What am I doing? I flinched as Seth finished slicing a Kaelos boar in half and he flicked the blood off of his black sword. Some of the black blood hit my face and I wiped it off. Seth has been keeping a gap between us lately. It's been four days since we had our conversation in my study. He's been extremely silent and won't meet my eyes either. He sticks to his job and that's about it.
My heart throbbed as I was brought back to the words he said to me on my balcony. Do you just see me as some palace guard? I stared at him. I kind of wished I did see him as a mere palace guard, then it would have come to this. Then again, I really do love having him around. I bit my lip. I'm conflicted so badly.
I shook my head and stabbed a Kaelos monster from behind me without turning and I flicked my sword up quickly, rendering it dead. I stepped away and Ry came up to me and ran a few data screens in front of me.
"These are the statistics regarding our simulated test right now." Ry shuffled through the data screens and I about go cross eyed again.
Data panels are more Seth's expertise… though he wouldn't even read one for me right now if I even ask. I felt guilty… we are conducting experiments on Kaelos monsters inside the city walls in the Mira Headquarters after we conducted massive renovations to our Mira barriers. The citizens don't know that on occasion Kaelos monsters would appear in small forms inside the city due to our one section of purposely weakened barriers just for this experiment.
We are trying to get down to the source of these Kaelos monsters and we are getting somewhere. We are measuring their energy waves and to see if they can communicate with one another. So far, yes they have a "language" that they use to communicate with one another and their energy levels mirror that of unstable Aetherial energy. Similar to Halosis but a bit into the Mira side of their powers. They form out of nothingness. They are not linked to shadows as we thought or night time.
"Run a few more tests." I said to them and they nodded.
Seth seemed lost in thought. He absently stabbed a few more monsters and I sighed. I felt bad. I have to talk to him, but he is giving me the cold shoulder again. I continued to mow down the rapidly forming Kaelos monsters. I can't help but blame this on myself. I'm a sad excuse of a monarch.
'Can you stop the pity party?' Avalorne spoke up.
Huh?
'I said, can you stop the pity party and look up!' Avalorne yelled.
I heard my name get called multiple times and I flicked my gaze up and saw Seth grabbing at a Kaelos wolf that was latched to his arm. The wolf however was radiating light from its dark body. Slowly the Kaelos wolf began to crack like glass and it exploded. Bright light flashed all around us and the other Kaelos monsters just vanished like vapor. Once the light dimmed, Seth grabbed at his arm and dropped his sword. He hissed in pain and I walked over to him. Ry and the other Auxilium on site were quickly forming together.
Once I got close enough to Seth, he was bleeding a lot from where the wolf bit him. I touched his hand but he smacked me. I could see that the wound was smoldering black fumes around the puncture wounds. He pressed his hand to his arm again and Ry turned him gently towards him.
Seth bit his lip and Ry tried for him to walk. Seth took a step forward and then buckled. Ry grabbed him by his good arm and I lunged forward and caught the other side of him. Seth snarled and glared at me. My blood went cold from the sheer glare I received from him. It was nasty and I don't think I would have ever wanted to be on the receiving end of Seth's anger, but here I am now.
Ry and I carried him back to the bench in the back of the room and the Mira barriers flew up behind us, sealing the zone off. We laid him down and Seth was gasping in pain. He was sweating badly. Ry took out his stethoscope and took his vitals manually before pulling up Seth's chart.
I looked at the wound and sighed. Seth was bleeding gold, not red. Last time he bled this color was when he got hit with an arrow in Solaria. Gold blood indicates someone with divine blood. Ry had all of the other people leave once he saw Seth bleeding. If word of this got out we would have an issue.
Seth was still weakly glaring at me. I ducked my head away. He really hates me.
'No duh.' Avalorne chimed in at the worst possible time ever.
Shut up.
Ry looked at me once before beginning to step away.
What?
"Ry where are you going?" I blurted out.
"He'll be fine." Ry sat back in a chair.
"What do you mean!"
Ry lit a cigarette, "Hmm? Seth heals really well on his own." He blew out and crossed his leg and placed his foot on his thigh. Ry's face then hit to realization, "Oh…" He paused, "Have I not told you about this?" Ry motioned to Seth on the couch, "I've never healed Seth each time you called me to do so."
Huh?!
"Seth? He has a self generating ability. Guess it comes from that gold blood of his, even if he bled red in the past." Ry stuck his cigarette back into his mouth and continued to talk, "That night in the Inn at Solaria? Yeah I did nothing. I kind of kept this a secret from you because I really did not want to tell you that I haven't touched Seth's injuries each time he got fatally wounded. I would look like a dick."
"But you are a dick."
"Not the point." He sat forward and tapped his cigarette. "Seth's vitals are fine. I'm guessing since his body let off a harsh energy wave, it's detoxifying the germs that got into his body, hence why he is having a slight fever. He should wake up in a matter of time."
I glanced at Seth and he was indeed asleep.
"What's up with you two though? Thought you would confess your feelings for him man." Ry burnt the rest of his bud and crossed his arms.
I looked away, "I can't remember? I'm tied to a god Ryan."
"Yeah so? It doesn't hurt to tell him."
"I can't."
"You're only making things worse for yourself, your Highness." Ry looked down at me.
I stayed silent. Things would get more complicated if I told Seth. I get that Auri would be overjoyed, however, there is a possibility Seth would leave and seek a job somewhere else. Same sex relationships are not highly looked upon, especially in monarchy. Though you find people who support you, like I guess, my palace staff, though it's more of a gossip and not the real thing as gossip doesn't mean it's real and it's more fun to you know, have theories and fantasize about such things. So who knows if I told them all, how many of them would change their mind.
I glanced back at Ry, "I know."
Seth woke up in a matter of twenty minutes and his wound was completely healed. Ry told me not to tell Seth about his weird healing mechanic since it would only make things worse for him. Guess Seth doesn't even know that he has self regenerating abilities. He sat with his back turned to me of course. I got up and left them alone. I went outside and looked up at the stars. The Nebula of this world amazes me. It looks as if a god painted the night sky with a brush and you can see it from how the stars fit in the sky. Some spots there are more and other spots where there are none.
I felt the air move and I turned and saw Lucas drop down from his pegasus. I called for him a few days ago and he's been working on the tests with the Kaelos monsters. He was outfitted in modern clothing.
"Man. I really got here late, is he up?" Lucas whispered.
"Yeah, he's been awake for at least five minutes now." I pocketed my hands.
"I don't know man… if I were you, I would tell him to go see Raetrix." Lucas stood next to me. He stayed silent then grumbled, "Maetel says hi."
Maetel? I stared at him. "You still talk to him?!"
"I'm bonded with him!" Lucas shouted without moving. "I thought I told you this!"
"W-when?!"
"After Kinnarus died. He gave me his partial authority." Lucas sighed. "It's only right as he is the original god over Solaria." He turned to me and looked me dead in the eyes, "And when I say, he should go see Raetrix, he should. This is coming from not only me, but Maetel, and Maetel is the god of fate."
Lucas acts older than he seems. Despite him being probably younger than me, in age, at times he holds himself like a much older person. Even speaks the part. I can't help but feel a sense of Deja Vu with Lucas. He really reminds me of my deceased butler, Quinton.
"Are you telling me that you received some cliche prophecy from your counterhalf?" I murmured quietly.
Lucas smiled at me with his lips and eyes, "No. Why would I get a wonky Prophecy? Those are old wives tales, prophecies don't exist solely because the Origin god of this world found them a joke and too stereotypical."
"You're talking about Luminark right?" I said after some time.
"Yes." Lucas paused for a bit, then continued, "Luminark loved this world. In their eyes, this world was their child. You can see it in some manner that Luminark was the original god of life. Kinnarus thought to replace in multiple areas where the other gods lacked. I only now feel deep sympathy for Kinnarus. Kind of heart wrenching that we realized too late that Kinnarus only wanted to be acknowledged by the other core gods of Lunoris. Too bad that those gods and yours only stick to their own nation and care less about anything other than their own people."
I let his words sit in before frowning, "Then why Seth? Raetrix picked up on Seth and so did Maetel. Seth is a citizen of Valoria, not their own."
Lucas smiled again, "Mmhm." He nodded, "Mhm." He said nothing in response to my words except nodding. Was this a yes or a no?
"Lucas, what are you hiding? You act like you know everything like Maetel and Avalorne. Did you receive his knowledge when you merged with him?"
Lucas only continued to smile, "I'm a priest, Lord Vincent. I act on the behalf of my people… but Priests also guide don't they? I'm only doing what's natural for my role."
I grit my teeth, I want to shake this god damned priest to death. He knows something. Why am I the only one that seems to be in the dark? This is some cliche book plot stuff. Imagine if I'm the Main character and this whole mystery twist is for character development. Ugh. What a headache.