Gods of Malcea ✔️

P A R T: W A T E R

"There are things that we do not want to happen but have to accept, things we do not want to know but have to learn, and people we cannot live without but have to let go." 

-Xamdú

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Karos sat in a chair facing Fariel watching as he drummed his fingers on the desk. In all their years of friendship, the one thing Karos always made note of was when he was angry. There were many different levels to Fariel, Karos learned at an early age. Trying to guess was the most trying part. 

His fingers stopped after a couple of moments. Karos saw as he pressed the side of his hand to his lips before it went over the side of his face and into his hair. Fariel was suffering the effects from last night, he gathered.

"Karos," Fariel murmured causing him to pick his head up.

"How long have we known each other?" Fariel asked with a softness to his voice.

"Seven years... " Karos mumbled back. 

He looked at Fariel as he saw his eyes begin to focus on his fingers then his hands. 

"You remember how we met?"

"Of course." 

Karos eyes lowered onto the gold marble floor. He knew where this was leading toward. The night that they met and the events before that.

"Your mother sold you for a mere five silver gracions just so that she can fill her customer's stomachs with ale and mead."

Karos closed his eyes.

"To a brothel," he finished with a hiss.

"Fariel, do not remind me of what I already know. It was not you who took me from that place. It was Andel."

"And who do you think saved him?" 

Karos rose and Fariel mimicked his actions. He saw as Fariel was coming towards him. Before he could reach the door, Fariel pushed him against the wall. 

"You and Andel were both whores, like your mothers. Then you became thieves until I had saved you from that miserable existence."

He moved his hand away from him until Fariel had him boxed in with both of his hands placed on each side of him. 

"I thought you would never think of touching a man again. Ake is gorgeous. He is beautiful. However, he is not worth this. He is not worth your life." 

He saw his concern and the amount of love he had for him bleeding through his voice. Fariel cared for him, he knew that. He knew he always would.

"It is mere infatuation. It is not love, Karos." 

Karos looked at him seeing specks of gold in his irises. He saw as he pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. Fariel was not going to relent on this.

"...You very well know my feelings, Fariel." 

"What you feel is not lo-"

"Let me feel what I believe then. Do not lecture me on this. I am grateful to you for everything you have done for me and I am in your deepest debt for it. You are a close friend to me and I understand your worries, but I cannot help the way I feel. I had tried."

"Then the war..."

"...I will not ask him. I will not bring him into something we had created."

Fariel let out a deep sigh causing Karos to relax. 

"Let me have what little time I have left with him."

"...He is a man, Karos," Fariel breathed.