Elements of Change

A Fireside Chat

Ezo's morning began rotten. No matter what he did he couldn't get rid of the tension he'd felt from his meeting with Alvrey. He tried to walk among the crowd, but he was looking over his shoulder with each step. Like the Imperium was going to swoop in out of nowhere and drag him back to the University.

In the end, he grabbed food from one of the vendors and took it to a nearby hill to watch the surrounding area. If he couldn't get rid of the watchfulness, he might as well use it. At least the view was worth it. The panorama from the hilltop was spectacular.

Latera was a quaint town set in the middle of a small valley. Three hills surrounded it, and Ezo was sitting on the highest. From there, he could see the player's wagons and the crowds that surrounded them. This far away from the major cities, entertainment was sorely lacking, and something like the players was a rare treat. Ezo didn't know if it was a well-to-do town, but he hoped that they'd fill Jaroh's purse for more than a night.

They were still a few days south of the Mailan border. If they headed straight west, they'd end up in Nara. Ezo had always wanted to travel the world and see the different countries, but he wasn't sure that would ever happen now. Beyond his bond with a former soldier, he had Riverkeep. Though he could leave, he had so many questions about his bond with Kammon, the Vow, and the life Jacob had led. He needed to search the library for those answers. Ezo knew Remec was at work in Mountainkeep, doing the same. Ezo had need of his uncle's research and he'd promised to keep looking for it there.

As the afternoon dwindled, a bright streak crossed the sky, and Ezo watched as Ember appeared over his head. She circled slowly, then landed on the ground next to him.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked the effigy.

He could feel Kammon working among the crowd, but the man would need to rest soon. He'd promised Ezo he'd break often today. Kammon hadn't been well when they left Riverkeep. He was sleeping a little better since they got on the road, but Ezo worried.

He worried too much these days. Who would have thought that the elementalist he met all those months ago in Mason Creek would ever have a place like this in his life? He'd never have believed it if someone had told him then.

Ember screeched, and Ezo dusted his hands off. "Alright, I get it. Tell him I'm coming."

Ezo watched the effigy as her red wings caught the bright sun and she flew away. She was just as stunning as she had been the first time he saw her, though she liked him better now. He was grateful for that. Ezo had seen her fly through a man's chest before, and he'd prefer to keep his heart inside his body as much as possible.

He ran down the side of the hill and returned to the tent he shared with Kammon. His lover wasn't there, so he was probably already waiting for him at Alvrey's wagon.

He started the walk over, kicking stones under his feet as he went. Every so often, he had to stop and pull rocks out of the ground with magic to keep at it, but he was determined to take as long as possible.

He wasn't feeling any better about Alvrey than he had that morning. He didn't know that he would ever, at this point. He and Alvrey were at an impasse. He understood why she'd tried to keep him from Kammon, but everything in him screamed at the thought of leaving Kammon to fight on his own. It wasn't something he could do. Even back in Mason Creek, he wouldn't have been able to do it.

He didn't hear her this time, but when he felt a sharp pinch on his butt, he spun around and glared at the hawk that flew in a lazy circle around him. "Ember! I told you I'm coming!"

"You're stalling," Kammon disagreed as he stepped out from between two tents.

"I stopped at our tent first to see if you were there."