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Cyrilo took a seat at one of the wooden tables in the guild sanctum across from Dusk. A few men at the other tables were staring, but nobody said anything. Diana and Tara were still missing, and after a while Dusk noticed a couple of men stand up and make their way out of the room.
“Have you eaten?” Dusk asked, shifting in his seat.
“No,” Cyrilo replied, keeping his gaze turned towards the table.
“Neither have I. I’ll get us something.”
Excusing himself for a moment, Dusk jogged up to the bar and requested breakfast be brought out for the pair of them. He turned back only a few steps before he saw Lex step into the room, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. The bartender was slightly annoyed when he changed it to three, but there was no helping it. Dusk waved Lex over and they both took a seat at the table with Cyrilo.
“Changed your mind?” Lex asked, yawning.
“More of a realization really.” Cyrilo lifted his gaze and looked at the pair of them. “There’s nothing for me here and now that I have my independence, it would shame Eiran’s memory to stay since he worked so hard to free me. I think this is the only good choice I have left.”
“Being a last resort for someone always gives me confidence in the morning.” Lex cracked a sly smile at Cyrilo who couldn’t resist returning it. “I’m glad you came to join us. You deserve a better life. You told me about your homeland a little that night and I could hear the longing in your voice. I hope you can find a way back to it someday or to somewhere that makes you feel just as good.”
“That’s kind of you to say, Lex. But going back home isn’t a choice for me anymore.”
“I keep forgetting you two know each other,” Dusk interjected.
“Oh, I forgot to ask Dusk. Is this some sort of underground tavern?” Cyrilo asked, looking around the room. “I’ve never heard of it.”
“Well, don’t panic,” Lex replied, holding out his hands. “But this is the sanctum of the thieves guild.”
“What?” Cyrilo hissed, trying to keep his voice low. His ears went flat on his head and Dusk heard his claws dig into the table. “You didn’t tell me you were working with them! Do you know how fucking dangerous they are?”
“Honestly, not that dangerous,” Lex scoffed, leaning back in his chair. “You don’t have anything to worry about. I’ve been living here for weeks. We’re in good with the guild leader.”
At that moment the two men that had stepped out came back with Diana in tow. She took one look at the three of them and made her way to the table. Dusk stood and held his hands up.
“Diana, I can explain.”
She pushed him aside and walked over to Cyrilo who had stood up as well. She threw her arms around him and pulled him into a hug, playing with one of his ears as she did so. “Cy! It’s so good to see you!” She pulled away from him, holding him by the shoulders. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you outside of the Armadillo! What are you doing here?”
“Diana?” Cyrilo seemed beyond confused, his tail twitching nervously behind him. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“You two know each other?” Lex asked, leaning over the table.
“She’s one of my regulars. I see her every week like clockwork. She's probably one of the most annoying people I know.” He turned back to Diana. “What are you doing in the thieves guild, Diana?”
“Oh, I run the place,” she replied nonchalantly. Cyrilo’s jaw fell open, but she lifted a finger to his chin and pushed it closed. “I didn’t tell you, in order to keep you safe. I know how much all of you at the Armadillo like to gossip. Especially that Margaret. She’s the worst of the bunch. If I had told you, the whole city would know and then I’d have to kill you.”
“You can’t be serious...”
A man stepped up to the table and sat a tray full of food down with three tankards. Diana turned towards him and put her hands on her hips. “Bentley, who am I in the guild?”
“You’re the boss, boss,” he replied, confused as he rubbed his hands on his apron. “Is this a test?”
“Yes Bentley, and you passed with flying colors. Take the rest of the day off,” she said with a wave of her hand.
“Really, boss?”
“By the gods, no! You know better than that! Get back to work!”
Bentley’s face dropped and he hung his head low as he turned back towards the kitchens.
“See? I’m definitely the leader.”
“And an ego-maniac I see,” Cyrilo scoffed. “Do you make them give you compliments every hour too?”
“This is why I always liked you Cy,” she replied, reaching up and playing with one of his ears again. “You’re so honest and as cute as you can be.”
Cyrilo reached up and grabbed her hand firmly, pulling it away from him. “I’m not on the clock. You want to touch me, you pay like always.”
Dusk stood watching the pair of them bicker. It was a new side to Diana that Dusk hadn’t seen before. She seemed playful and flirty, a far cry from her usual commanding facade that she kept up at all times. Even after just a few days he knew she was a shrewd business woman, but it seemed like there was still some child in her after all.
“You’re no fun, Cy!” Diana pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. “Come on, sit down and tell me why you’re here then.”
Everyone took a seat and Lex began to pull food and drink towards himself. Dusk and Cyrilo however, did not.
“Oh, I invited him,” Lex said between bites of food. “We’re taking him to Inahan with us. His contract has been paid off. You’re looking at a free man.”
“Did you think to maybe ask me first?” Diana scowled at Lex, obviously perturbed. “Getting you three on that boat with that damn horse was hard enough, but getting a Rhyka on there will be a miracle.”
“Why is that?” Dusk asked innocently.
Diana gave a sideways glance at Cyrilo, an apologetic look on her face. “Well, Rhyka aren’t exactly popular in this part of the world. I’m afraid there are a lot of leftover prejudices from wars with the southern continent where the Rhyka people hail from. Ditania is not the greatest place for non-humans.”
“Isn’t that why the Crystal Gate was built? As a sign of peace to the south?”
“It was a great show of peace over a thousand years ago,” Diana laughed. “But the world has been at war before and after the gate. The prejudices in Ditania run deep because its kings tend to have a lust for blood.” She turned back to Cyrilo. “I’ll see what I can do to get you on the ship. You might have to be hidden away if they’re boarded, but the captain doesn’t seem like a prejudiced man.”
“Thank you Diana. There’s no reason to stay here anymore. It’s time I got out before someone sells me off again.”
“I’ll miss you at the Armadillo, but I’m glad you’re finally free of that place.” Diana leaned forward, wrapping her arms around him, pulling him into a hug. After a moment she pulled away and pushed herself to her feet. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go down to the docks and speak to the captain. Again.”
Diana made her way back across the room and up one of the passages. Dusk sat silent for a moment looking at Cyrilo who was still sitting, staring off into the distance. Lex was working his way through his plate with record speed, seemingly undisturbed by anything that had happened.
“Cyrilo?” Dusk asked, pulling him from his thoughts. “I’m glad you’re coming with us.”
Cyrilo paused for a moment, shifting his gaze to Dusk. “Do you still wish to see Eiran’s resting place?”
Dusk was caught off guard. He sat back, his thoughts racing. He knew Tara didn’t want them leaving the guild again and now she was off somewhere, upset about what he had told her. But he also realized how important it was for him, and he had his answer. “Yes,” he replied simply.
“We go tonight. I’ll take you.”
***
THE DAY HAD SLIPPED by without a sign of Tara or Diana again. Dusk thought he should probably let them know where he planned to go, but it seemed they were otherwise preoccupied. He’d caught Lex up on the story of Princess Nedarya that Tiernan had given him. Lex was sufficiently surprised as well and asked many questions, all of which Dusk couldn’t answer. It seemed that Lex had a thorough knowledge of the royal family, but he was surprised to hear about Tara’s romantic involvement, stating she would have been executed on the spot if they had been caught.
Another bed had been brought to their chambers to make room for Cyrilo. When night finally fell, he pulled on his cloak and beckoned for the other two to follow him. Together the three of them snuck their way out of the sanctum and into the streets of Emerald Deep. Cyrilo took them west towards the shore. Once they’d reached the snow covered beaches, he abruptly turned north and began to follow the edge of the lake.
The night was freezing cold. The skies had opened up and all the heavens shone brightly above them with Gartha filling a large portion of the sky. Dusk kept his neck craned skyward for the majority of the walk that took them beyond the edge of Emerald Deep and into the plains. Behind them Dusk could see the lights of the city glowing on the horizon. After some time, Cyrilo finally called them to a halt near a small stand of trees. He pulled Dusk over to a blackened patch near the trees that had been partially covered in fresh snow. Here and there Dusk could see the remains of a large fire, pieces of charcoal left behind, and he knew they’d found the right spot.
“This is it,” Cyrilo said as Dusk stepped up beside him. “We brought him out here and sent him back to the gods like a king.” His voice hitched and he paused. Bending down he rested his hand over a piece of charcoal on the ground. After a moment he stood back up, “Take your time.”
Cyrilo turned and headed back over to Lex who was standing closer to the lake. Lex wrapped his arm about Cyrilo’s shoulders and they turned away from Dusk, stepping down to the beach.
Dusk stood there for a long moment, wrapped in his cloak and trying not to shiver. He’d spent weeks thinking about all the things he wanted to say to Eiran, how to apologize to him properly if he should ever get the chance. But now that he was standing at the last place Eiran’s body had ever been, he felt foolish and lost.
“I... I don’t really know how to do this,” he whispered, afraid he would be overheard on the breeze. “Do I just talk to you like you’re here, Eiran? I really don’t know.” Silence hovered around him with no hint of a reply. For some reason he’d been half expecting one. “I just wanted to come out here to tell you I’m sorry. If you’d never met me, you might still be alive. I’m trying to believe my friends when they tell me it’s not my fault, but I can’t help but blame myself. You didn’t deserve to have your life cut short.” Dusk could feel the tears forming at the corner of his eyes. “You were so good to me that night. You showed me so much kindness and understanding. You didn’t push me to tell you things. You made me feel special for a single moment. Maybe it’s stupid to feel so much about it when I know you were just doing your job, but you seemed so genuine. I don’t know if you meant it, but you’ll never know how much it affected me.
“My life hasn’t been very happy, but you gave me a taste of what it could be. You showed me what it was to be heard and cared for. We did everything on my terms and you didn’t force me. Even though it was business, I’ll never forget you because of the gentleness you showed me.” Dusk reached up and wiped his face with the back of his hand. “And I came here to say I’m going to go get the life I want and I’m not gonna let anyone convince me to stop. Maybe I can do some good in this world, even if it’s just a little.”
The breeze died down suddenly, dropping everything into silence. Dusk shivered in the cold, glancing up at the stars once more. Thoughts flowed through his mind of all the things he wanted to do in his life, the things he wanted to accomplish. He’d never been much of a dreamer, but he had some ideas to start with. Somehow, coming to talk to Eiran had rekindled the spark inside him once more.
“Thank you Eiran, for your kindness. I’ll miss you. And I’ll make sure Cyrilo gets somewhere safe, that he can have the life you wished for him. It’s the least I can do.” Dusk crouched down and put his hand over the remaining charcoal, feeling the cold snow bite his skin. “Goodbye.”
With that, Dusk pushed himself back to his feet and walked towards the lake. It took him a moment to find Cyrilo and Lex as they had walked further down the beach. He crunched through the snow until he was beside them, wrapping his cloak tightly around the three of them and pulling them in. Looking out over the water Dusk saw small patches of fog rolling over the smooth surface. Turning to the other two he saw that both of them had turned and were staring off towards the north.
“What are you two looking at?” he asked, following their gaze.
In the distance Dusk could just make out the Crystal Gate, the massive purple crystal catching the moonlight and reflecting it across the snowy hills. However, at the base of the gate there was a large gathering of orange lights, as if he were looking at the city, but on the wrong horizon. Dusk swiveled to glance back south, seeing that Emerald Deep was still where they had left it.
“I don’t remember lights up there when we passed through,” Dusk said, taking a step forward.
“I can’t make it out either,” Lex replied.
“Rhyka are gifted with good sight in the dark,” Cyrilo murmured in his thick accent. “I can see the flags above the tents. That’s the Ditanian army.”