Sky Returns - Rewritten/Revised

Chapter Six

Cerra was a snorer, and it was loud.

Sky had given up trying to sleep, and even so, it was instinct to watch over a sleeping comrade. Was Cerra his comrade? He supposed that he was since they were technically on a mission. Well, perhaps more of a quest. He stared at the young man who was lying face down on the other side of their dying fire. His hoodie was up but Sky could still see bits of his rust-colored hair poking out like spikes from underneath the white fabric. It was in need of a wash. Maybe he could get him to let him clean it in a river. But he also wasn't too sure if he could trust river water with these talks of 'factories.'

He sighed. Even though he technically was up to date on all of this 'modern technically,' he couldn't wrap his head around the concepts. He couldn't understand it. Phones? You could talk to someone who was across the world? The only thing he knew that could do that were mages' cauldrons, such as Theresa's. But even then he couldn't understand it since he wasn't a mage. No, he was what his time called a 'knight' through and through. He closed his eyes and heaved out another sigh, this one heavier than the last. He leaned his head back against the tree he was sitting against and listened to the sounds of the forest. He had slept for three hundred years, but he still felt so tired. The grief he had never gotten rid of, had never forgotten, sat heavy in his chest.

Desta. Huntson. Ross. He winced as if thinking of these names gave him physical pain. Jaybird. Michael. Jeremy. All dead. All of them. Jocelyn had surely passed, along with Theresa. He was alone. He was the last of the original leaders of the Laverdure Wardens, and he didn't have time to grieve. Laverdure needed him, as she always did. This land, dying and corrupted to every bit of dirt, needed him to clean it all up. He gritted his teeth so hard that they ached but it didn't do anything to take away from the pain settling in his chest. He felt himself beginning to shake, but he couldn't stop it.

Now wasn't the time. He had to be strong, stronger then he had been back then. He didn't have time for grief or tears. He was sucking air back into his lungs and willing himself to stop shaking when he felt a hand on his shoulder and a soft-spoken; "Sir...?"

He leaped to his feet at the unfamiliar voice, picking his sword up off the ground as he went. He whipped around towards them, the end of his cloak following him as he pointed it at them. He heard a gasp and the shape in front of him quickly raised his hands, dropping whatever was in them. "Don't shoot! Don't!" They said quickly. Cerra's snoring was cut off by a rough snort as he lifted his head, blinking rapidly.

"What." He slurred before he saw what was going on. "¡Dios mío!" He shouted, scrambling to his feet, grabbing for his dagger. But his dagger was in his shoe, and while grabbing for him he went crashing back down to the floor with a startled shout. Sky sighed loudly.

"Cerra, for God's sake!" He hissed. Cerra glowered at him as he pushed himself up, pulling his dagger out before he stood up completely this time. Sky didn't see it though since he hadn't looked away from the stranger. "Who are you?!" He demanded. "State your name and your title!"

"M... My title?" The stranger stuttered and Cerra groaned as he scrambled over to Sky's side, spinning his dagger as he always did. Sky was really starting to find it annoying.

"Just give us your name idiota! Give us your name!" The shorter male hissed. The stranger nodded.

"Name, my name; I'm Darius!" The stranger, Darius, laughed awkwardly. "Didn't mean to startle you! It just looked like you were having a nightmare, I wanted to make sure you were alright!"

"What are you doing out here?" Sky growled.

"Pretty good question!" Cerra piped up. "No one's out in this forest without having a good reason! Usually an illegal reasom!"

"I'm not doing anything illegal!" Darius rushed.

"Sounds like something someone who's doing illegal things would say!" Sky glared down at Cerra.

"Will you shut up?!" Cerra glared up at him.

"Come down here and make me, stretch!" Sky's eyes narrowed before Darius quickly drew their attention back to him by stepping back. "Hey, we didn't say you could move niño!" Darius laughed awkwardly, lowering his hands to put them protectively in front of his chest.

"Alright, alright, listen... I live here! I was heading back from hunting when I saw your campfire and I was worried it had been abandoned! You'd be surprised how many forest fires scares I've stopped."

"Ah, so you are doing something illegal!" Cerra said. Darius looked at him quizzingly. "You're avoiding taxes!"

"Shut up!" Sky hissed, lowering his sword a bit. He stepped forward, peering at Darius with narrowed eyes. He was trying to pick up his features in the dark when Darius gasped suddenly.

"Oh my god! Are you- oh, there's no way!" Darius stepped forward, into the dying firelight, and Sky stepped back by instinct. They finally got to get a good look at Darius. He had tan skin, forest green eyes, and brown hair that looked a little messy from being out in the forest. In fact, there were a couple of small twigs poking out of it. He wore worn down jeans, red sneakers, and a white shirt with a flannel wrapped around his waist from the humid night air. "You're Skylar Laverdure!" Darius gushed. "Oh my god, I can't believe I get to meet you!"

Sky stared at him with wide eyes while Cerra looked beyond puzzled behind him.

"You... Know me?" Darius grinned widely and nodded quickly.

"I have a whole book on you!"