To Richie, going back to Pona was the best thing he could've done. It meant finding his darling Eddie, getting him away from the Lucantians, and saving his home. Well, Tenebris. He didn't really know where he belonged anymore.
That was his mindset until they arrived. It was a couple of days after leaving Konilla, the group having stopped in smaller chain islands so the dragons could rest during their journey. They made it to Pona without any trouble, landing in the dock that they'd escaped from. From there, they snuck through the forest, ordering the dragons to stay behind.
"I'll go speak with their king. I have no mark, so I can blend as a Ponanian," Edwin stated, walking out toward the village.
Bill scoffed and grabbed Edwin's arm, pulling him back. "And g-get caught? You're t-t-tan and will stand out! I c-can go and h-hide my mark. Cassie knows m-me, and I doubt th-the Lucantian guards st-stationed here will r-recognize me," he said matter-of-factly, glaring at Edwin.
Richie rolled his eyes at the pair. "What if Klais is there, Bill? He'll recognize you and he knows that you were with us one way or another. He sees you, he'll know I'm here. I'd like to live to see tomorrow, if you don't mind."
"Wh-what's your plan th-then?"
"Let Edwin go. He's smart enough to cover himself and it's getting dark. Besides, he's right, the absence of the mark will keep him safe," Richie said, watching Bill slowly release Edwin's arm.
Edwin shot the pair a smile as he began to walk away, not noticing the pining look on Bill's face. Richie didn't miss it. After Edwin had left, Richie and Bill settled into a spot behind a thick brush, knowing it would hide them from any soldiers wandering around.
"So, Bill..." Richie said, smiling at Bill who looked perplexed.
"Y-yeah?"
"You. Edwin." Richie winked and made an obscene sexual gesture, causing Bill to fake a gag.
"Wh-what?! You think I l-like Edwin? That's gr-gross!"
"Ouch."
"I m-mean, he's not bad, but I, uh, I'm n-not interested in h-him. At all. N-no emotion. At a-a-all."
Richie's face was expressionless. "I'm completely convinced."
Bill glared at him and turned to look out to the village from inside the brush. It was getting later, an orange and gold color settling over the area. They saw Lucantian guards wandering around, thankfully not seeing the pair nestled in the brush.
"I n-never thanked y-you," Bill said after a silent ten minutes of sitting in the brush.
"For what?" Richie asked, pulling his eyes away from the guards walking around, sneering at the Ponanians.
"Saving Eddie. Y-you could've let h-h-him die when th-those Tenebrians attacked him, b-but you saved him," Bill said. He hadn't been there for the attack, but he'd heard what happened.
"He's something special. I couldn't let him die."
"Do you l-love him?"
Richie looked over at Bill, who couldn't even read his expression. It made sense, as Richie wasn't sure what he felt. Yes, he cared for Eddie and would do anything to keep him safe. Yet, he didn't know if he loved him. Maybe it was just an instinct because they'd been stuck together for the past two months?
"No, I don't. I really like him, but I haven't felt safe enough to be able to learn if I love him," Richie said, breaking the silence.
Bill rolled his eyes. "I s-see the way you t-two look at each other."
They fell back into their silence until Edwin returned.
•••
Ben, Bev, and Mike and landed on the shore of Tenebris, making quick work of taking cover in the trees. With all of the threats being passed around, there was no telling if Lucantian soldiers would be lurking around.
"Where are we going?" Ben asked as Bev grabbed his hand and pulled him through the wooded area.
"Secret base," Mike responded before Bev could. He saw her expression and laughed. "I've overheard most of what you and the other Tenebrians have talked about. Your secret rebellion base came up a couple of times."
Bev shook her head and continued to guide them. It was much cooler than it ever had been in Pona and Konilla, as those places were tropical areas. The three had stationed their dragons in the forest making them wait until they returned.
"It's cold," Ben said, admiring the icy cloud that came out of his mouth when he spoke.
"It always is," Bev responded, smiling when she found the tree. "Here it is."
"A tree?" Mike asked, a bored expression gracing his face.
Bev nodded and grinned, knocking on it. The tree opened, and Donald stuck his head out, his smile falling when he saw the three.
"Beverly?" he asked. "Who are these two?"
"Rebels. Let us in, we need to tell you what happened," she said, running a hand through her hair.
Donald let them in but didn't seem phased by her promise for information. "Stan's already filled us in," he said, earning wide eyes and gasps from the other three.
"Stan's here?!" Mike asked, trying to work out in his head how that was possible.
"Yes, he's here, and so is the Lucantian."
"Eddie?"
"Yes. Come on, a lot has been happening," Donald said, guiding them to the open room.
The room was warm, a fire crackling in the corner. To Bev's surprise, Maggie was sitting at one table with Eddie and Stan. At the other tables were some of the more fortunate Tenebrians who often led celebrations and owned the richer shops in the market.
Bev caught Eddie's eye and noticed how his face fell when he realized Richie wasn't with them. She made her way over to him, sitting down and pulling each of her friends into a tight hug.
"How did you assholes escape?!" she exclaimed, her mother-like tendencies taking over as she looked over Stan's arms at his injuries.
"Eclipse freed Iris and we came here. We need backup," Stan said, tugging his arm from Bev's grasp.
Maggie smiled at Bev, who she'd always greatly admired. "I'm glad you're safe," she said, taking Bev's hand in hers.
"Richie's safe too." Bev explained where Richie, Bill, and Edwin had gone, and how they were all planning on meeting on Tenebris.
Eddie stood up, making the others look at him in confusion. "I'm going to Pona. Iris can take me and we can get them here quicker. This war will be over the sooner we have everyone here," he said, though it was clear he just wanted to get to Richie.
"Eddie, he's fine," Stan said, grabbing his shirt to make him sit down. "We need to focus on how we're going to stop a rich ass country."
"No, we need to get the others here for safety!"
Stan rolled his eyes, giving the other three an annoyed look. "Eddie. If you go, you could get caught and killed."
Eddie stood up again, walking toward the exit. "That's a sacrifice I'm willing to make."
Everyone considered stopping him, but they knew he wouldn't listen. Small or not, Eddie was a feisty ball of fire and no one would be able to stop him from getting what he wanted.
