Sky Returns {Completed}

An Enemy, A Leader

Alek jumped roughly at his post when he heard Derek's scream from across the clan's campsite, looking up quickly before he walked toward his old friend's tent quickly. When he was a few feet away from it, he realized the tent flap was open, and he found out a few moments later when he heard Derek roar; "I'M FINE!" Instantly a few males, members of their clan, tumbled out of the tent and scrambled away as Alek face palmed. Derek had another nightmare. He sighed after the men who were running for their lives back to their own posts, shaking his head.

"Poor guys." He walked toward Derek's tent, putting his sword in his sheath before he entered the tent. He skillfully ducked an ice sickle, watching it whistle through the air as it zipped out of the tent. He looked at Derek, who was glaring at him from where he sat on his sleeping bag. Some papers were on the ground next to the sleeping bag, a quill and a small bottle of ink that was on its side with the ink spilled across the ground beside the paper, some of the ink touching the corner of a few papers. He sighed. "You look like shit." Derek rolled his eyes.

"Gee, I always knew I can come to you when I need cheering up Alek." Derek hissed. It was true though. Derek had a few tears on his cheeks, his hair was a mess, and he was breathing rapidly like he had just ran miles and miles without stopping. His staff, laying on the ground instead of standing up in the corner, was twitching rapidly as Derek flexed his left fist uneasily. Alek shook his head, going over to Derek as he knelt down and pushed the papers away, picking up the ink bottle and putting the quill inside as he carefully set it back on the floor.

"You fell asleep doing paperwork, didn't you?" He asked, and knew he was right when Derek didn't answer. He put a palm against Derek's forehead. "You're burning up; dream about you falling in lava or your father?"

"..."

"Your father?"

Derek just sighed and closed his eyes, letting his head drop. "Can you apologize to the guards when you get the chance...? I know they meant well... I just hate any of them seeing me like this."

"Your father always said that people who know their leader's weaknesses will fight for him even harder to make sure he will never have to face them." Alek said.

"My father is not me." Derek said stiffly.

"If you say so." Alek muttered before he stood and pulled Derek to his feet, which was a bit difficult seeing as Derek was taller then him. "Now come on big guy, lets go to the lake and cool you off." He nudged Derek toward the entrance of his tent, and Derek sighed before he stepped out. He shivered slightly as he felt the cold breeze of an incoming fall blow through, and he turned his back toward the wind and walked toward the outskirts of their camp. Alek followed, closing the tent behind them. They came to a river that flowed into a small pool that the women used to wash dishes and clothes, and a little down the river was where everyone bathed. Of course, the women bathed in the early morning, then Derek and Alek got their own personal time together a bit after the women were done, and then all the men got to go at it after they were finished.

You can imagine all the splashing and fights with that situation.

Derek knelt beside the small pool, splashing his face with water. He swore he could hear his skin sizzle, making him sigh before he suddenly plunged his head into the icy water. He opened his eyes, staring at the dark water that was now around him. Honestly, he liked water, and it wasn't because he was part squid. Water was calm, steady; it always seemed to know what it was doing no matter what it was doing. Whether it was falling from the sky or rushing down through a raging stream they held no mercy for everything it swallowed underneath its waves, it always had a destination in mind and dammit, it planned on reaching that destination. Suddenly he felt his lungs aching and he realized that he had been under for quite some time, but before he could move a hand grabbed the back of his collar and yanked his head from the water.

He gasped, coughing slightly as Alek yanked them from the water's edge. It took Derek a few moments to realize what Alek was saying. "-look away from one second and it's like you're trying to drown yourself! Derek, what is wrong with you?! We got the treaty signing you wanted, the clan is going to get better, more fertile land that they've ever had in years and it's all because of you! Talk to me!" Alek snapped as he made Derek look at him. Though his tone was rough and sounded annoyed, his eyes were wide with worry as he stared at his friend, his leader, his brother. Derek stared at him, opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Then tears started running down his cheeks. Alek's eyes widened in shock as Derek covered his mouth, bowing his head as his shoulders shook. "I-I'm so tired Alek... I-I don't wanna leave my tent, I-I don't want to face my men, I-I don't want to keep seeing our people suffer! T-That's all our people ever will do, even if we get better land! W-What does it matter?! W-We're hated by the humans, we're FREAKS because someone wanted to bang a fucking squid!" Alek stared at Derek with shock, silent as he watched Derek cry. "N-No matter what we do... N-No matter what we try to do... People will only see us as freaks, a-and monsters...! B-Because that's what we are!" He looked up at Alek, his eyes shining. "W-Winning this war... I-Is the only way our people will get the respect w-we deserve! But... I-I don't wanna fight, Alek..."

Alek stared at his old friend for a long time, before he pulled him into a tight hug, gripping the back of his overcoat as Derek sobbed into his shoulder.

"I-I don't wanna fight..."

A snake with dark brown eyes watched from a bush, staring at the two males before it silently slithered away.