Kalımıty

Chapter 29: Ferns

TW: Language, Violence, Blood

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"So, the girl is being hunted?" Altear crosses his arms, looking off the bridge of the castle, looking into the darkness of the night. Fae nods, leaning against the railing beside him.

"It appears so. Shifters are after her, after our time here we need to leave. We can't stay around like this for too long, they know she is alive now, they'll be sending more bounty hunters after her." Fae sighs, closing her eyes, "it was bound to happen at some point. I'm just glad you found her before someone else did."

"How does the name work?" He looks at her from the side, turning to lean his back against the railing, the cool air passing through his dreads. "When she's done here, I will release her from the binding. I have no reason to keep it."

"You just break the bond with words; it's not hard to do. Our names only bind us to one person at a time, once it's broken then it's not an issue. We're free again until someone else calls us." Her tone is low, distant as she speaks.

"Doesn't seem too practical if you ask me. It has come in handy for me, but that seems like a massive inconvenience for your kind." He scoffs before smiling slightly at her as she nods.

"You could say that. But that's why our names are a secret, even to our own parents. It's given to us when we turn five years old, left only for us to hold onto."

"What happens if the captor dies?" He tilts his head, a frown creasing on his forehead.

"The dragon is set free for someone else to take– well, as long as they know the name." Fae shrugs, "though, that's not common. Captors who manage to get the name aren't often too dense to say it around others."

"I suppose so," Altear looks down, letting out a deep sigh. "Alana knows of the arrangements; things are set in motion. It shouldn't be much longer; you should be gone from here within the week–"

"Atlear!" Finn calls out, his voice full of panic as he rushes through the arches leading to the bridge, Dakki and Tate in tow. Fae's eyes move to them, her heart quickening as they approach. "Things are set in motion."

"Kali– she's..." he coughs a little as he rests his hands on his knees, bent over trying to catch his breath.

"She's missing," Dakki fills in, moving closer to Fae as he does. "She went looking for an elf three hours ago, but she hasn't returned. We need to go find her."

"Do you know who the killer is, Altear?" Finn looks up at the captain, pleading in his eyes as he asks.

"I do not, and we will do no such thing. I told her to forget about it, but she went against my orders. She must handle this on her own." Altear glares down at the general, earning a sneer in response.

"You knew," he spits out, making Altear's eyes slit. "You knew she would go against you. What are you playing at, Altear?"

"Altear, you didn't..." Tate's voice is soft as he moves from behind Finn, looking at Altear with a grimace. "You didn't know she would go, right? You wouldn't have let her, would you?"

"I need to go, we need to go find her," Dakki wrings his hands, quickly turning as his heart races, but Fae grabs his wrist to stop him.

"Child," she says in a low tone, making him give her a confused look.

"I knew the girl would go," Altear admits, looking at the blue, brown, and red eyes staring him down. "And she did. Now this is her problem to solve. We are not to get involved, none of you are to look for her, this is an order."