A Darkening Honor

Chapter 10

"Callum!" Lydian shouted. Callum came running across the deck, a look of concern on his face, but stopped, presumably when he saw the grin Lydian was wearing. She turned, inhaling the salty air, and pointed across the sea. "The mainland."

Lydian's heart was soaring. She could see it, in the distance, growing closer and closer. Her father getting closer and closer. Lydian could feel he was fading, but she knew she could reach him in time. She had to reach him in time.

Callum had started teaching her about magic, about dreaming, and and assured Lydian, who felt she was making no progress, that she was indeed dreaming with intent, with magic. She still wasn't sure she wanted to. It felt like a betrayal, somehow, like she was preparing for her father to die. But Callum assured her that she didn't have a full range of powers yet, and when they saved her father they would probably fade away until he passed of old age. If Lydian looked at it that way, she thought she could stomach it. Despite her fear of her own powers, she couldn't deny her attraction to it. It ran in her blood, and dreaming had always been the most natural thing to her. The mainlanders wouldn't like her powers, but Callum had taught her that they could be used with good will. As she looked at the mainland, close enough she could see mainlanders on its shores, Lydian thought that maybe, if she could master these powers, they had a chance. If she could use her powers to help her father, it would all be worth it.

The boat hit a dock, suddenly, with a deep knocking sound, and Lydian grabbed Callum's shoulder to steady herself as the boat rocked violently. He leapt forward, securing the boat and clambering out and onto the dock to help Lydian up. She was grateful for the hand he extended to help pull her up onto the dock, but her legs felt wobbly as soon as she was on dry land.

"Callum," she said, feeling her eyes widen. "I feel like I'm going to fall over." Callum grinned.

"You'll be just fine, Lydian. It takes a while to adjust, but you'll regain your balance."

Lydian nodded, feeling her lips press tightly together. She didn't entirely trust Callum's judgement, as much as she liked him, and she stayed close to him in case she fell over as they walked. Lydian had never seen so many mainlanders in her life. They were shouting, bargaining, embracing one another. There were simply so many of them. She had never been around so many people, mainlander or not. She knew, of course, that her island was small, and that there were countless people in the world, but to see it in person, to see so many people milling about, as if it were everyday life, which, Lydian reminded herself, it was.

"Come on," Callum said, placing a hand on her back to guide her. She shrugged it off, glaring at him. He smiled and placed his hand in his pocket instead. "There's an inn I know of that we can stay at. Soldiers frequent it, but as far as anyone's concerned, I'm one of them." Lydian nodded, and followed him through the masses.

They reached the end of the docks, which opened onto a dirt path, winding its way into the forest until Lydian couldn't see it, no matter how she craned her neck. She gaped at the trees around her. They were tall, taller than she had ever seen. They didn't have a proper forest on Osira, just patches of a few trees, here and there, and none as tall or as wide as these. She looked up as Callum led her into the woods, and when she tripped on a stone, she allowed Callum to take her arm to guide her in order to silence his laughter. She was still looking up when Callum said her name, and she realized they were standing in front of the inn.

It was a large building, with three stories, made of wood with a thatched roof. The windows revealed flickering candlelight behind them, and the promise of warmth and food. She shivered as she realized the sun was setting, and the night's chill was beginning to reach her. A thought stopped her, and Callum turned back.

"Callum, I don't have any money. We don't use it on Osira." Callum smiled.

"It's alright, soldiers receive a small pension. I have enough."

"Even demons?" Lydian smiled, but Callum leapt forward, silencing her with a hand pressed to her mouth. Lydian growled and shoved his hand away, but Callum was busy looking around, panicked. "Callum, calm down, there isn't anyone around."

"You can't say things like that, here. They could kill me, Lydian, or both of us. Even the rumor of being Darkened can get you killed. This isn't Osira, and I don't want to leave you to find your father alone." Lydian shut her eyes tightly, feeling stupid. She had forgotten they weren't on Osira, that being Darkened, being a demon, mattered here.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. I don't think there was anyone around to hear, though."

Callum walked toward her, placing a hand on her arm.

"Old habits die hard." He smiled softly at her, and Lydian relaxed. "Let's try not to get killed our first night here, yes?"

"Yes, Callum," she agreed, relieved.

"Now," he said. "I want a meal, and a bed. You?"

She smiled and followed him into the inn, reading the sign above.

The Drowning Fish.