Worlds Apart

Reunions

Looking over me with expressions of utter scorn and outrage are none other than my old friends; Jackie, Carter, Alice, and Brian, and all of their gazes are vehement as they stare me down disapprovingly. Brian and Carter all bear the classic guard uniforms of Aer Cantavit even now, Brian's hair grown out considerably in deep, dark waves brushed back from his face while Carter's ebony hair is still as cleanly cropped as ever. Jackie has also stayed true to Superior's clothing regimes with her industrial synthetic jacket, an army green fitted tee with cargo pants and combat boots to top it off. Her sandy brown hair is still pulled back in a similarly practical manner as the top sections are intricately french twisted back with the sides slicked down into her classic high ponytail, but the tail of the hairstyle does contain several braids which does hint towards some Grounder influence having taken suit in the style. Alice still has her tan, worn tunic and thick, woven pants native to this clan that she wears to the blacksmith shop near the square, but has maintained her elegant french braided hairstyle the wraps around her head into its ever growing, copper length. All of them seem to have not changed all that much in the time I have been gone.

Eadric tenses at my side upon taking the chance to notice their current, appalled state, and I can practically feel the heat radiating off of his own glare fueled with fire as he meets their contempt with something much harsher and more challenging in nature. I, however, actually approach the matter from a different perspective, one from a cooler, more distant realm, an objective realm. Whatever matter brings them here, this matter likely being triggered by my arrival, I will face it as a levelheaded leader just as Einar and my other instructors taught me to.

"What is it that brings you all here at such a time?" Eadric ventures, speaking first. He takes a couple steps towards the group, a little ahead of me as though attempting to shield me from any verbal cuts those before us may try to commit.

"We wish to speak with Aurora." Jackie ventures first. Her tone is direct and confident as always, but I notice some hesitation evident in her posture by the way she had shifted back slightly upon him actually approaching the group.

Eadric merely raises his eyebrows, skeptical as ever, before looking to me as though for permission.

In answer, I step to the edge of the platform as he has before returning his nod with a firm one of my own, but I keep my eyes on Jackie, waiting to see just what game she is playing at here.

Much to my surprise it is actually Alice who boldly steps up past Jackie to ascend the steps before me, stopping just short of the platform upon which Eadric and I are stood. Her eyes are illuminated in a glassy haze, her pale features flushed and body wracked with trembles by the time she has reached out to pull me into a brisk yet unfathomably gentle embrace.

"How could you have not told us?" She mutters breathlessly, her entire body quivering in time with her shaken exhales. She tucks her chin over my shoulder just in time for realization and understanding to bombard my other senses. The fight, why I did not come back after all this time in order to defeat Vlasta and take Lux Cantavit in the name of Nocte Cantavit, why I spent so much time away from them, they now know why. They know it all.

After a moment of comprehension, ensuring my expression is controlled and neutral as I have been trained to, I raise my hands to the bottom of Alice's elbows, urging her to pull away so she can see my even expression and hopefully calm down some. "It's alright, Alice. It's all over now anyways."

"But you didn't even..." Her frail voice trails just in time for Brian to take his turn ascending the steps until he is beside her. He automatically sets a steady hand over the small of her back, keeping his eyes glued to my own.

"All this time you were gone," he begins, his tone softer than I have heard it in a long time, "we had to live with the knowledge that you felt too distant from us to even tell us about this. That you had to face this alone."