Traipsing through the snow in a snowstorm was exhausting to say the least. Caleb's muscles were tensing, and exhaustion was threatening to set in.
"How much longer?" Caleb shivered against the cold wind that whipped around him.
"Perhaps we should stop for the night," Lucian said, stopping to turn to the others.
"I'll start the tower," Caleb nodded, eager to feel the warmth of his bed.
Lucian nodded as Caleb began to cast the spell.
"It's impressive," Lucian commented, his eyes following the movements of Caleb's hands.
"Thank you," Caleb answered flatly.
"You're quite something, you know that?" Lucian continued.
Caleb frowned, but didn't respond as he continued his casting.
"You're already so powerful, it makes me wonder what you are capable of at full potential," Lucian looked up at the snow falling sky.
Caleb remained quiet. Lucian, not unlike Molly, was manipulative with his words. Though Molly was normally harmless with his manipulation, Lucian was not. Caleb was very careful what he said around the tiefling, knowing it could easily be used against him later.
He felt Lucian's eyes on him as he finished the spell. A door appeared in the air in front of him and he stepped inside.
Lucian was next in, followed by the rest of the nein and the tomb takers.
Caleb had been careful when creating the tower, leaving out details he didn't want Lucian to see. However, he had incorporated so much of Molly that he didn't account for the effect it might have on himself.
He ignored the large stained glass that depicted the circus as he made his way up to show the tomb takers their room.
He had prepared one of the spare rooms for the group. Five beds were set up in bunk bed style minus one. The room screamed Mollymauk to the point where Caleb refused to step inside.
As he walked out leaving the tomb takers to their room, he paused in the hall. The large stained glass was Molly with his coat spread behind him.
"Caleb, I ordered dinner, we're having pancakes," Jester's voice yelled from the floor below him.
"Did I hear dinner?" Otis asked, appearing in the hall.
"Ja, downstairs," Caleb nodded, turning to the halfling.
The tomb takers stepped out of their room and made their way to the dining room.
Caleb turned back to the picture. Traveling with Lucian was difficult. He looked like Molly and he sounded like Molly, and sometimes he acted like Molly. But he definitely wasn't Molly.
He recalled the way Molly was gentle with him. How he'd been there when they needed him.
He didn't realize how long he'd been staring at the glass until a voice spoke from behind him.
"Caleb, dinner is waiting."
Caleb tensed. He closed his eyes and imagined it was Molly saying that to him. Lucian's tone was always...kinder to Caleb so it made it easy to pretend sometimes.
Lucian stepped up next to the wizard and looked at the stained glass.
"Ah," Lucian smirked, his eyes falling to Caleb, whose eyes were still shut.
"Your friends are waiting for you. Come on, time for that later," Lucian reached out giving the wizard's cheek a gentle pat.
Caleb's eyes shot open and his head snapped towards the tiefling.
"What did you say?"
Lucian raised his brows at the sudden response.
Caleb frowned as he recalled a similar interaction with Molly in the caves of alfield.
"You miss him," Lucian glanced at the glass.
It wasn't posed as a question but Caleb guessed Lucian wanted confirmation. He wasn't going to give it.
Lucian leaned in close, too close for comfort.
Caleb stayed in place, not wanting to give Lucian the satisfaction of backing away.
"He's gone. You have me now," Lucian reached up and took Caleb's chin between his finger and thumb, gently. "You shouldn't dwell on the past, it'll burn you alive," he winked.
Caleb yanked away from Lucian's touch; his eyes set into a glare. "You're just mad you'll never mean to me what he did."
Lucian's jaw clenched and his nostrils flared as Caleb turned, walking away from him.
That was twice now. He was beginning to grow impatient. He had thought for sure that traveling with the wizard would soften him up. He didn't like not having Caleb on his side. He glared up at the stained glass. It resembled him, but it wasn't, and it burned him to know it.
*AN*
Kind of a part 2 to the last one shot I did.
