The Stone Sorceress

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Eros felt that the neighbouring kingdom, and ancient enemy of Hyperion were responsible - Lemuria. The two had been in and out of war since history began. Despite enjoying a prolonged period of peace, the present king, Aavak took a hostile stance, provocative and aggressive in his foreign policy. The talk of both realms was that he courted war, but for what purpose none knew. After witnessing the mass execution at Lynx, Eros realised that Aavak would have his war. The young cavalier, because he was so honorable, because he was so noble, was all the more offended by what he saw - the baseness of that slaughter, the torture of his captain, the murder of the cinder girl. Anger began to consume him.

Odin, Eros and Thanatos's mentor, a tall slender man with blanched hair and almost elven features, a man reputed to be unmatched in swordplay, was worried, and, when he noticed that his protege had not been sighted for many days, he had recourse to Thanatos. Odin held him by the forearm, and said, "He needs you now." Hyperion stood to lose one of its finest. With war hanging over the kingdom, that wasn't an option.

One day Eros lay in bed with a terrible fever, his blouse was covered in sweat. Thanatos dabbed his brow with a damp flannel, and scanned him head to toe. His friend was terribly pale, and his sickly eyes looked up at him, "The little girl...I see her."

Thanatos begged him to rest, and exited Eros's parlour, shutting the door behind him. He shut his eyes, massaged his brow, and sighed. This was a malady he couldn't conquer with a sword. So he turned to Celia, Eros's girlfriend, sneaking her into the academy grounds, and Eros's apartments. But it broke her heart to not recognise the man lying there. Thanatos begged her to remain, which she did, nursing Eros through his night terrors. Her soft skin, and young lips soothed the fire that burned in Eros's chest, but they didn't extinguish it.

Then one day Thanatos heard shouting; he rushed into the room to see Celia screaming, Eros in his nightgown – hallucinating – he'd gone mad. Thanatos rushed forth, and calmed him; Celia trembled, crying as she left.

A few weeks after this incident, Thanatos pounded on Eros's door. He heard shuffled steps, the door creaked open. Eros looked ill when he slumped back into his armchair.

Thanatos said entering, "The results are out."

"I don't care."

"I know it's Lemuria you're pre-occupied with," Thanatos stood before Eros in a dark stuffy room, "But if you are to be called upon to fight, it's necessary that you pass." Eros looked up from an armchair that he hadn't appeared to have left for a month. Thanatos continued, "There will be a war, that is what they discuss in secret." Thanatos smiled, "And we must be ready. What justice can you exact so pale and thin, sat in that chair?"

Eros was silent; he looked at the drapes that were drawn. It was true that he hid like some beast in a cave. He thought his friend was right, he was no good to anyone in this state, and for the first time in weeks, he went outside.

They headed for the academy hall, where a great parchment hung. On it, in perfect hand, was inscribed each student's name and beside it their grade. A furious tumult was taking place like a stormy sea the students swirled around, using their elbows and shoulders to shove their way to the front.

Yuki emerged out the back of the ruckus, with rosy cheeks and a seductive smile she said, "A*"

Thanatos replied, "Well done, it's a fine grade."

She shook with joy, "Thank you, will I see you at the ball?"

"Of course." He saw that she was really asking Eros not him, "He'll be there too, so long as he passes."

Yuki laughed thinking it a joke, after all, how could he possibly fail?

They moved through the bodies, the gunslinger and mage were at the front, Thanatos heard, 'AA, a fine grade Sabriel.' And 'AA* Typhon.'