Gods of Malcea ✔️

T H I R T Y

"A million feelings. A thousand thoughts. A hundred memories. One person."

-Xamdú

_________________________

The moment they touched down on ground Analia had not once taken her eyes off of Fariel. She was convinced he was scheming something and was hiding it under the guise of friendship and good will. Unlike Karos, she was not blinded by love to give thought to much else. She saw who and what Fariel was. 

She put her black hair back into a ponytail and stalked her way to where Karos sat doing his planning. He had always been a good strategist. When they were younger, he had gotten her and Andel out of quite a few sticky situations. They would have landed in jail, or worse, with one of their hands cut off. Petty thieves they were, but the laws in Ganash spared no thought to children. Ul was much kinder.

"Karos."

He stopped what he was doing and looked up at her with tired eyes. Had he been resting properly? she thought. 

"Yes, Analia?"

"Where had Fariel gone?"

"To Ul." 

"Ul? For what reasons?"

"Aid against the gods and their creatures. He is seeking out anyone who no longer wants to live under their oppressive rule," he said with a yawn.

His black hair was sprawled across his face. As he rubbed at his eyes, ink smeared on his face causing Analia to smile. He had a boyish look about him that has never seemed to leave since their smaller years. No matter the time that had passed between them, Analia believed that he had never changed. He was still that boy with lashes on his back. Still that boy who would risk his own life to save a life such as hers. 

As she looked across the table, she noticed Rakkaus' head rising. He stared at her with eyes that seemed to drown and suffocate her before he turned his gaze to Karos. His golden hair went down to the middle of his back complimenting the gem embedded trinket hanging off of his right ear. He was a pretty dragon. Someone who Fariel would take a great interest in. However, she heard around court the rumors and tales of Ake. He had been one of his inamoratos until Ake went down to Ganash. She swallowed hard as she sat down on the otherside of the table. 

"Have you finished?" she heard him say. She paid close attention to his sultry voice. Even his words held the essence of passion and sensuousness lingering behind each syllable. 

"Almost," Karos mumbled back. He took a hand through his hair and scratched his head. "I am wary of the numbers we have in comparison to the Gwasas. I have yet to figure in the griffins nor the phoenixes."

"Do not worry about them." Rakkaus cut his eyes away from him. "I am sure they will be taken care of."

"What do you mean by that?" 

Again, Rakkaus stared at him almost as if he was suppressing a glare. He sighed and smiled. 

"Things find ways to work themselves out." 

She watched as Karos handed him over the paper he had been working on for hours. With unabashed eyes, Rakkaus took it and looked it over.

"Good. Yes, the numbers of the Gwasas may be lower than anticipated for the first wave, however. Lower that."

Karos rose from his chair and went around the table to look over his shoulder to figure out what he was speaking of. 

"And here. I do not believe that is the best place to set up the defense for the first wave. Instead, leave that there for the second." He leaned closer. "Here too."