Eclipsis: Water

Chapter 11

"That is ludicrous." Alara could almost laugh at how blatantly stupid Kōri's statement was.

A Sun? Kidnapping a Moon child? She exhaled in disgust.

"I knew there was no point in me saying anything." Kōri responded.

"The Sun people are good people. We would never do something as horrible as that."

Where would we even keep him? Surely someone was bound to notice a small ice-fairy boy growing up in Sol, Cetus huffed, stamping one of his feet on the ground for good measure.

"Cetus raises a good point," Alara says, nodding. "If he was kidnapped by a Sun, where would they keep him? We don't have any ice-fairies in the water kingdom, or in any of the three others to my knowledge."

"Look, it's just a theory," Kōri snapped. "But I think that Sol would go to any measure to keep something like that hidden, so creatures like you and Cetus would go on thinking that everyone was made of perfect rays of sunlight."

Alara's teeth clenched together. "If we get out of this alive, you're welcome to search the water kingdom."

"What, and get myself killed after all this trouble?" Kōri scoffed. "No thanks."

"Cetus and I would sneak you in, idiot. And back out, safely, so you can return to Lune. Think of it as a favour for you aiding us in getting my sister back."

"I thought the favour was for my life to be spared." Kōri replied.

Alara couldn't understand how anyone could ever have a conversation with him. People must refrain from punching him in the face all the time.

"The favour involves your missing brother. I would want someone to have the same attitude if Ondine was missing. Cetus." She addressed the dragon's huff of annoyance.

Kōri looked as though he was preparing himself for a retort, but his pale-blue eyebrows softened their scowl at Alara's words.

"Is that a deal?" Alara continued.

Kōri held out one gloved hand to her. Alara scowled.

"It's only a deal if you shake on it." He explained.

"I'd rather not touch you. You have my word."

"You say that like I'm excited to be touching you. Everything but my face is covered."

He waved his outstretched hand impatiently. Much more of this and his arm was going to start to hurt.

"Fine," Alara's baby-blue hand shot out to meet his, feeling the coldness of his skin seeping through the gloves. She shook his hand for no more than a second, though made sure to squeeze just a little too hard in the hopes that it would hurt him. She refrained from wiping her hand on her trousers once she pulled back.

Making deals with a Moon. That's one to tell your parents, Cetus said gruffly.

"Stop it." Alara responded firmly.

"I think the dragon is right, though." Kōri said.

Alara frowned, thinking that the ice-fairy had impossibly understood him.

"Resting. We all need it. Our instructions were not to harm her, so I sincerely doubt that she is in danger." Kōri continued.

"Don't be stupid; of course she's in danger. She's in Lune, as a Sun."

"I just meant that..." The ice-fairy sighed, readjusting his standing position to put less weight on his injured leg. "She is safe, as safe as she can be. As a Sun in Lune. It's still a while to get there, so we might as well use what's left of the night to sleep."

Alara felt herself exhale. She knew that Kōri and Cetus were right, about needing rest. She knew it too. It didn't stop the immense weight of guilt pressing down on her heart from feeling even heavier, though.

"Okay. We can sleep. We're continuing our journey as soon as it's light, however, yes?"

Cetus and Kōri both replied with agreements.

"I'll take first watch." She directed this at Cetus.

Kōri stared at her.

"Just because I've been lenient regarding your brother doesn't mean I trust you any more than before, Moon."

Kōri surprised her with a smirk in response. "Good to know."

+

The rest of the night consisted of watched shifts that alternated between Alara and Cetus. Both made sure to pay a very close eye on Kōri, especially Cetus, who even went as far as to splash water on him to make sure he was actually asleep and not pretending to be.

When the first rays of sun reached the tops of the trees, Cetus waited a little longer, just so Alara would have more time to sleep, and then woke her.

"Okay, up." Alara kneed Kōri in his side as he floated on the surface of the pond.

He spluttered awake, his face submerging for half a second before surfacing, coughing. He swam over to the edge of the pond to hoist himself out onto land. Water had gone up his nose, and he was taking an embarrassing amount of time to recover from it. Cetus laughed.

Kōri had taken off his hooded cloak to sleep, presumably because it weighed him down, which Alara thought was stupid. Did they not have water-compatible clothing in Lune? She climbed out of the pond to join him, with Cetus behind her, who was shaking the water from himself.

"You okay, there?" She asked amusedly at the ice-fairy's hunched-over frame. His wings were large and white like freshly fallen snow, and in the light they glittered like icicles.

He answered with more coughing, then turned to them, straightening his back. He wiped his nose quickly with his tied hands.

"Fine."

His serious tone made Alara bite back a laugh. It was as though they had not just witnessed him spluttering and coughing.

"We need to move, so get dressed." Alara answered.

Wordlessly, Kōri walked over to retrieve his cloak, pulling it on quickly whilst Cetus lowered himself to the ground. She waited for him to pull himself onto the dragon before she did the same, handing him a lily pad from the bag around Cetus' neck. He nodded wordlessly at her in response.

They were flying for a good few minutes when Cetus' stomach gave a loud grumble, felt through Alara and Kōri's legs. No-one said anything. Alara had wanted to fly further until they stopped again. Cetus did, too, so they both ignored it. Only after the fifth time did Alara sigh, patting Cetus gently.

"You need to eat. We should stop for a bit."

I can eat later. We should continue with our journey.

"Hunting and foraging shouldn't take long. We can eat while flying. Is that okay?"

Hmm. Alright, but quickly.

"We're going to stop to gather food," Alara explained to the back of Kōri's hood. "Do you know of any more water sources near here? Or anywhere to forage?"

Kōri leaned to the side slightly to look at the forest ground below. "There should be a river a little way up there. You like fish?"