Crimson and Gold

The visit to the Academy of Magic in Argopetri didn’t bring the results Saria and Lysandra were hoping for, but it wasn’t a total bust either.

They confirmed that Kain was indeed the person responsible for the explosion at the villa all those months ago and gained insight about his abilities. Learning that the man was interested in dark magic was also valuable information.

Dark magic didn’t follow the same rules as other schools, it was also much more dangerous and unpredictable.

Every other form of magic rooted its power in Light coming from the All-Mother, the Creator of the World. Dark magic, on the other hand, took its strength from the Darkness, the Void. Empowered by the most wicked and disgusting acts a human soul could commit.

Anyone who touched this kind of power was a formidable foe.

Saria and Lysandra needed to know more about Kain, both agreed that the man most likely faked his own death in order to cover up his tracks.

Since the Academy didn’t point them in another direction, they decided to retrace his steps. Of course, neither of them was able to make the trip to Itles in person, there were still responsibilities waiting for both of them.

Lysandra assigned this task to Drusus, who had much more experience in tracking people and was much freer than they were.

Once they were back in Aervelis, they went back to their usual routine.

The vaccine prepared by Lysandra was working very well, there were fewer and fewer Husks every day. The patrols during the day and night focused more on locating and destroying the remaining stashes of the drug than on clearing out the infected.

Eventually, the situation calmed down so much that Saria and Eris agreed to end their patrols after one more night.

***

“What about this guy?” Eris pointed at a man stumbling out of the tavern.

Saria narrowed her eyes and studied the target for a second.

“Ex military. Retired after an injury in his left knee. After leaving the army, he could no longer pay for the life he used to have and eventually started drowning his sorrows in shine.”

Sitting on a rooftop of the house across the street, Saria and Eris—having nothing else to do—were watching people coming and going from the tavern in the worker district.

The man Eris selected this time swerved into the middle of the road when someone suddenly approached him.

“Uke, you can’t keep doing that. How many people do you owe money to at this point? If that continues, you’ll either drink yourself to death or the loansharks kill you for not paying your debts.”

The man addressed as Uke let out a loud sneer. “Good. ‘Bout the damn time I get out of this shithole,” he said, slurring his words.

“How can you say that? What about your mother?” His friend caught Uke’s arm as he was trying to go around him.

“Mother is going to do better without me. They might even give her some money, because I kicked the bucket.”

The friend refused to let go. “You don’t have to die to be useful to your family. Uke, stop drinking, I’ll get you a job, you’ll see. Being a soldier isn’t everything.”

Uke finally managed to free himself from his friend’s grasp. “Eh, what kind of a job can a cripple have?” He waved his hand dismissively as he bypassed the man. “Leave me alone, Duli. I have accepted my fate.”

Eris watched the scene in silence, and once Uke disappeared around the corner, she turned to look at Saria.

“Incredible! How did you know?!”

Saria flashed her a smug smile. “I’m just this good. Pure natural. Basically a gift from the Gods,” she said, winking.

Of course, the real answer was quite simple.

Using her blood magic, she could detect the man’s injury in his knee as well as other, older wounds. She was able to tell that he must have been some kind of warrior, and she already knew this tavern was frequented by many army veterans.

Putting the pieces together, she guessed the most likely scenario.

Eris knew already about her blood magic, so there was no need to play coy. However, sitting and chatting, playing silly games, and enjoying a calm night put her in a mischievous mood, so she decided to tease her friend a little.

Unbeknownst to her, this little jest made Eris’ heart race. The feelings she tried keeping under control stirred and swelled dangerously.

The girl’s eyes filled with admiration as she quietly watched her companion.

The moon illuminated Saria’s profile. Her sharp yet gentle features were displayed in full prominence.

The sight tugged at Eris’ heart. In the silver light, the woman before her looked ethereal, unachievable.

As if there were a world of distance between them.

This made Eris feel anxious.

Before she could think about what she was doing, her hand reached out, cupping Saria’s face.

The gesture made the woman look towards her, causing Eris’ heart to tremble as she looked into those clear crimson eyes.

There was a question written in them. A bit of confusion, maybe even a little bit of fear.

Eris laughed internally, then, as if trying to escape her own reason, she leaned in.

A scent of sun and leather with a faint hint of roses enveloped her as her lips met the other.

Saria didn’t react, she didn’t respond, didn’t let her in. She simply… froze.

Eris didn’t mind. The taste she was yearning for was finally hers, she wanted to savor it, memorize every note and every faint sensation it brought.

Eventually, after a moment that both felt like an eternity and a fraction of a second, Saria’s senses returned to her.

She pulled away hurriedly, almost panicking. “Eris, no!”

The entire situation came crashing down on her, her previously empty mind now filled with thundering chaos.

She couldn’t deny anymore, couldn’t pretend not to see the longing in Eris’ eyes, couldn’t lie to herself that she simply wanted a sense of security.

Her denial of this fact ran so deep that once the facade crumbled and shattered, it rendered her completely dumbfounded.

Saria—raised to be a weapon, facing death every other day—froze when faced with feelings she couldn’t reciprocate.

Eris lowered her eyes. “I’m sorry… I… I…”

Saria didn’t know what to say either. Not because her heart wavered, not because her feelings were muddled. They were crystal clear as ever.

There was no doubt in her heart, because there had always been only one person in it. Her love for Lysandra was stronger than anything else.

Sometimes she felt as if she was born in this world with a sole purpose of being beside her, showering her with overflowing feelings.

Maybe not even in this world alone. If there were more, then Saria was certain, in every single one of them, she would always belong to Lysandra.

But because of this love that seemed to run in her veins as naturally as her blood, she understood the pain behind feelings that could never be realized.

She didn’t love Eris, but she cared for her. She was her friend, sometimes even saw her as a sibling. Naturally, she wanted to protect her.

But now, she was forced to be the blade that cut her and left a permanent scar on her heart.

“Eris…” she whispered, uncertain. She scooted closer and took Eris’ trembling hand in hers. “Eris, I’m sorry. I can’t give you what you want…”

“But—”

“You know it already. You know about Lysandra and me, you know about my feelings for her.”

Eris still refused to look at her. She sniffed quietly with her head cast down. “I know that I’m not a match for her. Not for her looks, not for her money or power, but I’m certain that I can care for you no less than she does. If you just gave me a chance—”

“Eris.” Saria’s voice turned stern, though it still carried that comforting warmth as always whenever they spoke.

She pulled Eris’ chin up, forcing their eyes to meet. “From the beginning till the end, in my heart there will always be her and only her.”

One look into those red eyes and Eris knew there was no chance. It wasn’t just determination burning in them. For the first time, she saw this degree of devotion in anyone’s eyes.

In that moment, she understood that even if fate ever brought them together, Saria’s eyes would never look like this when talking about her.

Even a blind person would see that these two were connected with more than just feelings. It was a natural, undeniable law. So obvious, so right, just like the sky being blue and the grass being green.

With that realization, Eris’ heart squeezed painfully. Tears welling in her eyes fell silently. “I understand…” she whispered, her lips quivering from the pain.

Saria’s gaze softened. She hated being the reason behind those tears, even if it was justified.

She used her thumb to wipe the trails on Eris’ cheek. “It probably is a poor consolation right now, but… I still consider you a dear friend,” she said softly. “Both you and Aide can count on me. I’ll always be there for both of you.”

Eris took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Once the tears stopped falling, she started speaking again. “If we are friends, then you have to learn to accept help too, dummy,” she said while pouting. “You always rush into danger without thinking.”

Saria couldn’t help but chuckle at the sudden scolding. “Alright. If you insist so much, then I will feel no remorse. I will be a pain in the butt, you’ll see,” she declared proudly.

“You’re already a pain in the butt,” Eris mumbled and rested her head on Saria’s shoulder.

Her heart was still aching from the rejection, but she was also starting to feel much lighter. The matter was no longer weighing on her, and even if the outcome couldn’t be further from what she wanted, it marked the beginning of a new path for her.

Who knew what the future would bring? Perhaps there really was a soulmate destined for her, and it was only a matter of time before they met.

In the meantime, Eris decided to do as she always did and enjoy small victories. Being able to remain friends with Saria was also good, and she intended to cherish this relationship to the fullest, too.