The Battle of Euangelion: Reborn

Chapter 22: Fire or Flight

"So you're Mateo's...?" Phoebus leaned forward on his chair.

"Cousin," Seraphus breathed after gulping down the last of the water containers.

"Isn't it obvious by his dashing good looks," Mateo was standing in the doorway.

Seraphus' laugh hurt at first - he must have had several broken ribs, though slowly all of the bruises on the Rider's body began to heal by itself. But there were so many that Phoebus and Dominic could take their time examining the more severe injuries. They only noticed that all of his fingernails were plucked when they started growing back.

"What did they do to you?" Dominic asked.

"They tried to get information from me. Unfortunately, Turpis lack the subtle arts of tact and diplomacy," he shook his former broken leg, indulging in his second breath.

"The Rider that originally went with Sage, -" Phoebus recalled,

"Custos?" Mateo said.

"Yes, him," Phoebus was looking around at Mateo, "he chose death instead of being captured. Why?" the painting in Sage's tent - the one that looked like an execution came to mind.

"Because he was clever," Seraphus said, eliciting a wanting expression from both Phoebus and Dominic.

"We didn't have the intel we do today back then," Mateo chipped in, "without Sage's map and notes, we wouldn't have been able to do what we did," he was looking at Seraphus.

"You knew they'd come for you?" Phoebus looked back at Seraphus.

"I hoped. It's all you have to hold onto in that forsaken place," the atmosphere turned somber.

"Did you give them anything?" Dominic asked.

Seraphus laughed painlessly this time. "If I had, my time there would've been more pleasant. They got nothing. But you -," he looked back and forth at Phoebus and Dominic, "you retrieved the artifact!" he smiled as brightly as anyone who had just been assured that his time in the cells of Stridor was not spent in vain.

"Yes, I guess we did," Phoebus nodded. Both he and Dominic looked up at Lucas who just entered the room after edging past Mateo.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, still a hint of disbelief glinting in his eyes.

"Like a new Rider," Seraphus beamed.

"Phenix will sure be glad to see you," Lucas said.

"How's he been holding up?"

"He hasn't touched his food since we went back to Euangelion. We were getting worried. But seeing you will definitely resuscitate his appetite."

"Where's Aurelia?" Phoebus asked.

"River," Lucas jerked his head.

Phoebus got up and left the room. As he was making his way to the fort gate, he passed Angelo in the courtyard who looked like he was packing up.

"Where are you going?"

"Lucas and Seraphus are taking the artifact back to Euangelion and escorting you lot to Sanctum."

"I'm not going without Alexis or Rufus."

"You don't have much say in the matter."

"Are you planning on rescuing them?"

Angelo didn't say anything, he just glared at him and proceeded to inspect the dark glassy object he had just removed from one of the satchels.

"I couldn't make out what it is. Do you even know what it does or what it's for?" Phoebus asked. Again Angelo merely met his question with a glare.