Born of Flames

Chapter 25 ~ Walls of Dirt

    Judging by the ache in her limbs, Morana guessed they'd been walking for a few hours at least. She'd kept her magic going the whole time, shedding a faint red glow across the dirt walls surrounding them. Neeri stuck close to her side, lingering in her Fae form.

    The tunnel had grown narrow enough in some places that her wolf wouldn't have fit through and they didn't want to risk her getting stuck or falling into another tunnel. They'd already seen several that branched off into different directions, but hadn't explored them yet.

    They would follow this tunnel as far as they could so they at least had a solid idea about how to get back to the temple. They'd also been regularly marking the walls with scratches of their initials. Morana only hoped they would still be there when they returned.

    There was something off about the tunnels, a sense as if they had minds of their own and could change at any minute. Morana suppressed a shiver and paused to mark the wall again.

    Neeri did the same a few feet from her. "How do you think Tarion and Gaelen are faring?" She asked, breaking the heavy silence that had followed them from the temple.

    "Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if we get back and one of them is bleeding from somewhere," Morana replied.

    She glanced at Neeri as her friend's full lips curled sideways. "I have my own issues with Gaelen, but I can honestly say I don't think he means Tarion any harm. No matter what else he's done, he still cares about him. I believe that much."

    They fell back in step and continued walking. "Did Gaelen ever talk about his past with you?" Morana asked.

    "Only a little. I was never really lucid enough to remember the things he told me and I think he was afraid I'd remember the wrong things at the wrong time."

    Neeri tucked a thick curl over her shoulder and rubbed a golden moss-like bead in between her finger and thumb. "He did tell me that he killed his brother after his Corruption, and that he betrayed someone who was like his son."

    "Azael and Tarion."

    Neeri nodded. "Even then, I could see the weight of his guilt, and the sorrow he still bore."

    "True as that may be, I don't know that Tarion will ever forgive him."

    "He has every right not to."

    "What about you?"

    Neeri sighed and let her hand fall. "My problems with Gaelen are of a different nature. I don't want to be around him because of the memories that come with his presence."

    "He never hurt me and protected me to the best of his abilities, and I trusted him when I was imprisoned here, but then we were freed and he tried to kill you. Maybe if he wasn't associated with my time in Ophir, I could stand to be near him, but..."

    "It's just too hard," Morana guessed when Neeri failed to continue. "At least, right now."

    "Yes. If he could just understand that and give me the space to come to him when I'm ready, it would be better. It might even be the same with Tarion, but I think Gaelen feels like he's wasted so much time in the past that he has to fix everything now and that's not going to work."

    "Maybe you should tell him that when we get back." Morana perked up as her magic bounced off a solid structure at the end of the tunnel. There was a wall of dirt and two new tunnels forking away from it.

    She furrowed her brows and cast a pulse of magic through the area, studying the new tunnels as their images returned to her. "I don't see any sign of Arlon."