Calamity: A Ballad of Ash

Chapter 4: Statis

The winds of the jungle blew rather strong that day, more so than usual. The tall mahogany trees were swaying by the gale, with the sun shining bright at the hour of cockrow. Beneath it all stood Statis and Braelor, taking a moment of pause as they were trenched in mud.

It had been three days since their initial truce, and the path they had paved became ever more clear. Even so, they were drawing near the foot of Silva's city, and the thought of their conference going awry had brooded over Statis' need for an alliance.

As Braelor took a moment to stretch his limbs, he looked towards Statis with an amused smirk, watching as his ally swatted relentlessly at all the insects the jungle could throw at him.

"You spoke of us being close, eh?" Statis said with an irritated tone. "How close is close? These midges are growing tiresome!"

"You ought to get out more my friend," Braelor replied laughingly. "There is more to life than just slime worship, you know."

Statis stopped for a moment, quickly becoming abashed from Braelor's words. Nevertheless, he replied in a clearly unenthused way. "So you say being eaten away by these insects is time well spent?"

"Among other things, yes."

It wasn't long before Statis ultimately took the mockery in stride. Braelor looked away from his friend unto the path they were set on, before answering monotonously. "It's just up ahead, at the bosom of the jungle."

"How reassuring..."

When their conversation came to a stop, the two both gave each other an eager nod, at last getting themselves back on the move. As they trudged through the dense mud, the sounds of birds, bugs and such became all the more apparent. It was an ambience Braelor had grown fond of ever since his upbringing, but Statis was far from accustomed to it.

It wasn't long before they had finished slogging through the humid thicket and stood before the gates of Silva's city. Braelor ever so surely lifted his hands up to knock against the thick doors of the wooden gatehouse, Statis watching in silence as he stood several feet behind.

But Braelor hesitated.

Instead he turned towards Statis, beginning to scratch at his scalp before speaking with a perturbed voice. "Listen... If this allyship is what you truly seek, know that Silva doesn't wish to be hampered by the likes of anyone. If she did, a consort would be at her side..."

Statis looked to the sky, replying to his friend in a deadpan tone. "Do you think I'd praise her like a fawner purely because I seek allyship?"

"Not necessarily..."

The ninja shot his head back down, facing Braelor with a smug grin on his face. "Good, then I doubt I'll be seen as an impediment to her plans, wouldn't you agree?"

A moment of silence was exchanged between the two, their gazes glued onto each other's pupils. Although Braelor supported Silva with an undying fidelity, he knew well that she would coat her hands with the blood of those below her if she deemed them as obstacles. Ironic for the goddess of life.

Finally Braelor nodded, turning back to the gatehouse before pounding loudly against the mahogany doors. As they stood silent for a moment, one of the city's guards popped into picture, peering over the battlement he sat guard in to look upon them. As Braelor returned a look back, the guard turned away from them and gave a nod to someone out of their vision.

As Statis began nervously scratching his left wrist, the thick treen gates began to creak open, the vision of a lush city at long last entering each other's view. Without exchanging any words or glances, Braelor moved briskly into the city, Statis being quick to follow his tail.