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The story of Dusk and his companions was one he felt compelled to write down after a time. The library at the chateau was extensive, but there were only so many books a person could read before he felt the need to write his own. While Lex worked with his father and the council of Eblesal to end slavery in Ditania, Dusk sat in the library with a quill and ink, scribbling away in journals and taking notes. He’d already written to his friends across the world several times, asking them for their input on parts of their adventures. All of them responded in kind with much more than he remembered himself.
After three years of writing, letters, and traveling between Ronja and Eblesal, Dusk finally closed the book on his adventures with the crystal eye. Instead of showing it to anyone, he carefully tucked the unassuming brown tome into one of the many shelves of the library and forgot about it. He’d written everything he could think of and there was no more left to say.
With the book finished, Dusk found himself wandering the city, looking for something to occupy his time. In the years since the moon had been destroyed, the world had yet to change much. He’d heard from Cyrilo about the Rhyka on the southern continent and their increased power. It seemed their businesses had begun to flourish thanks to their enhanced abilities and trade was booming. The use of magic in crime had risen, which also gave rise to practiced guards specializing in combat casting. But all in all, little else was different. It was still the same from day to day and Dusk found himself growing bored. He’d started practicing his own magic more, noting down a few of the runes he saw in his mind and what they did in a small journal. The most helpful of which he kept track of so that he could pass them onto others someday. There was little else to pass the time while Lex was caught up in political affairs and Dusk found himself growing bored.
In the spring of the fourth year after the fall of the moon, Dusk stood on the enormous stone porch of the chateau, leaning against the railing and watching the fog slowly creep over the first buds of spring pushing through the soil. It was one of the few quiet moments he and Lex got each morning before duty pulled either of them away. Lex had grown a little more muscular and filled out in the past years. He wore a dark blond beard at all times now that Dusk adored. It made him look mature and wiser than he really was, which helped with his speeches at court. Dusk was still scrappy and a little disheveled, but kept himself in shape with his bow and swordsmanship. Both of them had lived well the past few years in a mansion full of well-paid servants that they knew by name.
The chateau was always warm and inviting, but something about it just wasn’t enough anymore. The adventure they’d shared had taken its toll on Dusk. It was like a mark on his soul that could never be washed away. All his life he’d dared to dream of something simple and easy, but now that he had it, he found himself wanting more. The world outside the walls was calling to him.
“Lex,” he said, pushing himself up from the railing. “Let’s get out of here.”
“How far are we going? I have a meeting with the consulate in a couple of hours.”
“I don’t know. But we need to go somewhere. Anywhere.” Dusk looked up at him, suddenly serious. “Is this life enough for you?”
“That’s a heavy question for so early in the morning,” Lex chuckled, taking a sip of his tea. “I suppose it’s alright. It’s what I’m used to if I’m being honest. Why do you ask?”
“I don’t think this is enough for me anymore,” Dusk sighed. “Maybe I’m being selfish, but there’s got to be more than this, you know? I know you’re working hard to make the world a better place and I love you for that, but everyday here is the same. We get up, we talk to the same people about the same things, and at the end of the day, nothing really changes. It takes months or years for the tiniest thing to shift.”
“What would you rather do instead?”
“I don’t know...” Dusk looked out over the garden and into the fog. “Let’s go be pirates and sail across the ocean while wrangling Tulamars. Or maybe we can go see the floating islands in the cradle of the Dorsum Mountains and find some deep ancient secret. We could always go down to Emerald Deep and try to take over the thieves guild, maybe Diana’s gotten a bit slower.”
Lex laughed. “You and I both know we don’t stand a chance against her.”
“You’re probably right,” Dusk replied with a smile. “You know, Lyra mentioned something terrifying living under the Louring Bog, we could take a chance on that I suppose.”
“Considering a dragon was worried about that, I think I like the pirate suggestion better.”
Dusk sighed. “I’m going crazy here, Lex. We spent every day for nearly a year being in danger, sleeping outside, fighting for our lives, and trying to save the world.” He paused, looking out at the fog that was slowly turning pink as the sun began to rise. “I can’t just forget all that. It’s changed me and as much as I appreciate this place, I have too much life left in me to spend it here.” Dusk looked back over to him. “Do you know what I mean?”
“I do,” Lex nodded. “I think I’ve been feeling it myself actually. I’ve found myself lost in thought, out on adventures of my own inside my mind while the council is debating. I’ve not been very present lately.”
Dusk fingered the gold ring on his left hand with a small ruby set into the band. “Will you run away with me?”
Lex smirked, sitting down the cup he was holding. “I thought you’d never ask.”
“Still have that chest of money?”
“Yep.”
“I’ll write your mom a note. She won’t be mad at me, she likes me too much.”
“Meet me at the back gate in twenty minutes?”
“I knew there was a reason I married you.”
With that they set off in opposite directions. Dusk left a vague note about being called away on urgent business, letting Lex’s mother and father know that they were fine and would write as soon as they could. He asked Lord d’Ronja to apologize for their absence and continue their work until they returned. The note was left on the recently-made bed, and he grabbed his bow, shouldered his satchel, and headed to the garden.
Beyond the budding fruit trees and still-sleeping garden beds, Dusk found Lex at the back gate of the estate. The silver and gold-pommeled rapier hung at his side and he held the reins of two horses. His sleek black stallion had a set of saddle bags thrown over his back that looked to be holding mostly feed. They’d purchase whatever else they needed on the road. The other horse, a dappled white and brown, belonged to Dusk. His hooves were dark and cloven like a goat’s, and an onyx horn spiraled out of his head, coming to a wicked point.
Dusk walked up and patted him on the side of the head, speaking aloud. “How are you this morning, Balderic?”
“I would rather still be asleep, but blondie here woke me up,” he answered with a horsey sigh.
“How would you feel if I said we’re getting out of here? No plans, just open road for a while.”
“I’d say that’s a good way to end up dead.”
“You know, I’m not sure it was such a good idea to let you hang out with Tara so much when you were younger. And I feel like that’s on me.”
“Whatever. Are we going or what?”
“Don’t make me get your mother,” Dusk warned, holding out a finger. “She’s not very fond of your attitude lately.”
“Fine. I’m very excited,” he replied flatly. “Can we go?”
Dusk turned to Lex, shaking his head. He hoped a little time on the road would help Balderic mature up a bit. He knew unicorns were longer lived, but he hadn’t expected their teenage stage to last so long.
“Which direction are we headed?”
“I don’t know,” Lex shrugged. “This is your idea.”
Dusk mulled it over for a minute before reaching down and grabbing a handful of grass. “Let’s let destiny decide.” He tossed it into the air as the breeze kicked up and it floated slowly to the southwest. “Hmm. Seems like we should go to Emerald Deep first. Maybe see a few old friends.”
Both he and Lex put a foot in their stirrups and swung themselves up into the saddles.
“I guess destiny has spoken,” Lex said, giving his horse a tap.
“Literally the wind, nothing more,” Balderic scoffed, beginning to shuffle forward. “If I die because of you two, I’m gonna be real pissed about it.”
“You know,” Dusk said, looking up at Lex. “It’s almost like Tara is right here with us again.”
“Maybe we can rope her into being pirates with us for a couple months while that one,” he pointed to Balderic, “lives with the guild for a bit.”
“A thieving, assassin half-icorn, that’ll be something for the history books.”
“By the gods...” Balderic sighed. “Is it too late to turn around?”
The pair smiled at one another and continued on.
As the fog burned away and the blazing sun came over the tops of the trees, the last traces of Dusk and Lex disappeared into the Ronja forest, heading towards wherever destiny might carry them.
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