Gods of Malcea ✔️

T W E N T Y - E I G H T

"Mistrust the person who finds everything good, and the person who finds everything evil, and mistrust, even more, the person who is indifferent to everything."

-Xamdú

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Analia knew something that she would not have ever wished to have known. She pressed her head against the plush pillow before rising with a deep sigh. She had a minor head wound, nothing to be bed-ridden for. However, Karos always had cared and worried for her. 

She had known, Karos was up to something. The way he shirked his duties and responsibilities off to Baastian, of all men, Analia knew, so she followed close behind. 

Her foot touched the cold marble floor. Soon, her other foot was on it and, before long, she was up and walking. The worry in her mind was eating away at her. There was only one way to quell it down and it was to see him. 

"Baastian," Analia mumbled as she entered the next room. His head was quick to rise causing Analia to smile for a moment. 

How he was able to show how he was afraid and scared, was something she had hated, at first. Yet, as she came to think more on it, she realized she only hated it because she, herself, could not admit it to herself when she was afraid. When she needed help, when she was fearful. Every day of her life was something scary and fearful, however. 

"Karos...how is he?"

His amber eyes soon met with her much lighter ones.

"He is well."

She let out the breath she had been holding before sighing out loud. "And the meeting? How did it go?"

"...He will give us an advisor." Baastian took a hand down the side of his face. "After what had happened between the princes and Karos, I am most definite of it." 

"I am going to go and see him. Be sure to stay in these rooms. We will soon be leaving." Analia opened the door.

"Wait. Before you go, tell me... What is it that you know that I do not?"

Again, she smiled.

"Baastian, leave things as they are. You will sleep much better that way."

As she walked out the door, she felt the cold, chill of the gold floors pressing against her bare feet. She was lightly dressed in no armor nor comforting pants. Her black hair was drawn up into a ponytail keeping it away from her face. Looking as vulnerable as she felt, Analia did not like the thought of seeing Karos the way she was. 

Still, she swept down the hall in deafening silence. She kept a firm grip on the dagger strapped to her leg as she approached his door. Just as she was about to press her ear to the door, Fariel opened it with a smile. 

"Analia, you are awake."

"I had not been able to sleep," Analia said back with narrowed eyes. She knew what he had done.

"Karos is well attended to."

"I do not care. Let me in to see him." 

His brown eyes gazed into hers with a fervor before he gave her a smile and side-stepped out of her way. She made her way to the bigger bed chamber and saw Ake hovering near him causing her to stop in her tracks. Of course, he would be here, Analia thought.

"He had taken his blood, so he is quite healed up now. We can leave when they are finished with their final goodbyes." 

Fariel pressed against her from behind. His breath tickled her ear, but she did not flinch away.