Warfire | Broken Time Series: Book Two

Chapter 30

Nagan sat along the open window sill, one leg dangling precariously down the side. He trusted his balance enough not to fall. All the while, he carefully cradled the strange, black figurine in his palm.

The hostess immediately flocked around him and Aitor when they arrived back, alternating between asking if they were ok and where the other teens were. They managed to calm her down enough to not immediately march to the Council of Thirds, demanding why they sent children to war. Not that it would've made a difference in the end. Instead, she insisted they cleaned up and changed, saying that she would mend their clothes for them. This time they didn't bother trying to stop her, knowing that she would pester them until she was allowed to do something for them. The two teens were exhausted and didn't have much left in them to fight against it.

So that led Nagan to be where he was. Georgivus slept soundly in one of the makeshift beds they had while Aitor laid in another. Nagan wasn't sure if the other was truly asleep. It was hard to tell with Aitor's back to him.

Nagan looked back down at the figurine, brushing his thumb across the face. After closer inspection, he recognized it to be sculpted after one of the Hecatite gods, and he wouldn't have been surprised if it was a god of protection. Ippei? Ippoi? He didn't remember; Hecatite gods weren't something he ever paid attention to.

What really baffled him was why Blaine carried it on him in the first place. While it wasn't a crime to worship gods outside of your country of origin, it wasn't common, either. Or at least, Nagan hadn't met many who did. Gods weren't talked about much in the mage community. He's seen paintings of Tarkon's only goddess, Arinina, in the Honoria's mansion, Aunt Cilara frequently prayed before the goddess' image in the family shrine, and he could've sworn Aitor had muttered a Kobarian god's name before. But it never went much further than that.

Or maybe Nagan was overthinking this. Perhaps this was a gift given to Blaine or the prince, and Blaine had grabbed it in pure desperation. What really mattered was the enchantment placed around the object.

It was obvious the figurine was infused with something. It gave off a pulse every once in a while. Whether an incantation or a charm was alchemically imbued within the stone, he didn't know, and he probably would never know.

Nagan slipped it back into his pocket when he could get nothing more from it. It wouldn't do him much good if he kept staring at something he knew nothing about. As much of a distraction as it was from the events prior, the novelty of it was already fading.

That was when the sound of straw and fabric rustling came from his left, and he turned to see Aitor quietly walking toward him. Aitor brushed a couple strands of straw from his pants before he sat on the ground below the window where Nagan sat, his head coming to rest against Nagan's thigh as he leaned back.

"Can't sleep?"

Aitor hummed in confirmation.

It was quiet after that. Only the sounds of the night and the faint rustling of the host couple below kept Nagan company. The moon was high and bright that night, giving Nagan a clear view of the town as it slowly wound down from the battle. He occasionally saw the bobbing lanterns of a soldier passing between buildings.

Nagan assumed Aitor had finally fallen asleep after half an hour, but he was proved wrong when Aitor turned his head to the side.

"W-would you—you ha-a-ve d-d-d-done it?"

"Done...what?"

"K—killed-d."

"Yes."

A shock ran through his body at the speed at which he uttered that damning word. Where...had that come from? In the heat of the moment, there wasn't much time to think, thus he knew he would've killed the dark mage if Professor Fai hadn't stepped in. But now? While he was in no immediate danger?