The Lost Artifact of Sira

Chapter 21 - Parted Ways

      The shade underneath the trees keep Lyra and Orion cool as the sun beats down. Orion's pain had subsided, definite bruising, but otherwise he just stayed behind Lyra quietly on the horse's back.
    It was awkward, he had to admit. Lyra didn't say anything for the past hour.
    "So.." Orion started, feeling uncomfortable.  He can't just leave again. To be honest, he didn't want to.
    "I don't trust you." Lyra immediately responded.
    "Oh, come on." Orion complained.

    "You have to admit, You easily have the chance to throw me off this horse but you want me here." Orion grinned smugly.

   Lyra stiffened her shoulders as heat choked her.
   "No. It's not like that at all." Lyra raised her voice. But it was, she knew it was.
    "Then tell me otherwise. I dare you." Orion kept his grin.
     Their horse suddenly  blinked a moon symbol before them. The horse whinnies in distress and stands on its hind legs.
      Orion immediately grabs Lyra by the waist in order to not fall.
      They do so anyway, Lyra crushes Orion by the impact of the fall. Papers flies out of Lyra's bag.
     The horse neighs loudly and sprints away, its eyes dissipating the essence.
      "Eden's spell wore o-off." Lyra choked as her limbs feel frail from the hard surface of the ground. The horse runs into the opposite direction, leaving them stranded in the large forest. Orion goes back to holding his own region. Lyra had landed directly upon the bruising. Orion's face was sour. Lyra got up, watching as Orion squirms.
    "Sorry." She breathes.

  "It's.. okay." Orion's voice squeaked. Lyra dropped her arms and looked away from him.
    The forest was bright with the sun peaking through the leaves. Patches of dirt running along some spots of earth. The papers that were spread along the dirt had blown away with the wind, placing themselves in many areas. Lyra glanced within her satchel and only found the map.
   Lyra sat on the ground in defeat.

  Orion felt the pain slightly go away. He lifted his head from the ground and watched her sit down with a huff. She was quiet.

  Orion frowned.

  "Lyra." He quietly spoke. No response. Lyra dropped her head, standing once more after taking a minute or so.
   She started to pick up the stray paper in silence, climbing trees and diving through bushes. Lyra would then place them delicately within her bag.
   Orion grabbed a couple, trying the best he could to make it up to her. He is  making it up to her, he wanted to believe but caught himself.

   Why does he care so much?

Once Lyra turned, Orion held out the papers he collected. A pained expression had been on his face. Lyra didn't emit any type of sympathy.

Her face was cold. But she never forced the papers from his grasp. She took them and put them back in their rightful place.

Lyra had noticed he was staring. Shit. She thought, why should she even talk to this traitor. He's the enemy. The enemy that stole her home and any chance of a dream. Her pride.

Lyra started to walk in a random direction, hoping to find someone or something in this large suffocating forest. Her mind wasn't clear enough anyone or anything, defiantly not Orion.

Orion walked behind her at his own pace.

The silence fell between them once more. Orion just stops. He sternly gazes at the back of his 'im sorry' look in his eyes never worked on her.

"Lyra." Orion spoke. She didn't turn.

"Can we just, fix this?" Orion felt his heart become heavy. He finds this as a familiar feeling. Almost the same way he lost Maria.

"Those people you associate with, they took my home. My pride. They planted all of that on me. All of the shit I never wanted to be seen as! I'm not a witch, a pyromancer," Lyra was yelling at this point. She was pouring her heart out.