers from his father's army surrounded in singing and drinking at a fire. The campfire lit the darkness to keep the Night-Blood at bay and offered a warm comfort, in the same way the memory brought a spark to his darkness so he saw something in his eyes but night.
Just as quickly as the memory came, it was shoved aside. Senec stopped and showed Aelius where the seat was. It was a wood bench with a high back, higher than himself. Reaching out he found the wall on the otherside. Aelius seated himself and listened to the social atmosphere.
After a bit someone clambered to their table and something tinkled against the wood.
"You cannot be serious." Senec said.
Slavian replied, "Why shouldn't I? I can see over the counter."
Slavian took a sip and placed it by Senec. It remained untouched. Slavian said, "Relax Tree-Hugger, you're twisting yourself in a knot."
The glass lifted and fell back with Slavian. "I don't know, maybe because we shouldn't be drinking?"
Slavian took another sip and placed it by Senec again. "Then you can report to mommy and daddy its the weak stuff."
"I don't want to even be here." Senec protested, giving it back.
"We can do whatever you want after, but first lets loosen up a bit." Slavian returned it back around without taking any himself.
"How did you even get it?" Senec returned it.
"I just grabbed it." Aelius could hear Slavian's smirk.
YOU ARE READING
The Aeterna Empire
FantasiIn the realm of Dyson, a Kes-Blood prince steps up to rally his people and allies against the incoming threat of the Aeterna Empire, forcing him to learn what it means to be king and what he must sacrifice to save his people and his world.
