Chapter 102: 102-Stepping up
Nytherael pulled Sseraphis to the side for a quick word while Aeltharion soaked in the medicinal water. He dragged the serpent out of the room and away from listening ears.
"Was bringing me all this way necessary?" Sseraphis asked, checking his surroundings. Other than a few monitor lizards on the palm trees that surrounded them, there was no beast in sight. "What do you have to say to me that is so urgent it couldn’t wait and so private that you couldn’t say it in the room."
"What are we going to do about your memories?"
Sseraphis took a momentary deep breath and pressed the spot between his eyes. He had thought about that, too. He couldn’t keep moving with the flow like he had been.
As it stood, he seemed to be the glue of the family, and most conversations circled back to his memories that were blocked. He needed to find a way to get them back as soon as possible, but that would require removing the lingering parts of Hadrian on him.
His eyes landed on the snake tattoo on his wrist and felt his head throb. That ink thar glowed, and pulse weakly was a nightmare he couldn’t shake.
"Let’s solve one problem at a time, Nytherael."
"... but when it comes to medicine, there is no one that compares to you, and right now, if we are to survive, then we need you," he said. He didn’t mean to rush Sseraphis or emphasise on the urgency of him returning to his full operational self, but their lives depended on it.
According to diagnosis on what was killing Aeltharion, it was attached to their bond, and once it claims Aeltharion, it was bound to claim the two of them next without hesitation. The best possible solution was to get rid of it before it gets rid of them.
"I know I am the last person to press you on this since I brought this upon us, but..."
"Nytherael," Sseraphis interrupted. He took Nytherael’s hand in his and locked their eyes together. Purplish-black eyes and mismatched crimson and gold eyes met, and the world around them seemed to disappear, and the noise tuned out too. "We have already discovered that you were charmed into betraying us. I won’t allow you to shoulder the burden of our current predicament by yourself," he said, being understanding.
Nytherael softened at his kind words. He was so worried about their future survival that he didn’t notice his blood-stained robes. And Sseraphis, too, hadn’t placed his dirtied clothes to mind.
"Aeltharion has been used to carrying our burdens on him. Now that he isn’t in a position to do so, I feel like the responsibility falls to me to step up and hold us together."
"But why must it fall on you alone?" Sseraphis inquired. He had no problem shouldering some of those responsibilities, which brought his mind back to the question Nytherael raises about his memories.
It was true that he supported his family best with medical skills and his vast knowledge in cures and poisons. The faster he gets the block in his head permanently destroyed and gets to function with full knowledge of his past, present an future, the faster he had keep his word to Aeltharion about shouldering the burdens together.
Nytherael shook his head. "Lightning never let you suffer any hardships or endure difficulties. I won’t either," he stated, fully prepared to brace the bitter hardships that came with shielding Sseraphis and Aeltharion moving forward. "I want to give toy both the best that I can give to make up for everything."
Sseraphis found his determination sweet and moving. It was like meeting a more mature and responsible version of a lover who was famous for being carefree and playful.
Their dynamic was simple, and it allowed them to function together, around each other, and for each other without any conflicts.
Aeltharion was the responsible one, the shoulder to lean on. Sseraphis was the spoilt baby of the house who makes perfumes, heals, and ensures the peaceful environment for the family, and Nytherael is the fun and playful lover who adds flavour to the bond.
They each had their roles to play, and when it came down to family, before the divorce mess, neither failed in their duties. Every day, they showed up for each other in the little and big ways without complaints, and they learnt to grow side by side.
Even though their bond had a rough start because they had to learn to coexist and learn to compromise to each other to keep the harmony of their marriage, along the way, their routines circled each other so flawlessly they became the envy of those who had doubted that a tri-soul bond between a dragon, a snake and a fox wasn’t going to work out.
It was already hard since there were different beasts, from different clans and different upbringing. With Aeltharion raised in isolation and taught to use his head more than his heart, Nytherael raised in complete freedom to do whatever he wanted without consideration for others and Sseraphis abandoned by his family and left to fend for himself and become independent and with trust issues. But with effort, they managed to put their differences aside and be the best for each other.
"Aek will be proud to see you step up like this," Sseraphis squeezed his hand. "...but it would also break his heart because you’re stepping into shoes he’s supposed to fill..."
Nytherael held back from breaking down. He made a big speech about being the shoulder of the family, and that meant not crying over every little thing. He despised change, especially permanent ones. "Then, why don’t we find a solution to this curse soon so that he comes back to take his place."
"That... is easier said than done," Sseraphis claimed confidently. "Even with my memories, I don’t think I have a permanent solution to this. I didn’t catch a glimpse of a fragment of such a thing in my head earlier."
"We can’t talk like this."
"I know, but..."
"No buts, Aelthie is counting on us to show up for him and make our family whole again," Nytherael insisted. "We have to do our best. We work together."
Sseraphis leaned his head on Nytherael’s arm. Standing side by side with one stained with blood and the other in poisons and herbs, they made for an odd pair that strangely fit together.
"What’s the first thing you are going to do when we survive this?" Nytherael asked him.
"Shopping," Sseraphis answered, half-smilling and half-crying. "This family has a lot of wealth and ynder Aeltharion’s influence. We’ve become so simple in taste and style that I doubt we’d ever use up ever an inch of that wealth."
"You can spend all of my wealth," Nytherael offered. Sseraphis looked up and smiled. "Don’t blame me later."
Nytherael ruffled his hair, "I won’t."
"What about you? What’s the first thing that you are going to do when this is all over?"
Comments