Scarlet Sky

Tiarnán’s thoughts had been a mess lately.

Things had been hard ever since they’d found their way out of the Tomran Sidhe lab and back into the safety of the Avalon. It had felt like only a day within the lab’s walls, but a mortified Leon had informed the group that it had been…several. Half a week had passed without their knowledge.

It made sense that Leon had come directly to Tiarnán’s quarters after the ‘escape’ or ‘rescue’ or whatever you could classify their departure from the lab as. It made sense that Leon had to physically resist many expressions of his worry, especially after seeing the winter Sidhe’s haggard state.

Tiarnán had never been like this, not in all his days. Not when they were in the Sidhe war, not when they rebelled, never.

…but even that made sense.

“Tiarnán?” Sorethlyn’s voice was soft as he tapped the tall man’s shoulder, which made Tiarnán jump in surprise.

“Y-yes, Sorethlyn?” he stammered as he turned, instinctively folding his hands behind his back.

“You seem distracted, friend. Is there something else you need to be doing?”

Tiarnán did his best to meet the confused drakon’s gaze as steadily as he could. There was no reason to let his weakness out here, not when everyone needed him to remain strong. Soon Leon would be gone, another thing that was only happening because of Tiarnán and his weakness for his new friends…

If he hadn’t told them, he wouldn’t have felt so unpleasant about not telling Leon, and…and…perhaps he could stay.

“...Tiarnán?” Sorethlyn asked again, seeing the distant look in his friend’s eyes.

Once more, Tiarnán jumped, then gave a pleasant smile — or whatever passed for one, at least. “I suppose you’re right, I am a bit distracted…perhaps I’ll come back for tea in a short time. I just…need some time to…”

Tiarnán made a gesture not unlike a human clearing their throat, puffing out his cheeks for a moment as he worked to regain and maintain his composure. “I just need some time,” he finished as simply as he knew how.

Sorethlyn watched him with an unsure expression for a moment but then gave a short nod. “Of course, Tiarnán, you know you’re always welcome here. I will be around when you are ready.”

The winter Sidhe nodded several times in a rapid fashion. The overcompensation was not missed by Sorethlyn, but he still let the pale man walk away from him, presumably to return to his quarters.

“Things are strange lately…,” the drakon murmured to himself. “I do hope everything turns out alright.”

===

But I’m falling apart,

Try to hold on to my soul.

This couldn’t happen. It couldn’t end like this.

Tiarnán pressed his back hard against a wall, the only thing left to support him, as he peeked out at his party members. That horned, snake-like thing had nearly destroyed them all, each of them standing stunned without hope to attack or defend, and Fiona…

Oh, by the Gods, Fiona–

“I can’t let this happen,” Tiarnán whispered to himself, clutching one closed fist against his narrow chest. “I cannot let them die.”

It was a spell he’d never used before, something that had appeared on his spell tablet after…after he’d lost Lileas. He’d hoped he’d never have to use it, for fear of what it might do, but there was no choice. Anything that gave his companions a chance to live, to survive this monster, was worth the risk he would face, the sacrifice he’d have to make.

Tiarnán summoned the magic within himself, closing his eyes against the dark red and black blobs of color that haunted his fingertips. He imagined his will as steel, unbendable, unbreakable. He pictured his companions, his friends, and he pictured what little life he would have left without them.

The agony would break him.

It was better this way.

Tiarnán pushed himself to turn the corner and extend his hand, pointing directly at the creature that now loomed over Fiona’s limp body like a painfully iridescent shroud. Its neon blue tongue dripped venom as its multicolored, scaly body slithered and swirled around Tiarnán’s friend. He had only moments to act, but moments were all he needed.

Tiarnán spoke in a voice that both was and wasn’t his.

“Black Feathers.”

Blight beats through my broken heart.

===

Tiarnán could make sense of much of what had happened within the lab. He could make sense of a great deal of the aftermath, even, but there were things that still defied him and his need to understand.

Leon’s soon-to-be departure was one of those things.

Down in the roots they slumber,

As I am torn asunder…

Tiarnán would’ve done anything to get Móirín back from Nibelheim, anything at all, so long as he was the one to do it. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Leon to handle it, or that he didn’t think the massive summer Sidhe could handle it, it was simply that…that Tiarnán was afraid of something terrible happening. Whether it happened to Leon or Móirín mattered not, as they were both incredibly important to Tiarnán. He couldn’t bear to lose either of them, not forever, and not like this.

He could still picture Leon’s excitement when Tiarnán had explained his missing partner, the feeling shown better by his armored body than any expression an Immortal could’ve made. The larger Sidhe had started to draw his axe, exclaiming, “We should find them!”

It was admirable, at a bare minimum.

It was endearing.

…and it was heart-breaking.

Tiarnán had shushed Leon then, had begged him to keep Móirín’s existence as secret as was reasonable, but now he wished he hadn’t said a thing.

The ship wouldn’t feel the same without Leon’s hulking presence. Tiarnán feared it would never feel the same again.

===

It was nearly the day of Leon’s departure.

Tiarnán grew more and more introspective as the days wore on, worrying himself silly about things he had no control over…things he’d never had control over, if he was being honest with himself.

It was the final conversation he’d had with Leon that really made the whole business feel real.

Tiarnán had expressed how important it was to him that they find Móirín, but…he’d also mentioned just how selfish that thought was. There was the rebellion to think about, not to mention Leon’s safety, and to ask him to give up so much all for the sake of the winter Sidhe was…unthinkable.

Leon disagreed.

“Perhaps what the rebellion needs right now is not a courageous knight leading the charge, but a logical, gentle, and insightful leader,” he’d said, unusually seriously for the otherwise exuberant Sidhe. “You have allies you can call on for advice when you need it, and while some might have too much of a ‘bleeding kidney’, as I’ve heard, it’s good to have those people with you.”

Tiarnán chuckled to himself as he thought about the misspoken phrase, staring down at the teacup clutched between his shaking hands. He was afraid, if he was being honest, and he’d told Leon as much: in his affect if not his words.

There wasn’t a single part of him that wanted anything to do with leadership, least of all in this capacity. He wasn’t meant to be the leader of a rebellion, he wasn’t meant to do anything like it, and he certainly wasn’t any match for Leon as the one in charge of something so large as a literal rebellion…but…

Leon trusted him. He’d said as much.

“I can’t think of a better person to take my place while I’m gone.”

The words echoed in Tiarnán’s head as he squeezed the teacup a little tighter, forcing his trembling to still as he took a long sip of the soothing tea blend.

He could almost hear Leon’s voice in his head, a smile in his tone, though not echoed on his still, armored visage.

“You can do this.”

Leon had never spoken those words directly, but he didn’t have to. Tiarnán knew him well enough to know he felt it, to know he would have said it, had it needed to be said.

Well, then, Tiarnán thought, taking another sip, imagining the warmth of the drink physically spreading through him, just as he had read about. I can do this, he told himself, his tone brooking no argument, not even from his own mind. I will do this. For Leon. Because he trusts me.

I will lead the Sidhe. Leon will come back safely…and I will see sweet Móirín again.