Of Gears and Humanity

| 12.2

[DAMIEN]

Theo had done everything he promised, that he did. He explained how easy this quest was, how the next would be followed with a party, then the journey to the Gate; easy enough when said and done.

But Theo hadn't helped me with the intent of making me comfortable. As soon as I grabbed Carmine to meet Elena at this Lorian Arch, I realized the guards' clothes he'd given me were not only old and dusty but they itched. Horribly. I felt as if there were insects on my back.

I couldn't let the king see me react that way, no. I couldn't even let the town's people see me. Elena was the only person I knew I could let my guard down with, and the second I stood at her side, I clenched my jaw and tried my hardest not to be dramatic.

"Change your clothes?" She blinked at me. "You're in royal attire for a reason. This journey is meant to—"

"Yes, yes." I straightened and tried to scratch my back with a wrinkle in my guard's gear. It didn't work. "You're supposed to be with the person you chose to begin your journey and they are to represent your kingdom. I understand that."

Elena lifted her hand to cover her mouth. Her eyes widened. "Someone explained all of this to you?"

"Yes." I shifted my shoulders. There was definitely something crawling on my skin. "Theo told me. Everything."

"Wonderful!" Elena explained, clapping her hands together. "This is great news. Theo is amazing and well educated on the steps a king and queen take, and—"

"Yes, yes, yes." Unwilling to wait for her to go ahead, I walked past her. Carmine may have huffed, probably to get me to stop, but I wasn't going to. I always wasn't going to take off my clothes.

Instead, I walked over towards one of the trees at the start of the forest and pressed my back against it. Up and down I moved, using the bark to scratch. A happy sigh slipped past my lips as I felt a little bit of relief.

"Damien?" Grabbing Carmine's reins, Elena scratched the side of her head as she walked through the arch and into the forest beside me. She watched as I scratched my back. Confused, she scrunched her nose. "What are you doing?"

"What am I doing?" I blinked as I dipped down for one more good scratch. Then I straightened and shook my shoulders; I hoped whatever insect who found a home in the clothes had died. "Theo may have explained everything, but Theo also gave me these—" I pulled at my sleeves on both arms. "—an old uniform pulled out from a trunk."

"Oh?" Elena blinked rapidly before covering her mouth. "Oh..."

"Oh, what?" I shook my arms and prayed the bug carcasses would fall from them. "Do you know something about these clothes?"

Still, with the same apologetic and sad expression I'd seen on her one too many times, Elena pressed forward into the forest. I followed because I had to. With my sword clinking against my leg as I walked, I continued to shake my arms.

"I do," Elena said quietly.

"Then?" I waited for her to continue, unable to deal with the silence. I needed an answer, not the wind feeding my curiosity. For all I knew, the wind brought my insects, and if I had bug bites down my back, I wouldn't make it.

I hated bugs. All of them. With a passion.

"Well," Elena cringed as we stepped further into the forest, putting the town's path far behind us, "you see..."

"Elena?" I scratched the side of my neck. "Say it now. Please."

Elena stopped and faced me. Her hands moved around as if she hunted for the right words to say it. She even stammered, mumbled, and squeaked. It wasn't until I gave her a hard look that she sucked in a breath to speak. "You said he pulled that outfit from a trunk. By chance was it a golden trunk, old, with a lion's head lock on the front of it?"