Death of a Guardian

Chapter 5

It's been a week since they discovered Jakub's body. Neither has been back to the town square since, even though it has probably already been cut down to fall below in the lava pit below all gallows. They are all like that to ensure the destruction of the Strzyga, so they don't come back somehow.

It saddened Emryk that his body would be destroyed like that. He knew his soul was already gone and returned to the Supreme, but it didn't matter. It wasn't fair. This wasn't justice.

At the start of the new week, it annoyed Emryk that his friend emerged from his own sadness and was now acting like it never happened. Aleks was already begging him to go to the fort again. That wouldn't have been a big deal, but he was also trying to sneak kisses in town when under water in the river after a hot day. Sure, even he has given in before to that, but now it all seems so much more dangerous.

He loved Aly so much, but just couldn't understand how he could switch so fast. Why was he back to ignoring the dangers? Many times he felt like yelling at him, but just couldn't bring himself to challenge his love about anything. What if he left him?

Over the next few days, he decided he needed to talk to Aly about it. He stressed out all day when they were going around town, helping others out with their jobs. This week they were working with the farmers. But with everything already planted, and nothing much else to do, they were told to help people about the town.

As soon as the lunch bells went off, they took off for home. They wanted to go to their fort to spend time, but their mothers both thought it was too soon. Which was saying something since Aly's mother was very open and free-spirited like him. If she was worried, why wasn't he?

Then again, this was the fort they were talking about. They were safe there. They would hear anyone trying to come inside. Beyond that, Emryk also knew this was his chance to talk to Aleks away from their parents and the town.

After some begging, their mothers agreed. Emryk admitted to his mom that he needed to talk to Aleks about what they saw that night away from town. She understood and remembered how safe the fort was when the boys took all of them out to see it.

As they took off into the woods, nobody noticed a large tree transform into a meryx. It followed them from a distance, often looking around to ensure no one else was around. All around the forest, more trees transformed to fall in all around to ensure no one would bother the boys again.

While the boys play-wrestled on the ground, one hid behind a tree and feigned eating from the ground. Its ears perked up as the boys began arguing.

Emryk wanted to just jog there together, but Aleks kept pushing him to let him chase him again. All day he's been going over it in his mind every way this conversation could go. Rarely do they argue, but it never goes well.

Aleks wanted to have fun like they always did. He was confident none were out here this close to the falls. It wasn't like there was another town they could accidentally come upon. They were the last.

Aleks had enough of his friend not wanting to play, so he pushed him lightly, causing him to stumble. He took advantage and pulled Emryk to the ground and got on top kissing him.

Emryk pushed him off. The look on his face showed his anger. Before he could stop himself, he was almost shouting. "What's wrong with you? Do you want us to end up like Jakub? Do you even care about anyone else but yourself?"

Emryk regretted it as soon as he started speaking. This wasn't supposed to be how it went down. He knew this wasn't the way he wanted to have this conversation.

"We will not end up like him," Aleks said. He said it offhandedly and like it was of no consequence.

That pissed off Emryk. Did he even care about Jakub being murdered? "You just don't care, do you? You don't care about what would happen to Liliana and our parents!"