Overseas | Across the border

They were almost near their destination, and it would be time to depart from the glider, but first…

Blackthorn knocked on the wooden brown surface, and the door opened to reveal the silver pixie-cut girl, Jude Larkin. Her brown eyes glazed up at him, surprised to see him, and the quirk of her lips titled to one side.

“I wasn't expecting you.” Her voice was low and sensual. Heat rose at her cheeks, making her complexion a rose color. “You've come for that distraction?”

He smirked. Enjoying him squirm. “Naturally.’

She quirked a grin at him. Her enclosed fist grabbed a handful of his shirt and pulled him close so they were inches apart. “Good. I'll make this something you won't forget.” in a sing-song way that gave every clear indication to him that this girl wanted him and would surely be the death of the other him.

Until he stiffened. No. I… won't… let you…Though broken and scattered, his thoughts tried to break through again…, and then images of her came into his mind again.

He stepped back. Jude's eyes cast a look of sadness then, but no matter how much Blackthorn tried to pursue the girl, he was forced to stand back.

And for a moment, he lost control…

“...I'm in love with someone else,” Eamon finally managed to say. He knew he wouldn't have long before the Dormant took over again. “If I had given you any impression otherwise, I apologize.”

Jude gasped both at his declaration and his apology.

“I know what you said… my feelings and her being a bad distraction, but… they're my distractions, and I want to keep them, her, into my thoughts until the very end. She's what makes me stay me.”

Until she ends you, I'll make sure of that. The Dormant managed to say. Accept who you are. You were made to be a weapon and nothing more. Embrace and accept it, or you won't like what happens next.

Jude looked at him for a moment longer. Perplexed by this strange white-haired man. She knew nothing about him, yet… it was like she could see some of him all at once.

She cringed. Looking too long was like looking into the dark depths of the abyss. If you stare long enough, whatever hides in the dark will emerge.

“... If you love her, then go to her. Not away from her.”

He flinched. She wouldn't get it. I'm trying as hard as I can, but–

“Then you aren't trying hard enough.” Cutting him off. Her hands were on her hips, and she had a defiance on her face. “Look, all I know is that if I want something, nothing will ever keep me from it. Least of all me. So stop being that wall that separates you two, whatever darkness lies inside of you, don't let that be the thing that silences you.”

Flashes of memories flooded back into him, and he gritted his teeth to suppress the pain. A hand reached out to touch his eye.

Blackthorn was retaking control.

“Huh?” Jude stared curiously at him. “Are you okay, Blackthorn?”

“Yes.” Blackthorn heaved in pain. Back by his trigger word, but there was always a chance he would return just as quickly without Walsh's voice to silence him longer. “I appreciate the wise words, Jude, but… I'm afraid there's no use for them.”

She rolled her eyes. “Men. Whatever, do the right thing eventually, alright? I bet you never even told her that, huh?”

“Not in so many words… No. We kissed, and then I used Essentia to make her fall asleep so I could leave because she has the power to make me stay. She has always been my distraction.” However, the words on Blackthorn's lips were venomous and vile.

“Well, for one, I hope you know doing that was creepy and wrong.”

A smile reached his lips. “Yes, I know. It wouldn't have happened if it had been up to me.” The dark implication of his meaning hung in the air.

Jude sighed. “Good grief, you're tiring. At least you know where you screwed up, but want my advice?”

It was his turn to sigh as he looked at her as if she possessed him to do so.

“You're going to give it to me anyway.” He contemplated ending her, but that would draw attention and leads, something they didn't need.

“The next time you see her, no matter what, under any circumstances, tell her you love her. I don't care what happened before or even what happens after. Just let her know that and then let her make the decision. Whatever that may be, you will respect it and honor it. Got it? You owe her that much.”

He didn't say anything for a moment. Then, he closed his eyes and let out a laugh, one that sent chills down Jude's spine.

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“And what is so funny?”

He looked up at her and smiled, but his eyes were cold and dark, not the sad look from earlier. “Yes, you just made me realize something.”

The intercom announced their next destination throughout the ship, interrupting them.

Blackthorn started to head toward the ship's exit when Jude stopped him.

“Hey, aren't you going to tell me what you realized?”

He stopped walking but didn't turn to look at her. “That humanity should have never had free will to begin with. It's only making things that much more complicated.”

Blackthorn left her questioning what he meant, his hands in his pockets. He felt the paper there, but despite being asleep, he still didn't have the power to toss it away.

Just you wait, you won't have control for long. You've not only seen the abyss, but you are the abyss; it is very hard to get out of it.

•†•

Leaving Ravens Wing Farm, the group continued their appointed journey, but something wasn't right.

Cassandra noticed Lyra's stiff posture and Aurora's dismissive presentation. The sadness in her eyes indicated that something had happened at the farm.

“Something happened.”

Malakyh hummed, looking back at her. “What do you mean?”

The two of them whispered from where they were at the rear.

“Lyra is never closed off, and the same goes for Aurora. It's like she's avoiding us and acting dismissive to Lyra. Something had to have happened between them or to them.”

Malakyh narrowed his eyes at the back of their heads. “Or maybe family drama? She is getting older, so maybe Aurora is just acting out.”

Cassandra sighed, shaking her head. “Why do I even bother? Look, you can help me or go about your business.”

“Fine. What do you have in mind?”

Midday turned into night, and they had a roaring fire going as they put up their tents to be ready for sleep. Tierney was on Cook duty, and Aurora sat on the log beside her as she tended to the fire. Lyra was putting up her tent.

“Now's the time,” she whispered to Malakyh. “You said you had an idea?”

“Just watch.” He instructed her.

As a Strega, he had command over the shadows and used them to his will, and as a Custodian, to exorcize the dead. A witch’s ability could amplify all of them and even raise the dead with a simple chant or word.

All Malakyh would do was summon a few undead and return Lyra to herself, and in turn, have Aurora reach out to her for protection.

Unfortunately, when he told Cassandra that now, her eyes bugged out. “That is not a plan. We are not going to bait them.”

Malakyh wrinkled his nose. “I wish you would have something then. It's too late; once the incantation has been cast, the summoning will stay until it is defeated.”

Cassandra shook her head. Great, look what I've done. I should have just talked to her instead of letting him help.

Before Cassandra was about to tell Lyra what happened, Aurora screamed, followed by Tierney’s cry of panic.

A moldy skeleton with bright yellow eyes grabbed Aurora's ankle as it tried to claw itself from the ground. Tierney, in a state of panic, grabbed a stick and whacked its skull with it.

“Hold on, Aurora!” Lyra called out, grabbing her sword from where it leaned on a log. Only another skeletal hand grabbed onto Lyra's ankle and tried to pull her under.

“This isn't going as planned. Fix it!” Cassandra demanded of Malakyh. Malakyh hummed in agreement that things had gotten out of hand and prepared to get rid of the summons.

However, things panned out differently than they thought, and a surge of lightning strikes hit the ground. They almost struck Cassandra just as she moved out of the way, causing Malakyh to stop his spell-casting as the raging lightning storm took out anything that moved.

Lyra gritted her teeth, remembering the disarray that had caused Aurora to get like this. She plunged her sword into the skeletal head, then ran toward Aurora and Tierney.

A bolt of lightning was headed directly for Tierney, but Lyra slid across the ground. Using her Essentia, she summoned Gaia to cause a wall of earth to protect them.

Lyra checked on the shaking Tierney first before assessing Aurora. The skeleton had scratched her leg, and her fear had activated her power.

Lyra dove the blade into the skull, dropping her sword and wrapping her arms around the frightened and out-of-control Aurora.

“Please, Aurora. It's me, Lyra. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about who you were. It was selfish for me to keep that a secret and think it would protect you, but I have to start trusting that you'll know what to do or come to me if you don't. You are not a monster or a weapon, you hear me?! You are not a weapon– you're an Ashbourne!”

Aurora's eyes opened, and tears developed. Her lips quivered, and a cry burst out of her. She wrapped her arms around Lyra's neck, burying her wet face into her neck.

The burst of lightning had died out and returned to normal. Lyra held Aurora in her arms as she consoled her.

“Different doesn't make you a monster. It makes you flawed, and humans are flawed. You are every bit as human as anyone. You are you, and let no one tell you otherwise.”

As high-strung emotions faded away, consoling only led to whispers. Lyra’s Voxlink alerted her to a message.

“What?”

“Who is it?” Cassandra asked her as Lyra turned the mobile, rectangular device to the screen.

“It's Sly… she's sending us a warning. The Children of Deimos are spying on us.”

•†•

Sly had her bags already packed and was waiting for a carriage to pick her up when she received a Voxlink message back from Lyra.

Good To know. I might have something else to tell you, too. We're headed to Ravens Country. See you there?

Sly grinned. She admitted she missed those kids. All that was missing was Eamon, and she was sure Lyra already had that handled.

See you then.

A carriage pulled up, and she climbed aboard. It would be a long drive, but she couldn't think of anything better than teaming up with Lyra again.

•†•

Blackthorn and the black-haired and bandaged man had left off the Zephyr Wing glider. He assessed his surroundings in an open field off a beaten path of a backroads.

They were between the Eastern border of Lysandrian Kingdom’s Hinterlands and the Argonian Empire.

The Voxlink finally came in with a new message. His assignment: “Find the man named Ludwig Klause in the Dawn Coalition.”

He grunted. “Hmm, the Dawn Coalition. The radical rebel group that has been making waves. At least this one is a fun challenge. ” Though he couldn't help but be curious about what Walsh wanted from this man.

“Hey, you, Ash Born Demon.” He called out. It stared dazed with its soulless eyes like an abyss of nothing. “Let's keep it moving. You follow me.”

Without so much as a peep or response, the bandage-haired Homunculus listened this time. His stride was relatively astute. Even as Blackthorn had to dress him in a trench coat, tunic, and breeches, he had seen the lean build on him. His body looked to be designed like some fighter. Walsh must have modeled him after an Imperial Military or Locksmith.

Whatever the story, it didn't matter. All that mattered was that he delivered the package and found the person he wanted. Then Walsh would make sure this body was his from now on.

Though he hesitated at that thought, no, keep going. They continued along the backroads path to their destination.