Fever Blood

Chapter 57: He Waits

And I have seen my death. I shall pass on, long before the complete destruction of Elysion is complete. Do not shed your tears for me, my companions, but shed tears of joy, for though our lives are destined to end, so shall the Eight.

-Marcus Anderus, Captain of the Guard of Elysion

***

Laidu leaned against the wall of the tavern, waiting for Kyra to awaken.

Karik'ar and Thaen sat at the bar, chatting amicably. Morning light filtered in, and the sleepy languor still pleasantly lulled him down to rest. He wasn't asleep, but stuck in the place between sleep and wakefulness, conscious but barely so.

And then she walked down the stairs, waking him up from his half-slumber.

Kyra had gotten dressed, wearing her Caeldari travelling outfit, the thin, fitted coat accentuating her form. She gave him a smile, before sitting down near Thaen and Karik'ar.

Immediately, he began to worry, to wonder. Did he scare her off? Was it him? Was she avoiding him? Was it on purpose? Was she repulsed by him? Did she remember what she did when drugged? From her casual demeanor, Laidu guessed she didn't remember.

She took a mug of tea from the bartender, and walked over to Laidu. "Skaria said I should run this by you. No clue why," she said, handing him the steaming mug. Laidu sipped it, then returned it to Kyra. She sat down next to him, sipping it, heedless of the rather furtive glances from the other patrons.

"Apparently, I was exhausted from travelling," she said. She didn't know what she had done. "You know, I had a strangely vivid dream here." She looked up at Laidu; though she was tall, she was still a good head shorter than him. "You were in it, believe it or not." She didn't seem to notice the disapproving glares of the

"I don't know whether to be honored or worried," Laidu said. Kyra chuckled. Then a thought struck him. "Hey, your dream didn't involve 'scaly babies,' did it?"

Her reaction was immediate. Her eyes widened and she turned a shocked shade of pink. "I...that actually happened?"

"Yep," Laidu said.

Kyra looked around. "I was wondering why I was getting so many strange glances," she muttered, shifting away from Laidu. "Now, I guess I know. Was I loud?"

"You were shouting at the top of your lungs," Laidu said.

"Well then," Kyra said, "I'd love to leave this town before all our reputations are sullied."

"Too late for that," Laidu said. "I doubt it will get to Caeldar," he said, "but then again, there is the chance it might happen."

She shrugged. "Yeah, well, the deed is done. Nothing else can be helped."

Laidu nodded. "There was a proverb my mother used to say. 'Misery is the companion of the man who tries to anchor the sun. Peace is the companion of the man who works what his arms can reach.' Sometimes, one has to relinquish control," he said.

"Good proverb," Kyra said.

"Of course," Laidu said, "my father said another proverb. 'He who takes no burden shall have no reward.' Own your actions, he always said."

"They sound like wonderful people," Kyra said. "I would love to meet them." Laidu arched an eyebrow. "Anyway, what are we doing?"

"We leave Sapharama," Laidu said. "We go to stock up in the market, I need to stop in the Ranger administration building to get a better cloak, and then we leave for the town of Gaelhal." He smiled. "From there, we take a boat to Caeld, and deliver you straight to your family."