THE ASHES OF LIGHT ✔

Chapter Thirty: Maythus

Maythus cracked open his eyes to notice Kane already awake, his spine perfectly straight and his eyes alert.

He blinked the sleep out of his eyes, propping himself up to be seated upright on the couch. Ronan was on the floor a few feet away, beginning to stir as well.

Maythus locked eyes with Kane.

Are you okay? He transmitted telepathically, wanting to talk to the guard but not wanting Ronan to hear.

Kane's eyes glinted under the rising sun. I don't trust him. He glanced over to Ronan, who rolled over in his sleep. It seems like too much of a coincidence that the night we were banished, we would immediately find a group of people willing to help us regain control of the kingdom. Besides, after all that happened with Maddi, are we sure it's a good idea to so willingly trust someone new?

Maythus felt his heart shrink. Kane had a point.

That being said, Kane continued thinking, his voice echoing wordlessly in Maythus's mind. Even though we are both banished, protecting you is still my priority—no matter what is happening inside the kingdom, you are still the rightful ruler of Gallomia. If you want to go with Ronan, then that means I will go with Ronan as well.

Maythus nodded, unsure of what to transmit in return. He was grateful that he would have an ally no matter what, but would the wrong decision on his part lead Kane to getting hurt, or even worse, getting killed? He wanted to trust Ronan, but he always tended to see the good in people rather than their potential to go wrong.

Rays of sun continued to beam in through the glassless windows, causing Ronan to fully wake.

Maythus watched him sit up, contemplating how alike their movements were. He was only sixteen—almost seventeen—and he had no idea how much older Ronan was, but he couldn't be older than a few years at most. They were both still kids, yet it was clear they had faced so much hardship and violence in their lives so far.

Ronan groggily rubbed a hand through his hair, messily pushing it out of his face. "Good morning," he yawned, stretching his arms up into the air as he stood up.

Maythus rubbed at his arm, noticing that the pattern from the couch had imprinted on his skin from staying in one spot for so long.

"Are you guys ready to go?" Ronan asked, looking between Maythus and Kane.

The two shared a look, wordless conversations passing between them. It was clear that Maythus wanted to trust Ronan, so that was what they were going to do. They stood up.

The trio left the fort, Ronan leading the way. It was a nice day out and the sun warmed their bodies as they walked through the field, a pleasant sensation of serenity filling their bodies.

It took them less than an hour to reach the camp Ronan was talking about. He was true to his word—it was only a few miles away. They followed the same trail that one would take to reach Gaiwei, but a few meters before the forest, they turned left and continued down the field.

As they approached, Maythus let out a breath in shock. It reminded him of the Noxi camp in the middle of the forest, but this was much more sophisticated.

The camp was set up in a clearing, just outside the line of trees. There looked to be about twenty tents, making a circle along the edges of the clearing. In the center, there was a roaring bonfire and people flitted about, socializing with one another and sitting on turned-over logs.

Maythus looked to Kane, "How did we not know about this? First the Noxi, and now this—we should be learning more about these other societies."

Ronan grinned, "Some societies like to remain hidden. Not even Crypt knows about this place."