Tales from Niveen

Chapter 10 - Ariele

Verida - Avinas

62nd day of Banem, year 146, Era of Ke'larri

Ariele watched as Cynea swirled a pile of potatoes and oats around on their plate, barely eaten. They had woken in the night with terrible dreams once again and he couldn't help but notice the toll it appeared to be taking. They were pale, dark circles seemed to grow more dramatic under their eyes with each passing day, and they had barely spoken a word since the day before. He quietly rubbed a hand over their back as he attempted to catch the end of Aeliana and Syphaetus' conversation.

They sat across from Cynea and himself, groggy in the early morning and loaded with plates of sausages and eggs. Sy finished his third mug of ale as Aeliana pointed a sausage in Ariele's direction.

"You'd know what the meeting was all about, hmm?" she asked through a mouthful of toast.

Crumbs landed on the table in front of her and Cynea slowly pulled their plate closer to themself. Sy looked at Ariele, waiting for an answer.

"I'm sorry, what meeting?" Ariele said.

Aeliana rolled her eyes.

"You never listen to me and it's exhausting," she snapped. Her face twisted in irritation and she aggressively stabbed her fork into a large scrambled bit of egg.

"Aeliana says there was a meeting between Varydris, Erenil, and your father?" Sy asked.

Ariele nodded. He had not been present at the meeting but was well aware of the discussion.

"Yes. Your brother was concerned with the acquisition of the relic and wanted to ensure Althaes would be notified and equally involved in its containment," he answered.

Aeliana pursed her lips and shook her head.

"He doesn't trust us? After all this time?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"First sons are always shits," Sy grumbled, raising his eyebrows toward her, "Erenil, too."

She laughed and even Ariele could not contain his smirk. Erenil and Varydris could be truly insufferable at times, but they still felt like brothers to him. He knew they shouldered heavier burdens than he could imagine, both of them first in line for the largest kingdoms in Western Niveen.

"They don't get to be as carefree as the rest of us," he added.

"Even so," Sy said.

Ariele shrugged and took a bite of his toast. Cynea had entirely stopped pretending to eat at this point, so he wrapped his free arm around their shoulders. Aeliana looked over them and her face fell.

"Are you okay, darling?" she asked in a sweet voice.

She reached out and placed one of her hands over Cynea's. They shook their head.

"Just tired. I haven't been sleeping well," they replied.

"Seems worse since the attack. I'm sure all this talk of war and death isn't doing you any good either," she mused.

Ariele had not considered this. Cynea was so sensitive to energies, and sadness and fear were already thick in the air as it was. He could not imagine how it all might be impacting them. Perhaps it was the cause of their nightmares.

"If that's affecting you, maybe things will ease up once any survivors from Farwood return," Sy said, "they're expected today."

"Oh?" Cynea asked, seeming caught off guard by the news.

"You didn't mention it," they said, directed at Ariele.

"You had more than enough to worry about," he said. They frowned in disapproval.