The Obsidian Pillar

Chapter Thirty-five

Sebastien gently roused me in the early morning sunlight. I stirred sleepily, taking my time to comprehend where I was. The sheets beside me were crumpled; he must have slept beside me all night.

Sebastien led me out of the old building in silence and I stood and chewed my nails unhappily while he retrieved his horse and saddled it. I knew that he was drawing the process out for as long as he could, as though he were reluctant to leave and waiting for me to change my mind.

Dalton and Ronov appeared sheepishly at the doorway. He gestured them out, and they shook hands solemnly. The prince handed Dalton a small bag which, at first, Dalton refused to take, before Sebastien implored him with a pleading look. I knew it was payment, for his help in finding Cynbel.

Then it was my turn to say goodbye. I stepped forward and wrapped him gently in my arms, inhaling his strong scent. Vibrations filled the air around us, powerful and invasive. Sebastien must have felt it too; he drew me in tightly and caressed my neck, breathing in the scent of my hair as he held me. The frisson of vibrations increased and began tugging at us, engulfing us in sorrow. It felt as though the ground itself was drawing my soul from my body.

The prince pulled back to look at me and stroked my cheek, his mouth parting to speak.

'Come on now, lad, you should get going,' Dalton said light-heartedly, but I saw him wipe a tear from his eye.

I stood there helplessly as he vaulted onto the horse and simply began to trot away. He didn't look back. He didn't need to. I had promised him that I would return to him despite not knowing if I could keep that promise or not.

It was at that point that a crash sounded from behind us and we all turned to see the merchant tumbling out of his cart, grey and unshaven. His eyes alighted upon me and he began to wag his finger menacingly. The scent of ale wafted out with him and I wrinkled my nose in distaste. He opened his mouth to shout, but he didn't get the chance before he flew violently back into the cart with the door slamming shut on him. Bright white sparks danced in the air around me, and Dalton and Ronov looked to each other with uncertainty when I turned on my heel and went back inside the inn. I wasn't in the mood.

My dreams had remained undisturbed. Clearly my mentor's sulk was lasting a while. Perhaps it would last forever and I would never see him again. A small part of me was disappointed at that, but perhaps I was just irritated that I would never find out what those stars truly were. Something about them mesmerised and haunted me.

We decided against riding as Dalton was too big for any of the horses. We saddled a small pony to carry our blankets, the food that the innkeeper's wife had wrapped for us and the doll, who was still not used to using her human legs.

'So, you have made your decision?' Ronov asked me as we began to head north in the opposite direction from the path that Sebastien had taken. I tried to ignore the heaviness in my heart. I resisted the urge to lurch towards his path every time I thought of him.

'It doesn't matter which direction we walk, in,' I replied sulkily, quickening my stride to put some distance between us. 'I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing.'