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For the first four days they hopped island to island, flying only at night and sleeping during the day in whatever concealed place they could find. Each island was a continuation of the Dorsum Mountains as the chain stretched south into the ocean. Sometimes they found themselves sleeping in a small forest near the beach and other times it was at the top of the lush plant-covered mountains themselves. Either way, it gave Dusk plenty of opportunities to see things that he suspected nobody had ever seen in those uninhabited places.
On the fifth night they finally reached the mainland of the northern continent. Lyra found a place to bed down for the day in a forested mountain valley. She assured them they would reach Emerald Deep the next day without any issues. All together they had only been gone for a total of nine days finding Cyrilo. They were a full five days ahead of schedule and Dusk felt himself breathe a sigh of relief. The time crunch had been the most distressing part of the journey, wondering if traveling so far for another ally would be worth the risk. But bringing home two capable allies with time to spare seemed to lend some validation to their decisions. Both Ciaran and Cyrilo were accomplished fighters and Cyrilo would be using magic to boot. It made their upcoming battle seem a little bit less impossible.
All through their trek Dusk found himself once again itching to use magic. After repeated uses of the horn to find his allies, he’d begun to notice the urge grow stronger. The day before he’d leaned over a small pool of water to wash his face and was surprised his skin was losing its coppery luster already. It wasn’t enough to be overly concerned about, but he knew it was beginning to take its toll. Thankfully his friends kept him well-distracted so he was able to resist reaching into his bag to weave a small spell for no reason. The urge to destroy something had grown, but he was biding his time. In a few days his need to destroy would work in his favor when he broke his way into Alamond and crushed the Circle once and for all.
That evening they climbed onto Lyra’s back again and began their flight northwest toward Emerald Deep. It was just after midnight when the Dusk spotted the lake far below them glimmering in the night. On its western edge was a clutch of orange lantern lights. The city looked significantly smaller after the most recent port they’d visited in Rhykandria. Dusk welcomed the change. Big cities made him more nervous than he cared to feel. Lyra began to make lazy circles downward, riding the wind beyond the north side of the city. Now that they were back in Ditania, they needed to take more caution not to be seen just in case Nedarya was keeping an eye out.
Lyra landed on a small beach at the edge of the lake. There was a low mist hanging over the water and the slight smell of sulfur in the air. Slipping off her back Dusk looked out past the edge where the beach met plain, noticing a small copse of trees that seemed familiar. As Cyrilo pushed his way forward he realized it was where Eiran had been put to rest.
“Give me a few minutes,” he said, waving Ciaran away. “I won’t be long.”
Dusk watched as he climbed up the edge of the beach to sea grass and made his way across to the trees. He twisted the ring on his finger nervously. It really belonged to Cyrilo. The longer things went on between him and Lex, the more he realized that what he felt for Eiran hadn’t been love. Eiran, like Juniper, had been one of the first few people to show Dusk a level of human decency that felt intimate and natural. He’d been suspicious of both Lex and Tara for quite a while, growing to trust them over time. But with the Eiran and Juniper, the feeling of belonging had happened almost instantly. He supposed, the more he thought about it, that his feelings might be a kind of love, but not what had been between Eiran and Cyrilo. That, Dusk realized, was something he could barely grasp at. He hoped, given enough time, Lex and he would eventually reach that point.
Cyrilo was already making his way back when Dusk looked up again from his thoughts. He climbed up to meet him, pulling at the silver ring on his finger when he reached the top.
“Here,” Dusk said, holding it out to him. “You should take this back.”
Cyrilo looked down at it. His face was hard and reserved.
“I spent one night with Eiran and he changed my life just by the way he treated me. Like I was a real person. That was special to me, but it doesn’t compare to what you two had.” Reaching out he placed the ring in Cyrilo’s hand. “I’ve had this long enough.”
“I’m not sure I deserve it.”
“Eiran was... is a part of you and that ring was always meant for your hand. He gave it to you because you deserved it and because he loved you. You meant the world to him and I think it would make him happy to see you wear it at last.”
“Do you... do you think he’ll ever forgive me?” Cyrilo choked. “For not running off while we had the chance? For not being brave enough to leave?”
Dusk stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Cyrilo, pulling him close. “He never blamed you in the first place,” he cooed. “He told me so himself.”
Cyrilo sobbed into Dusk’s shoulder, gripping him tightly. It had been a lie, Dusk knew that. Eiran had never mentioned he and Cyrilo were together that night so long ago, but it was what Cyrilo needed to hear. There was no reason for anyone to disbelieve what he said and he knew Eiran would have truly felt that way. Just because he’d never said it aloud didn’t make it any less true. So, in a way, he supposed it wasn’t a lie after all.
Together they stood there for a long moment, letting the emotions run their due course. The others, to their credit, stayed on the beach so that Cyrilo could have his private moment. He’d spent so long keeping up a tough act for Ciaran, the ship’s crew, and anybody else that came across him. Dusk had seen others put on the same mask to get through life. He’d even done it himself. At least, in some small way, he could repay Cyrilo with a moment of freedom from his own prison.
When Cyrilo had calmed down a few minutes later, Dusk took a step back, grabbing him by the shoulders. “Now go do his memory justice and take care of the other idiot you’ve picked up. Eiran would want you to be happy.” Dusk paused, looking him straight in the eye. “Don’t let the past hold you back from the present. This moment is all we’ve got.”
Cyrilo nodded, smiling through his tear-streaked face. “Okay,” he replied simply.
Dusk watched as he slipped the ring on, wiped his face on his sleeve, and hopped back down onto the beach. It had been so easy to tell Cyrilo to embrace the here and now, just like Juniper had told him. He’d ignored her of course and paid the price, but had vowed not to do it again if he could help it. As he looked back across the beach towards his friends, he realized how terrified he was to go to the mines, how much he didn’t want to face the past again. The biggest question on his mind wasn’t how they would take it over, it was how he’d react to Maxon when they finally came across him.
Lyra stayed on the beach as the other four made their way into town. Ciaran kept close to Cyrilo, hanging on his arm the entire journey there. He’d seen Cyrilo’s obvious distress and hadn’t left his side since. It reminded Dusk of the same way Lex had been when they’d gone back to Ronja. Thinking of it, he reached out and took Lex’s hand, smiling at him as they continued on.
At the edge of the city the four of them paused, taking good stock of the streets before they pushed their way in. They were mostly deserted, it being well past midnight. There was no sign of soldiers anywhere, but Dusk wasn’t writing them off just yet. He was still convinced they could have taken refuge inside the buildings or lay in wait for strangers to arrive. Instead he drew his bow, holding an arrow against the grip in case he needed to make a quick shot. Leading the way back to the abandoned barn entrance of the guild, they slipped into the shadows.
Twenty minutes later, after following the docks and winding through streets stealthily, they found themselves near a black iron fence long rusted from the salty sea air. Inside was a dark graveyard, no longer full of snow and fog, but lush greenery dotted with blooming flowers. It struck Dusk as odd that a place of death could be so full of life at the same time. But he shook it away as they crossed the road to the chained barn door. To their surprise they found it unlocked and hanging open. Taking great pains to stay silent, they slipped inside, past the stall where Maribel had stayed, and down through the trapdoor to the stone stairs. It was pitch black and Dusk stopped only a few steps in, unwilling to risk falling down the steps in the dark.
“I can’t see anything,” he hissed, holding his hand out in front of him to search for the walls.
“I think we can risk a little light,” Cyrilo replied. Within a few seconds a small stone in his hand alighted, casting a dim gray light across the stone walls. “That’s better.”
Dusk felt a tinge of jealousy that he could just do magic willy-nilly without help from a crystal of some sort. He shook his head. That was a dumb thing to think. Using the horn was getting to him. Ignoring the thought he stepped out of the way for Cyrilo to lead and followed behind, keeping a close eye on the darkness ahead. It was only a few more yards to the wooden door that led into the giant domed chamber of the guild.
“Okay,” Dusk whispered to the others. “Be prepared for anything, but don’t attack unless they are soldiers.”
They all nodded in turn.
“Here we go,” he muttered, hoping against hope that the guild was still intact.
Thankfully, he was right.
As he swung the door open lantern light filled the hallway and illuminated the bustling guild laid out in front of them. The tables had been crammed together near the bar while the rest of the room was full of supplies, gear, and weapons. Members were milling about taking stock of things, picking out what they needed, and moving things to their proper place. Dusk saw there were quite a few more members than he remembered, which seemed odd since the city was attacked only a few months ago. Looking up towards the center of the room he saw a familiar muscular woman with a blade at her side, and another hulking figure behind her that seemed to be hanging on her every word.
It was Diana and Tara. They’d survived. And by the looks of it, Tara had managed to convince Diana to help them. Both of them looked up in their direction, hearing the door squeal on its hinges.
“Dusk!” Diana called. “You’re early!”
He couldn’t help but smile as he took in his surroundings. They actually had a chance of getting to Alamond alive and of defeating Nedarya for good. It was still a long shot, to be sure. Even the most skilled of assassins would be no match against mages, but for the time being, it looked like they had a sliver of a chance. For all their sakes, he hoped it was true.
Both Diana and Tara met them in the center of the room near the bar. A few of the guild members glanced their way, but continued on with their work.
“Ciaran! Cyrilo!” Diana said, shaking hands with them both. “It’s good to see you again!”
“No kiss for little ol’ me?” Ciaran smirked, giving her a wink.
Cyrilo began to say something but Diana waved him off. “No, I got this.” She turned to face Ciaran. “I heard you finally got caught, you scumbag, and they were gonna hang your dumb ass.”
Ciaran stumbled over his own tongue, trying to find some way to retort.
“When Tara told me where Dusk and Lex had run off to, I didn’t think they’d be able to get to you in time.”
“H-how could ya possibly know that?” he gasped. “I was arrested not even two weeks ago and we just spent six days of that on the back of a dragon!”
She leaned in close, grabbing him by the collar. “I know everything.”
Ciaran visibly gulped. It seemed garnering threats was a talent of his.
“And I also know you now belong to this fine gentleman here.” She gestured to Cyrilo. “So I won’t be doing anything but scolding you without his permission.”
“You can do whatever you want to him.”
“Good.” Diana hauled off and punched Ciaran in the shoulder as hard as she could. “That’s for being a fucking idiot.” He cried out as she punched him again in the other arm. “And that’s for getting caught! I taught you better than that!”
“Okay, okay,” Dusk said, cutting in. “We need him to be able to hold a sword still.”
“He’ll be fine. He’s had worse before,” Diana scoffed. “Serves him right.”
Ciaran looked up at her with a manic grin, his arms hanging limply at his side. Something in him seemed to ignite. He wanted more.
“I forgot you were such a masochist.” Diana rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to the others. “Follow me. Tara’s given me the gist of the plan, but we’re gonna need to tie down some details before we march out of here. But not until all of us get some much needed rest. We’ve been gathering people and supplies nonstop for a week. It’s no small task outfitting a force of assassins you know.”
“I know,” Dusk replied, even though he really didn’t. “And we really appreciate what you’re doing.”
“I’m doing this to help you, I want you to know that.” She gestured around to all the hustle around her and the other members. “But they’re doing it for the gold. Which I assume there will be more of?”
“If we succeed, I’ll give you more gold than you’ve seen in your entire life,” Lex assured her.
“That’s a hefty sum. I’ll hold you to it.”
“You know who I am, I’m good for it.”
“That I do,” she nodded, turning them down the familiar hallway where the bunks were. “Time for you all to get some rest. We’ll meet after sunset tomorrow to go over the plan. I hear we’re storming some old ruins and killing some crazy bitch with magic.”
“Yes,” Dusk replied. “Can Lyra- the dragon- come into town? She’ll need to be part of the planning process.”
Diana stopped dead in her tracks, turning back to look at him. “What do you think the answer to that is?”
He laughed, realizing how silly his question was. “I guess we’ll meet on the beach then.”