Golden

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Quinn

            “—gave his soul to his newborn heir. The soul travelled for hundreds of light-years, but when it finally reached Procratus and entered the heir’s body – the newborn’s own soul rejected it and the child was destroyed.” Adrian looks at Quinn, who fights to keep his composure optimal, “I had read about that in Valsea a long while ago, but I can never forget the story. It is just incredibly interesting to me.”

            Quinn nods, his gaze wandering around the ruined land. “It is fascinating,” he murmurs.

            “Why are you being so withdrawn?” comes the sudden question. Quinn had been expecting those words for some time, as he had been giving only a fraction of his attention to Adrian.

            Quinn had not been trying to offend Adrian; after all, they are still considered to be good friends. However, the very moment Adrian began talking about Cyrus and the history of Maltha, Quinn forced his ears to hear nothing and his mind to wander elsewhere.

            “I am not being withdrawn; I am searching for the Ilathum. I am fairly certain we are nearing its location,” he answers lightly.

            “You did not answer my question.”

            Quinn turns to look at Adrian directly in the eye, “I just did. Now, will you let—”

            “Why are you so hesitant to talk about Maltha?” Adrian intercepts, grasping Quinn’s shoulder with a tight grip. “Why do you always balk at the very mention of this world?”

            “Let go of my shoulder,” Quinn says, the forceful tone dripping off of each spoken word.

            Thankfully, he releases his grip; however his hand continues to rest limply on his shoulder. “Answer my question.”

            Turning his body in order for Adrian’s hand to fall off his shoulder, Quinn gives him a look. “We are not here to discuss personal matters; we are here to carry out our goddess’s mission, which I intend on fulfilling.”

            Quinn does not miss the slight recoil in Adrian’s body at the mention of Penella. “Of course,” Adrian eventually mutters. “We would not want to disappoint our goddess.” Had he not known of Adrian’s traitorous act, Quinn would have let the murmur breeze through his ears. However, his knowledgeable self can clearly hear the underlying hatred that lines Adrian’s last words. It seems Quinn is beginning to grate on the collaborator’s nerves.

            They resume their search for a little while more until Adrian catches Quinn’s attention. “What are these rocks?” he calls out, beckoning for Quinn to join him.

            Quinn approaches the area, his eyes immediately falling upon the broken, luminescent pieces of stone that lay scattered across an open area of grassless dirt. They shine brightly in the twin suns, his mind not failing to recognize the distinct, blue hue.

            He grasps a shard, inspecting it between two fingers. “These are shattered fragments of Ilathum,” he tells Adrian.

            At this, Adrian stands from his kneeling position, Quinn following suit. “There must be more nearby. These shards are too small to be of any use,” Adrian says.

            Quinn nods, eyeing the Agent’s reaction to the Ilathum. Surely he must know by now that Quinn has caught onto his betrayal. He must be planning to trap me here, Quinn thinks.