The Sage's Vow

21.1 || Fear's Grip

KAITLYN HATED EVERYTHING about this situation.

She liked the empath Paladin well enough. He proved much more open to Sages than a lot of other Paladins. Less prone to put up his shields and instead offer genuine smiles.

The newer Paladin, Josh, unnerved her. Too many times he held information she didn't want him to. Perhaps only twice, the time he had overheard the conversation with her father that resulted in her crying and Gamal's dagger, but that was two times too many. And despite seeing more vulnerability than she even allowed most Sages, he still had an almost child-like refusal to trust her.

Even when the other two Paladins were there, Mara viewed her with the same disdain many Paladins had for Sages, likely worse because of her 'pursuits' toward Cale, and then Cale was one of the few who was genuinely kind to her, likely saw through her pretenses, but his presence meant she had to keep those pretenses up. Because even if her father wasn't around, she still had to fulfill his wishes.

She wished she had been swept away with the other group. The other Sages looked down upon her, saw her as the precious gem they had to protect to keep Joel's favor, but at least she knew them. At least she knew what they expected and how to perform to earn their approval and trust.

Now she was left with Mateo and Josh, staring out into the strange white fog, unsure what to make of it.

"I'll have Odema check if the others see the same thi—" she started, already reaching for her bond and hitting the slight resistance she always dealt with. Before she had a chance to push through it or finish her sentence, Josh cut in.

"Ezraim lost contact with Cale. We need to go find them." He didn't even finish speaking before he took his first few steps into out of their shelter.

"Whoa there, Josh, slow down." Mateo grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. "What's going on?"

Josh stumbled back at the pull, but he kept his eyes glued out toward the forest. "Boomer just contacted me. Apparently, Ezraim can feel Cale, but he won't respond. Something's gone wrong, and they need our help."

Mateo muttered a few words in Spanish that closely matched the ones Kaitlyn said in her head. She really, really hated this situation.

Your father would want you to stay where it's safe, Odema's deep, gravelly voice said. Also, yes, the others are experiencing a similar fog as what you currently see. They also have not yet figured it out.

My father would also like for Cale to live, Kaitlyn pointed out, unable to keep the slight bitterness from her words.

Odema hummed. When she spoke, there was a slight smile in her voice. You do make an excellent point. So be it. I will not argue further.

Her backing off was very timely since Josh wasn't keen on waiting any longer. Since neither she nor Mateo had spoken up with any further argument, he strode forward again, brandishing his sword and shield.

"You guys can stay here or follow, though it'd probably be best if we all stay together."

Mateo sighed. "I'm not letting you go out there alone." He sent an imploring glance over his shoulder at Kaitlyn. His words were to Josh, but he clearly didn't want her by herself either.

She pulled out Gamal's dagger and held it close. "Let's just proceed carefully."

"Carefully is my middle name," Josh said. Almost instantly, his focus drifted inward, and then he scowled. His dragon must not have agreed with that sentiment. From the little that Kaitlyn had seen, she didn't think she did, either.