Blood Bound ||The Arcane Legacy #1

12/ Flash of Reverie*

Rollen slumped onto the narrow bed, exhaustion crippling his limbs. 

After a hard day's ride, their destination had come into view. Colsen had informed him earlier that they were bound for Charlay, a small town that stood miles from the Tower. Despite the long hours spent on horse-back, the lengthening distance from Allyn's Tower coated a thin layer of calm over his anxiety. Though he stamped on his swelling apprehension, spurts of unease broke to the surface.  He ignored those feelings; the farther they went, the higher their chances of survival. By the time they had glimpsed the town's dark outline, they had but an hour of daylight left. Now the flaming orb had nearly sunk behind the hills, its red-orange glow painting the earth.

As soon as they reached Charlay, Colsen steered them into a busy tavern, where it was easier to keep their identities hidden. He then rented a room with two beds and ordered a meal, with a few silver erlons to spare. When Rollen had seen the bed, he'd dropped his cloak and fell into the bed. Normally, he could endure days with as little sleep as possible. However, his mind had been weighed down with tension, leaving him burned out and open to exhaustion's clutches.

A few hours later, he stirred at the sound of the door banging. He turned his head at the noise, irritation fogging his mind. Colsen crossed the room to sag on his bed. Dark bags framed his weary eyes, a stark contrast on his pale face. That he hadn't slept for a whole day after hours of being alert back in the Tower since before dawn was impressive. Nevertheless, he was still human, and going two days without sleep would affect his vigilance.

"You should rest," Rollen advised, shifting on the bed. "I'll stand guard in the meantime."

Colsen shook his head, sending his dark tussled hair waving in the air. "No, I can keep going a few hours longer."

On other days, Rollen would have used his superiority to force his subordinate to rest. But today, he needed answers. 

Rollen dragged himself upright and stretched his arms above his head. "Alright then." He cracked his neck and readjusted himself in a sitting position on his bed. "I guess it's time for some answers."

The weary man across him swiped at his face as though wiping off his fatigue. "What do you want to know?"

Rollen laced his fingers together and fixed his stare on his comrade. "Everything."

Colsen sighed at the response. "Well, isn't this my lucky day," he muttered.

Ignoring the sarcasm, Rollen asked, "Who stole the Xiordite?"

"A thief."

Rollen glared at the light response. He was about to snap at him when he saw the man's worn-out demeanor.

"I'm sorry, Captain," Colsen met his gaze. "But I can't tell you."

Rollen quirked a brow. "Can't or won't?"

"Can't."

He growled. "Why not?"

Colsen fell silent, holding his head in his hands. The fatigue he tried to hide was evident by the sag of his shoulders and tone of his voice.

Rollen closed his eyes in exasperation and drew in a deep breath. "Okay, then. Why did he steal it?"

"Well," the soldier started. His face was still in his hands, making his voice a little mumbled. "It's a very powerful stone with unique properties. One of its specialties is that it can act as a sensor to a type of material that mutes any kind of power."

The young captain's eyes bugged out, lips parting slightly. He had never heard of an object of that kind. "It can? Then why haven't we found it yet?" Such a tool would prove very useful in capturing and containing Arcane.