God Save Us || Druig

Twelve

1865 A.D Amazon rainforest

Agil woke the next day in a soft bed. It was a different kind of bed to the one he had been sharing the last ten years. That one had been feathers and expensive sheets. This one was straw and cloth that was much firmer and poorer quality. The sheets were scratchy and rougher on his skin than the cotton ones. But still, the bed was softer than he expected. Grounding and comfortable. He had slept in many places over the years and this one wasn't the worst. 

Druig's settlement, his camp was village based just off the shores of the river. Houses of wood and stone and clay formed a circle round a centre clearing, the trees shadowing them like a shield from the world. Men and women of varying races worked round the village. They tended to crops and worked to sew clothes and cook food. Children ran round them all, giggling and delighting in their games. Agil watched this from the window of his room, sheets pooling round his waist as let the sunlight wash over him. Druig had led him here last night, given him clothes and brought him a bath tub to wash in. After that he had been allowed to sleep. 

A knock at the door broke the silence of the room and the hinges creaked. "I brought you some clothes", Druig's voice was gentle as he placed a pile of cloths on the bedside table. Agil kept his gaze out of the window, watching the people. They moved with such surety. Everyone knowing exactly what their role was and where to be useful. There was no tensions there, no arguments or disagreements. It was peaceful in a way that was rare for humanity. 

"Agil", Druig's voice broke him out of his thoughts. There was concern in his tone. Agil finally glanced away from the window and met his gaze. Druig was standing in the shad of the room dressed in grey. He had his arms folded behind his back and those blue eyes were piercing. "Are you gong to tell me how you got that scar?" He asked. "And how you ended up here?" 

Agil brushed his hair behind his ears and brought his knees to his chest. The sheets hanging off him rustled at the moment. "It is a long story", he murmured. He glanced back at the village outside of the window. "Is this what you've spent the last three hundred years creating?" 

"What do you think?" Druig's tone was curious as he stepped closer to peer with him out of the window. 

"Your control of them makes them peaceful". The words were a mummer. "Humans are never so peaceful". 

"Who shot you?" Druig's tone was firm. 

"I guess we gain scars when Ajak isn't around to heal us", came Agil's response, still in that muttered tone. Druig shifted closer and took a seat on the edge of the bed, torso twisted towards the other Eternal. 

"Agil. Are you okay?" 

"No. I made a mistake", Agil turned to him as his voice became small. "I allowed myself to become attached to humans. I trusted one, let him love me and have me. Then he tried to kill me. It was a mistake. Humans aren't trust worthy". He peered at the other man with wide dark eyes. "And yet you left us for them". The words took on a bite. 

"Oh, you're angry at me", Druig raised an eyebrow. 

Agil glared at him. He had missed Druig so much that it felt like a physical ache, yet now as he was finally in front go the man after three hundred years, that ache was replaced by anger. "You chose humans". 

"They are not the enemy, Agil", Druig's tone held a undercurrent of warning and a frown creased his eyebrows. "You should not hold them all responsible for the hurt only a few have dealt you. Our mission was to protect humans from the deviants, watch them develop". 

"The deviants are gone. Can we not go home now?" Agil pleaded. "I don't want to stay here any longer. I don't want to be alone anymore". 

"You have been alone?" Druig frowned. "I thought you would stay with the others, with Ikaris or Makkari. What happened after I left?" He reached out and took Agil's hand in his.