Heart of Netis

Chapter X: Arriway

The entrance to Ectilea Cave shimmered subtly with a curtain of maegia. Arriway pressed his hand to it, and received an electric shock. He grunted in frustration, and tried again. Still didn't work.

"Princess- Netis- can you try?" he asked her without looking at her.

"I can't, Arriway. When I tried to escape the cavern, the maegial barrier drained my powers." she stared at the back of his head. "But I'll try."

Netis gingerly reached out her hand and pressed it onto the curtain, which sizzled and glowed, and disappeared with a pop. Arriway marched out of the cave without looking behind to see if Netis was following. Netis could only wonder what was wrong, and so without a word, picked up Nereus' staff from the cave floor, and followed.

About ten minutes after they'd left the cave behind, and they were trudging through the woods, Netis finally snapped.

"Arriway! What is the matter?! Why are you ignoring me, why will you not look at me?"

"Netis. It does not matter right now. We need to return the staff."

Netis was not having it. She whirled around and flew at him, pinning him to a tree directly behind him.

"Arriway. Arri, please. Look at me."

Finally, Arriway did look at her. His eyes were shining with tears, and something else; a kind of longing.

"Netis, I... when I first met you, you were unlike any human I'd ever met. I mean, I know you're half-human, but you've grown up as a human, learned the human ways, yet you are so unlike them. You are most extraordinary, and I just have this urge- this desire- to know you. I don't want us to just be partners on this quest- I don't want us to have to part ways after this is over. I want us to be friends. And I know you probably don't want anything to do with me- I kidnapped you from your bedroom. You should hate me."

Netis grinned from ear to ear. She reached up and brushed away his tears. He caught her hand as she drew it away, and squeezed it.

"Oh, Arri. I forgive you. You're right, at first, I despised you for taking me away from my family, since we'd only met the day before. But then I realised this was for my own good- this was to help me. You are my friend. You are one of the only friends I've ever had. I'll never let you go."

Those words. I'll never let you go. The very sound of them set his nerves ablaze. He had never- never- had a friend. Nobody had ever cared for him, with the exception of Dhase. He never knew his parents, or he didn't remember them. He was torn from them before he was even a beling. Dhase had never been a friend to him, but a very close brother. Other than that he was just a teacher, trainer, guardian. Prophetess Ectilea was kind, but she wasn't any kind of mother. Princess Netis had been surrounded by family and people she could have called her friends her entire life. But still somehow she could perfectly understand Arriway's loneliness.

"Arri, I have not been alone- but I have known the feeling of loneliness, for most of my life. I know I have had my parents and the servants and maids to look after me my entire life, but I have never been that close with any of them- except my nurse Thyea. My parents have always been preoccupied with running the kingdom that they haven't had much time for me, so Thyea practically raised me; she might as well be my mother. I have only two true friends in the castle- two young noblemen about my age- creatures of maegia, Mial and Hewet are their names. But I have never met someone like you before- I have never met a maegial creature like you before, Arri, and now I am so glad I did. Fate is in our favour."

Arriway looked down at Netis' peaceful sleeping face. The Moon was full, she had almost reached the middle of the sky. His mind drifted to the runic maegia Dhase had taught him a bit of, and then he realised something. The full Moon. An idea.

"Netis." Arriway shook her gently. She yawned and forced open her eyes.

"What is it, Arri?"

"Look." Arriway pointed at the Moon.

"She's full tonight." Netis noted.

"Yes. Do you know what that means?"

"No?"

"Runes. Runes are especially powerful when they are drawn under a full Moon. Dhase taught me."

"And what rune do you propose we draw?"

"I know a binding rune, of sorts. A close friendship binding rune. It sort of binds our souls. We can strengthen each other, sense when the other is hurt or in danger. It's a lifelong bond that can only be broken by death. And one drawn, perfectly, under a full Moon, also gives the pair telepathic powers. We would be able to talk to each other in our heads. We'd always have a piece of each other, even if we were physically separated."

"Oh...wow. Do you have something to draw it with?"

"You don't need one. You can just use your dominant forefinger. You have to dip it in water that's been under the moonlight first, to have their extra powers."

"Are you ready for this? It's a big thing, a lifelong bond. And I'm guessing you can only have one in a lifetime."

"Yes. I am ready."

"So am I."

"Okay then."

"Okay."

Arriway dipped his left forefinger in a stream nearby and motioned for Netis to come over.

"Netis, I, uh need you to take your cloak off. The rune goes over your heart." he blushed slightly, and tried to hide it.

Netis laughed nervously and unbuttoned her cloak, shrugging it off, and carefully unbuttoned the top part of her dress, pulling it up, exposing as little skin as possible. Arriway set his finger to her skin and began to draw. When he finished drawing the rune, it glowed with a bright silvery light. Netis readjusted her clothes, and put her cloak back on. She dipped her finger in the stream, Arriway unbuttoned his shirt, and somehow Netis knew the rune she was to draw. She watched, fascinated, as the rune took shape. As it was completed, Netis realised it was the rune that meant eternal friendship. It also glowed brightly, and when Arriway and Netis pressed their hands to each other's hearts, the light intensified. They felt a connection, right there, right then. A feeling of pure joy. Netis sniffed and her eyes teared up. Arriway gazed fondly at her, watching her tears of happiness.