Rough Seas

40 - Three Unlikely Lovers

The way back to the temple was filled with rubble and smoke. With the sun almost gone from the horizon, Tom knew that in a few moments, he would be in near darkness. But that didn't worry him as much as his arm did. The skin was tender against the 'bandage' he had wrapped around it, and he knew that it would only hurt him more if he let it be. So his first priority would be to get that checked out. Then he would go to Dianite. Hopefully the god wouldn't notice that Rupert was gone for a couple of days. That would buy him some time for an alibi.

Ducking into a half-destroyed house, he rested against one of the remaining walls, hidden in the shadows. With a shaking hand, he pulled the bandage away from his arm. Grimacing at the blistered skin, he pulled a small vial out of his pocket. It wasn't much, but the small health potion would help with some of the pain. His heart beat quickly in his chest, and he tugged the lid off of the vial with his teeth. Spilling it down his arm, he let his head tip back as the skin on his forearm started to tingle and heal. It still hurt, but it was better than before. Re-wrapping it, he let his heart rate slow down, and watched as the sun slipped below the horizon. The city was still, if only for a moment, and Tom took solace in the brief moment of peace.

However, it didn't last long. The sound of rubble being pushed through came from close by, and Tom froze, his heart beating in his ears. Someone was still here? Most of the Ianitee's would have fled the city by now. A Dianitee, maybe? But it wouldn't make sense for them to be here, of all places. He wasn't even near the city centre, or any major roads. Listening intently, he could make out the barest hint of a whispered conversation.

"-this way. Yes, of course I remember the way." Tom blinked, the voice sounding all too familiar to him. His mouth went dry, and he almost felt like passing out and weeping at the same time. Katherine was here. Oh gods, Katherine was still here. He let out a silent breath, thanking the gods that she was still alive. He should say something, no, he needed to say something, anything to them. Anything to hear Jordan's laugh again, to see Katherine smile at him again.

Exiting the shadows, he moved towards the voices of Jordan and Katherine. There was a small flash of light, and Tom followed it. It had to be her. It had too. As he turned a corner into a small room, the tip of a sword pressed against his neck, stopping Tom in his tracks. Katherine's eyes widened as they met each other's eyes, and they were both silent for a moment.

"We have to stop meeting like this." Tom smiled weakly at Katherine as she took a step backwards, her sword falling from his neck down to her side. Swallowing, Tom raised his hands, his sword in its sheath. Her sword clattered against the ground, a jarringly loud sound in the small space, and she rushed forwards. She wrapped her arms around him, and they stayed like that for a moment. They rocked for a few moments, before Katherine pulled away, her eyes red.

"Tom-" Katherine let out a choked noise and grabbed his collar, pulling him towards her. Tom let out a gasp as she kissed him hard, one hand grasping at the back of his neck, the other still firmly gripping his collar. They broke apart and Tom swallowed, face flushed. Neither of them said anything for a moment, and Tom wondered how she managed to look so good in her armour (of course she looked good in her armour. It was Katherine, for god's sake).

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the Ianitee camp?" Tom said quietly, reaching forwards to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. She bit her lip, leaning her cheek into his hand before responding. Her skin was so soft. Was he a creep for noticing that?

"I came with Jordan to get Rupert out." Tom blinked, still mesmerized by her. It took his brain a few minutes to catch up with her, but when it did, he felt his heart skip a beat.

"Jordan's here?" Tom glanced around eagerly. Screw meeting with Dianite. He actually gave a shit about this. He hadn't talked with anyone but Furia, Dianite and Rupert for months. Katherine smiled at him sheepishly, her hand tracing the Dianitee symbol pressed into the breastplate of his armour.