Gods of Malcea ✔️

F O R T Y - O N E

"Accept what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what will be."

-Xamdú

_________________________

Fariel opened his eyes to the bright light of the sun shining down on him. He narrowed his eyes and hissed before turning his head away.

"The beauty of sleep has finally woken," he heard a voice say causing him to snap his head to the sound. Once he realized it was Errol, he tried to lunge for him but Errol only pushed him back down with a single finger to his chest.

"Stop. Now is not the time."

Fariel saw the worry in Errol's eyes as he brushed his hair out of his face. Errol took a hand through his own hair and sighed out. Both hands covered his face as he wiped at his eyes.

"Where are we?"

"A ditch. A hole. One or the other."

Fariel looked around seeing nothing but dirt walls with bits of roots sticking out from them.

"Can we climb out?" Fariel rasped. His throat was dry and he was in much need of water.

"We? Look at you. You are barely alive," Errol said before cutting his eyes away from him.

"Why are you here? How did you— "

"Stop it with the questions!"

Fariel's eyebrows furrowed in pensive thought before looking at Errol again.

"Isla... It has fallen."

"And you must be ecstatic, I am sure."

"I am not." Why would he ever be? Isla was much his home as anyone else's no matter the king and his banishment.

There was some silence, for a moment, before Errol stood up and paced around the small circular area. He was anxious which was rare. He was always so sure of himself, Fariel mused. He should know. After all, they had been the best of friends, once.

"Are we close to it? Isla, I mean."

"We were before..." Errol let out a shaky sigh and punched at the dirt wall. "Before we were taken to this place. A griffin girl had saved your life and we are now paying with our lives because of her."

"What?"

Fariel was confused and his head throbbed along with every part of his body. It hurt to move, but he was without another choice.

"Karos, I must get to him. He is near. He will help."

"Just as we had 'helped' him with his plight?"

"Unlike you, he is not so spiteful."

"I cannot go anywhere."

"Errol— "

"Not until I find Ake. They had taken him," Errol choked on the last of his words. "And it is my fault. I am responsible for him. I am responsible for all of my brothers and sisters, and now they may be laying dead somewhere alone and afraid."

Errol was falling to pieces right before of his eyes. It was a sight, for so many years, he had wanted to see, but no, not like this. Not anymore.

"... Ake... " Fariel rubbed at his head and let out a deep sigh. "Errol, you are a good enough brother to the point of being hated for your despotic protectiveness of them."

"He would not listen to me. He never listens to me," Errol's voice shook as he ran both his hands through his hair and banged his head against the wall.