Eclipsed

Chapter 67

Alric and Kaelen crept out into the cool night, the castle's quiet halls now far behind them. They moved with purpose, their footsteps muffled against the stone as they neared the garden.

Under a nearby tree, Peter was fast asleep, his brown hair a tangled mess beneath the hood of his green cloak. A simple wooden stick rested beside him, a small bag tied to it. He looked like someone who'd always been on the move—untethered, yet oddly calm.

Kaelen gently shook him awake. "Peter... Honey, wake up."

Peter blinked and rubbed his eyes, still groggy. "Sorry... I just... got a little too comfortable, I guess." He quickly sat up, looking around. "We're really doing this?"

Kaelen nodded, her expression firm. "We don't have much time. We have to go."

Peter grabbed his belongings, adjusting his cloak as he followed them. Alric glanced at him. "So, you're Peter, huh? Kaelen's told me a bit about you."

Peter chuckled lightly, his smile a little strained. "She probably didn't tell you all of it," he said with a wink. But then his eyes dropped to Alric's bruises and the bloodstains on his clothes. "Did you get into a fight or something?"

Alric grinned, though it was more a grimace than anything. "Yeah, just a little one. Could've changed the course of the entire kingdom."

Peter raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "Really? That's intense."

Kaelen cut in, her tone more serious. "Not now, Alric. I'll tell him later."

Alric nodded, letting the topic drop. "Yeah, alright."

Peter didn't let it go completely, though. "Come on, what happened?"

They reached Tiberon, the massive black dragon that was already waiting, its sharp eyes glinting in the moonlight. Alric didn't waste time and helped Kaelen and Peter climb onto the beast's back.

Peter, wide-eyed, looked around in awe. "Whoa, I've never been on a dragon before."

Kaelen, though accustomed to it, gave him a small smirk. "I've flown with Alric on this thing more times than I can count. You'll be fine."

Peter hesitated as they prepared to take off. "Are you sure this won't throw me off?"

Alric shot him a dry look. "Probably not."

Peter's face drained of color. "Probably?!"

Kaelen chuckled, shaking her head. "It won't. Relax."

Tiberon's wings spread wide, sending gusts of wind through the air as it took off into the night sky. Peter clutched the saddle, his voice rising with excitement. "Whoa!"

Alric, looking ahead, felt a weight settle in his chest. There was no turning back now. Yoruzen was out there, and time was running out.

As they continued their journey, Peter eventually drifted off to sleep, and Kaelen, looking out at the sky, asked, "How long is it going to take us?"

Alric glanced over at her. "About a day, but we'll make a few stops along the way."

Kaelen raised an eyebrow. "A day on a dragon...?"

"Yeah. It would take about a week on foot, not counting the breaks. We'll be far from the castle by the time we're done," Alric replied, his tone casual.

Kaelen shook her head, then reached back and placed her hand gently on Peter's, who was sleeping soundly. "We won't ever come back."

Alric looked at her, but said nothing, sensing the weight in her words. "You should probably get some rest now."