Chapter 215: An Order to Leave

"What do you mean we have to leave?" Randolf asked, slamming his hand on his chest, silently begging it not to be the case. Peeking to the right and seeing Alice lazily lean against her fist, watching, her other free hand twirling her quill, he already knew she was the cause behind it, the conversation the night before being the reason.

"This is hardly fair, my Lord. We have yet to restock our supplies properly." Elva said, surprising Randolf. Looking at her, he could see a gaze full of desire and understood that she had wished to enjoy the festival.

"I will hear no more." Legetus looked at Alice, his expression conflicted. "She must go; Lord Raven has waited long enough, and I will not delay him any longer." His joyful smile was lacking only a stern expression that no longer hid his true feelings.

"My Lord..."

"All the supplies you need will be provided." Cutting Elva off, he shook his head and raised a hand. "She. Must. Go." Emphasising every word, Legetus’s fat hand clenched his thigh tightly, gripping it. "If you are unable to do so, my men will take over. You can return to Lord Goodson and explain your failures, as my people will tell lord Raven."

Elva clicked her tongue but said nothing more, realising it was a losing fight, instead choosing to shoot a hateful glare at Alice for it. They had planned to stay a few days, maybe a week, to resupply and rest, but already they were being chased out. Randolf was different, stepping forward.

"Do not invoke Lord Raven’s name to lie to us, my Lord. We will do as you say, but I wish for the truth." Randolf asked, his hands clasped behind his back; Legetus stared at him. A light chuckle escaped his lips as he rose, his stomach hitting the table, forcing him to take a step back.

"My orders are clear. That is enough"

"You are a Lord, that is correct, and I will not disobey you, but just because you are a Lord does not mean you can lie without just cause. This isn’t Vigilant Watcher of Muted Cry; you are a first amongst equals under Lord Raven with us." Randolf stepped forward. "Do us the courtesy of telling the truth."

Legetus took two deep breaths, stared deep into Randolf’s eyes and clicked his tongue afterwards. Looking at Alcie, his eyes burned with rage. "Lord Raven is fair and gives us all choices. He allows us the chance to make mistakes, but that does not mean we are free from punishment." Looking back at Randolf, he closed his eyes and hunched forward, as if a weight crushed his shoulders. "I will make that mistake if she remains. I almost had last night, and I am unsure if I will have the strength to stop a second time."

One hand fell on the table to hold himself up as the other ran over his face, stopping on his eye. It trembled, and Legetus struggled to speak. Over and over he breathed, trying to collect his thoughts. "Every time you leave the settlements, you prepare yourself for death." His voice was quiet. "It is a burden you chose, but you accept. Be it for the people or the thrill. But you always have the belief that you can return. To go home to your families, to your friends. You always have the choice to give up that life and do something else."

Sighing, Legetus mockingly laughed at himself and pulled his hand away to meet Randolf’s and Elva’s eyes. "I no longer have that choice. My duty, unlike yours, now only leads to death. I can barely accept it for myself, but my friends are different. Each second she remains, I must decide: my life or hers. Death is my only end now, no matter what choice I make, so get her out and let me wash my hands free of that choice." Legetus paused,d his lip trembling with a shaky breath. "I am asking you to let me spend my final days not burdened with an impossible choice, but to instead spend them smiling with my family."

The room was silent as Legetus retook his seat, collapsing in the chair and staring at the ceiling. Looking at Elva, she shamefully looked away. Randolf didn’t speak straight away, looking between Alice and Legetus. Finally, he looked up at the ceiling and let out a deep sigh. "I understand." Placing a hand on his chest, he bowed towards Legetus, even if he didn’t look at him. "Thank you, my Lord, for your hospitality." Looking to Alice, Randfol nodded his head for her to follow. Alice quickly nodded and left, while Elva stayed behind a few seconds longer in deep thought before trailing behind.

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Looking at the mirror, Alpina saw the runes alongside it light up, showing that someone wished to talk through something she had ignored until now. Her room, much like herself, was a mess, clutter building up all around. Even if she didn’t wish to believe it, part of her was hopeful the call was Lord Raven reversing the order, which was quickly crushed when she saw Docaitus on the other side.

The young man sat curled in a ball, his chin resting on his knees, his thin silk nightwear draped over his body as moonlight pierced through a window, covering him in a gentle light, the dreamcatchers above, dancing but never entangling.

"Alpina." His voice was soft but didn’t show fear; instead, it was at peace. "The others have been worried. You never answered."

"Diocaitus." Looking at the sleepy man, she forced out a half-smile, one that brought out her beautiful marble appearance despite the unkemptness of it. "Forgive me."

"There is no need, Alpina... I understand completely." The call went silent as the two stared at one another. Looking at the man, the same age as her sister, she couldn’t help but look down, unable to meet his eyes. Even when he heard the same thing as she did, there wasn’t any fear or dread, but rather a sad acceptance. Seeing her look down again, Diocaitus softly chuckled, "Even at your worst, you are still beautiful."

Alpina chuckled and shook her head. "And you still find solace in your bed." Looking past him, she saw the numerous dolls watching his back. "Did you get more?"

"I had some made for my daughter." The call went silent as Alpina choked back a tear, her heart breaking at his words.

"How is she?"

"Asleep. She is a real Dreamscape, always sleeping." His voice was full of love as his black eyes filled with a warm light. "My wife has suffered. She has locked herself up, unable to leave her side, after I told her." Taking a deep breath, Diocaitus looked into her eyes. "How have you been?"

"It’s not fair, Diocaitus. I hate this. I hate this land, I hate where I live, I hate everything." Alpina’s long nails dug into her palms as she tightly curled her fist, piercing the skin and making blood trickle down them. "Why do we have to suffer for them? I can’t take it anymore. Why must we do this for lord Raven?" Falling into her hands, she couldn’t believe she said the last words and nearly asked for forgiveness, but stopped hearing Diocaitus’s caring voice.

"Alpina," He called out, making her look through her fingers. "It’s okay. You can be mad, hate everything. But Lord Raven suffers as well. Part of me can not forgive what he asks, but I know he doesn’t do it easily." His thin smile broke as he looked back at the dolls behind him. Grabbing one, a doll of a girl in a white dress, he lovingly stroked it. "If I had to choose between my duaghter and my duty, I couldn’t. I would choose my daughter over commanding her to die for me." His hand tightened around the doll before he brought it into his embrace and curled into a ball again. "Lord Raven has had to ask six of his children to die for him, Alpina. We may not be his real children, but it is what we are to him. Our pain and sorrow will be short compared to his. He will carry that knowledge that he sacrificed his children until his last days."

"It’s not fair," Alpina said under her breath.

"It’s not." Pulling her hands away, Alpina stared at Diocaitus, wondering how he could be so at peace, despite leaving behind more than her, despite being younger. Seeing her question without being told, his soft smile returned.

"Sleep is peaceful, Alpina. My family has guarded the sleep of all those we must. But we can never know true sleep until our deaths." Bringing the doll up and kissing it, Diocaitus put it back with the rest. "When this is all over, I will finally get to enter an eternal sleep, and when I do, I will see you in the dreams that never end. We shall be free of our burdens and get to live the lives we really wanted."

Alpina stared at him before turning away. With a half-hearted smile, she let out a weak chuckle. "I can’t imagine you will do anything but sleep there as well." Diocaitus chuckled and nodded in agreement.

"You’re right. To finally be able to sleep without worry does sound nice." The two shared a silence for a moment.

"Why did you really call me Diocaitus? I can’t imagine it was just to comfort me." He didn’t speak straight away, instead looking past the mirror out the window before him. Alpina gave him the time, and after a minute he finally spoke.

"I spoke to Brocuss. He tried to talk to you, but you didn’t answer." With a heavy breath, he looked back at the mirror and at Alpina. "He told me how beautiful the stars were."

"That old man?"

"I know. It was strange. But with that, he said he knew how he wanted to die. To look up at the stars and burn the beauty he always ignored in life." With a serene smile that matched the moonlight draping him, Diocaitus sighed, "I thought on his words and realised how I wished to do so. Even if we must dread the days approaching, we can at least find solace in how it ends."