Body of a Warrior

Yuushin was, somewhat, disconcerted.

Seeing the female dragon there.

“What are you even doing here, anyway? I never forget a scent, but to think you two would really be here…”

The priest, however, looked like he was about to faint.

“What, in our God’s gracefulness holiness, are you doing here?!” Lyr’s whispers were desperate and frantic, his eyes wandering to all directions in a panic—his tail raising hackles. “Oh Lords, oh God, oh my…inside! Everyone, inside the temple. Now.”

Without any delay, the wolf priest started to push both Yuushin and Kez toward the staircase. From Jay’s gaze alone, it was clear the man had many questions, yet he said nothing. When Lyr guided them with rushed steps to the entrance, he even smiled—contentment filling his eyes.

Yuushin saw as Lyr stumbled with his fingers, as his hands searched something in the robe’s pockets. He almost dropped the key, twice, before finally fitting the metal piece within the stone door matching hole. Trembling and rumbling, the heavy door opened—its stone rising in a slow pace.

Jay was inside before the entrance was fully opened, and after all of them were inside, it took Lyr a good couple of minutes checking and pressing against the stone, making sure it was sealed tight.

A chuckled echoed between them.

When the priest turned back, all fear and panic were gone. In their place, there was only rage.

“You…” Clenching his fists, Lyr stood before Kez with piercing shadows crossing his blue eyes. Yet without ever looking away, Kez met his glare with a bright, confident smile. And as the seconds passed, the priest let out a long sigh, his ears dropping as he rubbed his temples. “Forget it…let’s just move.”

The dragon let out a earnest laugh, putting her arm around Lyr’s shoulder and pushing him closer.

“Did I scare our Veritux champ, here?! Should I had just ignored you, when you were just so close by?”

“…yes.”

Even with the lack of light, Yuushin could see the priest’s face slightly flushed. Yet whether Lyr’s embarrassment came from Kez mockery or her closeness, he couldn’t tell. Kez laughter echoed through the chamber again, ceasing only when her eyes finally focused on Jay.

And something sparkled within her gaze.

“J-jay, this one’s Kez. I met her after Lyr rescued me, back then. He treated both of us.”

It’s best if he doesn’t know she is that dragon, right…?

Considering the priest’s reaction, and their meeting with the Arch Bishop, Yuushin was quite certain that Kez wouldn’t be welcomed in these parts.

The man gave her a short nod. “I’m Jay. You are also familiar with this place, then?”

With her arm still around Lyr’s, she replied with an amused voice—Kez’s smile widening just a bit. “Done some explorations here and there. Tedious spot, this one. Veritux folks don’t come here, so why did you chose this place?”

The tone in Kez’s voice surprised Yuushin. There was no threat or animosity, only a faint…edge. A sharpness, as if she wanted to hear Jay say what she already knew herself. Jay’s gaze matched her own.

“Lyrelith informed us about the inscriptions stored here.”

“Why come for some old papers you can’t even read?”

“Because I don’t know if we can’t read them.”

For a few seconds, Kez remained silence, the smile never leaving her face.

“You tryin’ to go back? To your world.”

Jay’s eyes never wavered. Much less his voice. “I will go back. I have people waiting for me, you see.”

After struggling for a while, Lyr finally managed to free himself from Kez’s grip. Yet even as he did, the female dragon kept staring at Jay, the amusement filling her golden eyes.

“Let me take you there, then.”

Lyr tuned her way, eyebrows raising, his mouth agape.

“Kez'vethra! You shouldn’t—”

“What? He said they want to check them out. I can smell the traps better than you. Let me give them a hand.”

Though Jay didn’t seem bother by the mention of traps, Yuushin noticed something odd about the way the priest and dragon exchanged glances. Like an unspoken conversation. And even as Lyr sighed, letting Kez take charge, Yuushin’s heart still felt uneasy.

Because, even if faint, something else shone within Kez’s gaze.

And it was cold.

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“Please don’t stay too far behind.”

It was what Lyr would say every few minutes, while still walking at the front alongside Kez. From time to time, Yuushin would be able to hear them whispering to each other—so low he barely noticed.

And even after walking for a few minutes, the temple was as plain and decrepit from inside as it was from the outside. Walls filled with cracks, ground clustered with rocks and broken pieces, and dust.

Since Kez didn’t say anything so far, this means we should be good about traps, right?

Then why he felt so unsettled?

“I’m sorry.”

The words were so faint, he almost missed them. Yet when Yuushin turned to his side, Jay soon met his gaze with apologetic eyes.

“We are only here because of me. I practically forced you to help me—”

“No, wait, this isn’t—”

“And I never really confirmed with you, either. If you want to go back.” Without letting him finish, Jay continued to speak—his voice soft and low. Sorrowful, even. “It’s just…you were the most reliable person I could think of. After witnessing what you did… ‘We might have a chance’, it’s what I thought.”

There was genuine sadness in the man’s voice as he not dared to meet Yuushin’s gaze. Still, hearing how Jay thought he was reliable and someone he could trust to help…

…it makes me happy.

“Hey, I agreed to help because I wanted to! There’s nothing to be sorry about, really.”

Jay gave him a broken smile, followed by a hollow chuckle. “You should be more selfish, Yuushin.”

For a few moments, silence followed them, standing between them like a soft veil. As the question burned and played around his tongue, the younger man couldn’t help but remove that veil himself—his words so hesitant they crawled beneath it instead of cutting right through.

“…what if you could bring your family here?” Rich green eyes turned to him, surprised. “Would you prefer to stay here?”

Jay seemed taken aback, as if that was a possibility he had never once considered. The man thought about it, for a few moments, and Yuushin watched as the reluctant words slowly gained their strength, the intense determination in his gaze glowing brighter by the second.

“No…no, I don’t think I would. This is not my home. It’s not where I belong.”

At that moment, Yuushin felt envious.

Of the man’s certainty. The man’s strength. The man’s life. Because the more he heard Jay use the word “home”, the more he compared to the word he knew, the clearer it was how its meaning was not the same. How Jay had people waiting for his return, how he was fighting to return to them.

How Yuushin had no one.

“Would you?”

It took Yuushin a few seconds to realize Jay had thrown the question back at him.

“I…I’m not sure. Not yet.”

The fact Yuushin had no one, the fact he didn’t have a home…for some reason, he didn’t want Jay to know. So he changed the subject.

“What were you doing, before you got here? I was working overtime trying to meet a deadline.” He let out a weak chuckle, somewhat knowing what Jay was about to say.

Heidi had mentioned to him back at those woods, how Jay said he was with his family. Perhaps it was insensitive of Yuushin to ask that question, yet before he could fully regret or dismiss it by asking something else, Jay spoke.

“I was about to take my wife to the hospital, but we were waiting for the babysitter. Our daughter is only four, after all.”

“You said you have children, right? Aren’t they older enough to watch your daughter?”

When Jay turned to him, Yuushin wished he had never asked. Even worse, he felt sick about himself. For feeling envious, for acting so petty.

“My second child had not been born yet—but I think they are, now.”

While fighting back tears, the man averted his gaze with clenched fists. And before Yuushin could apologize, Jay’s voice echoed across the temple’s chamber.

“I am sorry for asking so much of you, Yuushin. Yet I hope you will excuse my eagerness. I need help to go back to where my life is. And I will go back.”

A voice that carried not only words, but a promise.

An oath.

Yuushin placed his hand on Jay’s shoulder, their steps halting for a second.

“What I said before hasn’t changed. You can count on me.”

Relief flooded Jay’s eyes. Yet before he could reply—

“Hey, you two.”

 Kez’s voice reached them.

“We’re here.”