Aramora

Chapter 21: Was it Worth it?

Amazing cover image made by Shreya_VA <3

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The sun burns its golden hue over the dawn of the day, illuminating Arkala in the morning light. The shadows cast by the stone walls of the arena retreat to the corners and hide from the morning's face. The cold of the morning chills the air, and while Lavern shivers, Anahella lays still as the cold has already ensnared her body.

He stares at her face as he had done all night. Not really sure what it is that's looming so heavily over him, but it makes getting up to leave feel almost impossible. Maybe it's not anything here in this moment, but rather stemming off from the thought of going back and knowing what's to come. This was just another page turned for this idiotic quest to save Aramora.

He knows what's at stake, but with everything that's happened since they started, it makes it kind of hard to understand that it has all been 'necessary', at least in Athemar's mind.

Lavern may not have kept any love for his sister, but the whole situation revolving around her death irks him. Maybe it's his father's complacency in all of it. How he just stepped back and watched it happen.

All for a fucking vote.

In the end, they lost. Lyf didn't get the Schism Fragment, and there's no way Castien is going to hand it over now that he has been crowned as King of Arkala. He couldn't care less about the world ending so long as he can watch it from atop his throne.

"Nesosa told me about what happened," he hears her voice from behind him, but doesn't bother looking back. He merely deepens his scowl and keeps his focus on the body of his sister.

Liyanore takes a deep breath as her eyes briefly glance at Ana, but they ultimately land on her son. She steps closer. "...I'm happy you're okay, Lav—"

"Why don't you just shut up?" Lavern snaps. Liyanore closes her mouth and her body tenses. She knew he wouldn't respond to her in a positive way, but she doesn't care. Instead, she listens.

Lavern shakes his head and scoffs, still not caring enough to turn around. "I wasn't worthy of being a Dev'Alrich and we all knew it. Father shunned me. Ana belittled me. And you simply couldn't be bothered to care. You were always too busy drowning in your cups or inviting strangers into your bed to ever take the time to notice when I left. And now that I'm back, you think you can just walk back into my life? You didn't give a shit when I was gone so don't bother pretending to care now," he stares at Ana's face as he speaks. As fucked up as it sounds, this is the first time he's able to speak in front of his sister without her putting him down.

He waits about a minute, but receives no response. But still, he remains turned away. Once his irritation grows from her silence, he speaks again. "Why are you even here? Shouldn't you be off sleeping with every guest at Father's coronation?"

Liyanore offers a meek chuckle. "The coronation isn't until tonight," she says which earns her an eye roll from her son.

Lavern doesn't bother responding. At this point, he's just waiting for her to leave. He doesn't know what he's going to do when she does. Maybe go back to his friends. It's more likely he'll go spend the rest of the day at the 'Crimson Cutlass', Arkala's pub in the lower district. Anything to get away from the world if only for a moment.

"Her name is Pyrea Feawynn," her sudden voice catches him off-guard.

This manages to grab his attention enough to make him look back at her over his shoulder. He tries to read her face to understand what she's talking about, but somehow Liyanore is a tricky one to decipher.