Floating Stars

Chapter 4: Dìl-Eques

Dìl-Aeternia, dragged her feet through the empty, spotless, corridor to her solitary dorm room. She stopped briefly as a prickling feeling tapped at the back of her neck, causing her to cringe. She swiftly turned to see who was following her.

Her eyes widened as she saw a boy smiling at her. It was Dìl-Eques. His curly, red hair brushed his young, yet strongly built, shoulders and his icy, blue eyes pulled her in.

"Oh," she gasped with a bashful smile, then shook her head and feigned a scowl. "Why are you following me?"

"Just checking that you're alright," he responded in a matter-of-fact way and gave her a dismissive shrug.

"Oh, well, I'm fine. So..." Dìl-Aeternia rolled her eyes and decided to break the awkwardness between them by carrying on walking. She passed through double doors and let them swing behind her. Yet still she felt his presence by her side, as he managed to keep up no bother.

"Why are you avoiding me?"

"I'm not." Her feet began to move a bit faster out of nervousness, causing Dìl-Eques to jog next to her.

"Well, it seems like you are," he pressed her further through sharp breaths.

"I don't know what to tell you."

"Look, stop for a second." He grabbed her shoulder with an iron grip and she couldn't help but halt, yet she refused to look at him. She didn't want to risk being drawn in by those eyes again. She couldn't understand what his hold on her was. Was it that he was the first and only person to look at her without disdain dripping from his face?

"Look at me, will you?" his voice embraced her ear with a warmth that she was not used to. However, she decided against giving into it, for how could she trust it?
"Dìl-Aeternia, look at me." Her head snapped up to him; never had anyone but the captain and the nurse used that name. Never had she heard that name being said in such a caring way. As their eyes met, Dìl-Eques let out a tiny chuckle. "There, that wasn't so hard was it?"

"Y-you used my Emerald title..."

"Yeah, and?"

"Everybody usually just calls me 'girl' or worse," she whispered and glanced at the floor, too embarrassed to look up at him anymore. She felt a gentle finger lift her chin, blinked her eyes open and inwardly cursed the tears that she failed to suppress.

Dìl-Eques gave her a sympathetic smile. However, not wanting to feel pitied, Dìl-Aeternia ripped her face out of his soft grip and felt her cheeks burn.

"They are wrong to treat you the way they do. You are no different to the other yellow ranks."

"You know that's not true!" Dìl-Aeternia snapped. She knew he was trying his best to encourage her and she felt terrible about how she was receiving his kindness, but she couldn't help it. Resentment from her peers was all she could understand. It was all she experienced in her life so far and this display of affection confused her. She had no idea how she should react.

"You are right. That isn't true," he replied, his facial expression becoming cooler in reaction to her sudden outburst.

Relief washed over her as she latched onto the familiarity of the cold tone that he now had in his voice. Things were going back to normal. This all being a trick to mess with her made much more sense. However, the next comment to leave his lips cracked that theory in two.

"You are far superior to the other yellow ranks."

As those words sank in, a bright, glowing heat filled her heart. It began to spread throughout her body and fueled the smile that stretched her face. It was a feeling that she had never felt before, but how she longed for it to continue. She had the courage to look into Dìl-Eques' powerful blue eyes and his face mirrored hers.