Chapter Text
Compared to most cities dotting the southern isle, Salisbury and Gloucester weren’t all that far apart. As long as you followed the roads and no unexpected incidents occurred, anyone could make the journey between them in just two days. Less than that if they had access to caravans or other modes of transportation.
This did not mean that traveling there wasn’t a hassle.
The roads were long and winding and sometimes cut off in inconvenient places. It was as if the one designing them decided to pause in the middle of their work and then start up again somewhere completely unrelated. There were many reasons for this such as Mors attacks, untimely faerie deaths, or plain laziness striking the laborers at random. But unless one had prior experience with these roads, a trip to Gloucester could be more troublesome than one might think.
Malleus and Sebek, unfortunately, were utter beginners at navigating the way to Gloucester and had to put their brains together to keep themselves on the proper highway. The ridiculousness of still getting turned around despite their safer (and better-lit) surroundings was not lost on them.
Given that it was late afternoon when they departed from Salisbury, the sunset-colored sky soon shifted to a deep blue, bathing the land in a darkness just barely lit by the silver beams of light shining down from the clouds. Frustrated with their sub-standard progress and exhausted from the events of the day, the two companions hunkered down on the far side of the road, using the supplies they bought at Salisbury to build a small camp.
Their prowess in this area, while better than their navigation skills, was… disparate, to say the least.
“How is it that you know how to make a perfect campfire, yet fail to pitch a tent?” Sebek asked the dragon fae, looking down on him with tired exasperation. In the ten seconds he wasn’t looking, Malleus had somehow lost control of his tent poles, leaving them scattered on the ground.
A once sheepish-looking Malleus instantly rolled his eyes, his embarrassment thrown away for an air of affronted dignity. “I have never seen a tent before the Siege of Sheffield. Forgive me if my ignorance astounds you somehow, Sebek.”
Deftly ignoring the sarcasm in his last statement, Sebek crouched down and helped him pick up the poles. “Did you not spend two weeks out in the wilderness on your own before arriving at Sheffield? What were you camping with during all that time?”
It was a legitimate curiosity. Sebek always assumed that Malleus had prior experience in camping outdoors, much like he had when he was still training to be a knight. This was only reinforced by Malleus’ proficiency in combat and his adept magecraft, two skills that were drilled into him by Fae Knight Tristan, the oldest standing general in Briar Valley’s history. If this celebrated figure was training him to be a warrior, then it wasn’t a stretch to think that Malleus also knew basic military skills.
But for some reason, Sebek’s question made Malleus go silent. The dragon fae stared at his friend blankly, as if suddenly realizing their thoughts were mispositioned yet again.
“I brought with me nothing except my magecraft tools and food,” he eventually said, “Everything I have ever needed whilst camping outdoors was the means to make a fire to serve as a light source and a Bounded Field to keep opportunistic beasts at bay.”
“What?!” Sebek exclaimed in surprise. “Surely you had more on your person than that! You could not have set off into Briar Valley with nothing but the clothes on your back and the baubles in your pack!”
Malleus laughed at the Fang Clan fae, amused at his reaction.
“The ecology of a dragon faerie is one of the most optimal for long-term survival,” he stated proudly. “Other than needing small quantities of food for sustenance, there was nothing else I needed other than my Mystic Codes.”
His smile then took on a more excited look as he glanced at his newly stuffed pack, his mind speeding through the twists and turns of their shopping trip in Salisbury.
“Although I now see that I should have placed more value on the power of money. I cannot believe I was able to acquire so many materials with just a few thaumarks!”
While Malleus gave into his newly found capitalist appreciation, Sebek resisted the urge to facepalm. He had presumed Malleus lost a few items during their rush to leave Sheffield, but apparently, their current level of abstinence was still superior to his usual norm! Every time he thought he was getting a handle on the Child of Prophecy’s standards, some piece of unpredictable news would waylay him without a second thought.
In the end, he mentally threw up his hands and pushed his thoughts to the side.
“You can contemplate the shine of being a paying citizen later!”
Sebek shoved the tent poles into Malleus’ arms, then stood up and started fixing the tarp the dragon fae failed to pitch.
“Come on, I’ll show you how to properly set this up. You may not deem shelter necessary for your survival, but that’s no reason to waste a perfectly good tent!”
Broken free of his item hoard reverie, Malleus gave Sebek a petulant frown but followed his instructions without complaint. It wasn’t hard to grasp the mechanics of it now that he was being shown how it was done, so the two of them made quick work of it. Fixing the tent made for two in record time.
“See?” Sebek said pointedly as he hammered in the last stake. “Now we both have a place to sleep that isn’t on the hard earth.”
“Sleep is still merely a suggestion for me,” Malleus said plainly.
“Well, good for you.” Sebek scowled at him. “Since you aren’t tired, you can get started on that Bounded Field you were talking about! If I don’t have to wake up in the middle of the night to fend off night ravens or Black Dogs, we might gain some decent ground for once.”
“Hm, somehow I doubt that,” Malleus snarked under his breath. Nonetheless, he summoned Chastiefol into his hand, the crystal fastened to the top of the staff glowing with a faint light. “I have to measure our chosen perimeter before I start. Do not distract me. Magic circle-based Bounded Fields need a steady hand, else I risk summoning a murder of crows to our location.”
Sebek squinted at Malleus as he started prowling the perimeter. Why did the dragon fae say that as though it had happened before…?
As if hearing his unsaid question, Malleus’ eyes snapped in Sebek’s direction. “What did I say about being distracting?” he chided, a bolt of lightning dancing around the Staff of Selection.
Sebek saw the threat for what it was and decided that the wisest thing he could do was keep his attention on the sleeping bags he was unfolding. He was not a fan of wanton violence, especially if he was on the receiving end.
Malleus just gave him a self-satisfied smirk, then went back to drawing circles in the ground. With both of them focused on their respective tasks, the rest of the camp was set up in amiable silence.
The dragon fae was the one who finished up first, the Staff of Selection vanishing in motes of light as he sat closer to the fire, legs curling close to his body like a reptile basking in the sun. Despite all his remarks on the superior ecology of dragon fae, he felt comforted by the roar of the campfire, the flames reflecting in his eyes to give them a more personable warmth.
Sebek soon joined him near the fire, a beaten notebook in hand. He held a pencil in his mouth as he flipped through the pages, revealing line after line of handwritten notes and a few sketches of models in clothing designs. Malleus felt flattered to see that most of the models were in his image.
Eventually, the artificial fae stopped at a blank page and wrote a title at the top. Spring Day XX, Current Situation.
“I thought it prudent that we discuss today’s events before the details escape us,” Sebek grunted at Malleus before he could even ask. “We’ll start with the information and proposition we received from Lady Aurora. Can you– I mean– …Was she telling the truth, Caster?”
His hesitation told a thousand words. His reverence and loyalty to the upper echelons of Briar Valley were rooted deep, and Aurora’s mere presence had shaken those old foundations loose. That he could even ask about the possibility of being lied to by her was significant, speaking volumes of his turning allegiances.
Malleus was gladdened by Sebek’s trust in his eyes and gave him a candid answer.
“She was.” He stoked the fire with the tip of Chastiefol, encouraging the flames to shine brighter so they could provide better light. “Everything from her desire to meet us to her testimony was honest. However, I wouldn’t put much faith in her just yet. Though she has the motivation to rebel, she is willing to deem us a lost cause should we fail to fulfill her condition.”
Sebek shook his head, his pencil scribbling away. “That’s to be expected. If she colludes with us for no reward, then it’s like the Wind Clan will be slaughtered. Queen Meleanor has ordered genocides of that scale once before, in the Year 800 of the Queen’s Calendar.”
“The Wing Clan is whom you are referring to, yes?” It was a detail that stuck with him amidst the harrowing ordeal that was Aurora’s afternoon tea. The fact that there was a law restricting flight felt absurd to Malleus, yet it existed with punishments and exceptions nonetheless. “What exactly happened to them? I never managed to read that far back in Sheffield’s history books before the siege transpired.”
The Fang Clan fae paused for a moment, falling silent as he mulled over the question. Many catastrophic wars and tragedies bathed the Briar Valley in blood, but the Wing Clan’s fate was something else entirely. It was an attack of unmatched brutality, vengeance, and blind animal hatred. Not to be spoken of in polite company, if ever.
The Child of Prophecy was still ignorant of that, however. Perhaps it was best to rectify this now before it somehow boiled over disastrously in the one city it really shouldn’t.
“...Since we’re close to arriving at Gloucester, I suppose it’s sensible to let you know.”
Malleus frowned at Sebek’s tone but waited patiently. He was curious as to what all this was leading to.
“Long ago, before Fae Knight Gawain rose to his title as Faerie Lord, the High Queen had a favored advisor. One that she claimed as the King Consort, her husband.”
…That was not what the dragon fae was expecting at all!
“Husband?!” Malleus squawked, dumbstruck. “She found her destined partner? Meleanor?! The same woman who nearly killed her entire council simply for being within her firing range?!”
Sebek gave him an unimpressed look. “Aren’t you guilty of the same disposition, what with your high-end explosives and your large-scale weather disasters?” While he hasn’t fallen victim to Malleus’ spells (yet), it wasn’t hard to see his forte for causing widespread havoc.
The Child of Prophecy looked vaguely offended and opened his mouth in preparation to defend himself. But when he thought back to all the battles he’s waged so far, he realized that there was indeed a pattern of him blowing up large swathes of land whenever he felt it necessary.
In light of this revelation, whatever rebuttal he had was aborted.
“...Your point is acknowledged,” he admitted, the act itself like pulling teeth. “Continue.”
“You don’t want more examples? I have plenty–”
“Continue.”
Snorting at his response, Sebek acquiesced.
“In the historical records, this advisor’s name was Raverne. He was an ambassador from the Wing Clan who handled many diplomatic cases, later writing the accord that would allow the King Clan to break away from the High Queen’s rule to establish an independent city. I… forget the exact reason for their leave, but it’s said that Raverne managed to calm tensions enough to keep the split from devolving into civil war.”
Malleus hummed in awe at that. Compared to the multitude of fraying relations that seemed to make up Briar Valley now, Raverne’s competence in diplomatic affairs was mind-boggling. The dragon fae could hardly imagine the peace that must have reigned during his tenure.
“Yet he is no longer by Meleanor’s side,” he stated plainly. “I will not ask if he shared the same fate as his kin. Such an event is unfathomable.”
“...Why are you so sure?” Sebek asked, baffled by his conviction.
Malleus stared into the campfire, letting the question hang between them as he gnawed at his lips. How could he describe it, this certainty of character in a person he never met?
“I just am,” the dragon fae replied lamely, before shaking his head and scoffing. “No, that’s a horrible answer. Allow me to rephrase: There is no possibility in any past or future of Meleanor killing Raverne. She may harm him, deride him, or crush him in the palm of her hand, but she would never allow him to die, let alone kill him with her own hands. And I know this because it is the same thing I may do someday.”
For some reason, this dramatic response was enough to grant Sebek a hint of understanding. “This is a trait you share with the High Queen then? Is it a property of your species?”
“It is.” Malleus breathed a sigh of relief, soothed by Sebek’s easy acceptance. “Which brings me to my next question: Was his demise the catalyst that led to the Wing Clan’s eradication?”
Sebek let out a quick breath. “Yes, I guess you could say so. No one is entirely sure what transpired, but one day, King Consort Raverne was gone, and Queen Meleanor torched the Wing Clan’s ancestral home until nothing but ashes remained. Her work was so thorough that no new Wing Clan faeries have emerged in the centuries that came after, meaning they’re practically extinct. Gawain told me that the Wing Clan’s destruction enforced a long century of peace, the rest of the Clans cowed into submission by the true depths of Meleanor’s wrath.”
“I can certainly see why.” Only those with reality-bending levels of stupidity would fail to fear Meleanor after so much death. “However, I noticed you said ‘practically extinct’. Does this mean some vestiges of the Wing Clan still live?”
The Fang Clan fae fought the urge to wince. “In a sense. During the massacre, Meleanor chose to extend mercy towards a single faerie, allowing them to take up the empty seat of Clan Head in the absence of… other candidates. They have built a city around the Clan’s Bell of Pilgrimage, protecting it as dutifully as any other Faerie Lord.”
At this instant, Malleus finally put all the pieces together. “Let me guess. This city is Gloucester.”
“Indeed,” Sebek confirmed. “Lord Muryan, the last surviving Wing Clan fae, has created a city that dances to his whims. His Fae Domain returns everyone who enters to ‘the same power they were born with’, eliminating accumulated experience or any power gotten by training. Your spells will likely fail as long as you are within city borders.”
“A faerie with enough power to form their own Fae Domain... Perhaps that is part of the reason why they were spared.” Malleus clicked his tongue. “I wonder if that Domain can force me to return to my other form.”
A second sense of danger revolving around the Child of Prophecy specifically switched on in Sebek’s brain. “Return to your what? ”
“My other form,” Malleus repeated unhelpfully, “Gaining a human appearance was a skill I had to teach myself since my true form grew too quickly. The last time I used that form, I was about the size of an old tree. I may have gotten larger since then, but I haven’t shed my humanoid skin for a while now.”
“Uhh…” Sebek was at a loss for words. “If it’s a purely biological change instead of an illusory one, then you might be safe. Muryan’s Domain doesn’t revert biomass to its original form, otherwise, all the humans in Gloucester would return to their early gestation periods.”
“A sound deduction, but I suppose we can confirm nothing until we reach the city.” Malleus smiled. “If I start transforming, haul me out of Gloucester immediately. I’m sure my increase in size can be readily handled by your strength.”
Before he could stop himself, Sebek’s lips lifted upward, returning the dragon fae’s grin. The unexpected compliment wove through his usual livewire personality until he was almost glowing from the praise.
The two settled into mutual silence, enjoying an atmosphere that wasn't harrowing or stressful like the days leading up to Gloucester. Their earlier chatter was painless. And the tranquil nature of their surroundings eased their guards down bit by bit. It was as if they had returned to the days they spent in the atelier before the weight of their goals and loyalties stripped those threads of innocence away.
In this halcyon moment, the two of them shared one similar thought.
‘I missed this.’
The laughter. The sharing. The conversations were somehow to be amusing even when they sunk into terrible subjects. The times when both of them were confused, but were willing to learn from each other, even if the answers they got were knocked against their worldviews.
These days they barked and argued, their dynamic shifting to one of constant banter. Both of them were confrontational in their unique ways, and neither were willing to back down on their stances. Today though, their collective tension had run off the rails, culminating in mental collapses neither were prepared to handle. Sebek had struck Malleus like a rider whipping their horse to get them moving. It was necessary at the time, but now…
Now they were here, free to breathe and talk and look up at the stars, the guiding strings of prophecy feeling hundreds of miles away.
Sebek closed his notebook.
“I’m sorry,” he said, catching Malleus’ full attention. “For hitting you back in Salisbury. I didn’t know how else to snap you out of… that.”
The Fang Clan fae gesticulated wildly, unsure how to describe a nervous breakdown.
Malleus got his meaning nonetheless. “I accept your apology,” he replied, “It’s hardly the first time you’ve wanted to enact violence upon me. I can even forgive future attempts on my person if you will do the same for me.”
“Is that a threat?” Sebek poked Malleus with his pencil.
“Call it a realistic prediction of future events,” Malleus smirked, batting the pencil away. “Regardless, weren’t you going to note down what we learned today? You’ve only written two pages worth of information.”
“I’m using number lists to save space. I’ve long finished.”
“You managed that while we were talking?” Malleus made a grab at Sebek’s notebook, who hurriedly kept it out of reach.
“It’s called multitasking. ” Sebek’s calloused hand pushed against Malleus’ chest, forcing the dragon fae away from him when he pressed on, determined to seize the notebook. “A skill you could benefit from– Caster, damn it stop! ”
In one great heave, Sebek shoved the other away, sending him back-first into the ground. A small ‘oof’ left Malleus’ lips, but instead of getting back up again, the dragon fae spread his arms out to the sky while wearing a self-satisfied smirk.
“See? I have been brought low by your savagery yet again.”
Sebek felt his right eye twitch. “Because you’re being an irksome piece of sh*t, Child of Prophecy.”
“And I am confident that I shall get on your nerves, again and again, until the time comes when we part ways.” Malleus folded his arms over his chest. “For my nature has always been for myself. The subject of others accompanying me for long periods has never crossed my mind until I met you.”
“So you’re going to keep being a blood-boiling cretin,” Sebek deadpanned.
“I shall be myself and you shall be yourself,” Malleus retorted cryptically. “That these aspects clash every once in a while is simply something we shall both endure.”
Sebek couldn’t hide his sigh. “What’s this about, Malleus?”
“If you lay down next to me, I’ll tell you.”
The artificial fae squinted at his companion, trying to replicate the effects of Malleus’ truth-seeing eyes through pure will alone. The only thing he got was that the other seemed sincere, for his face was relaxed and devoid of mischievous intent.
So curiosity took over the reins. After a bit of shuffling, Sebek laid down next to the dragon fae while grimacing over the grass stains he’d have to clean out of their clothes later. His irritation was brief though. Washed away by the sight of the star-speckled veil known as the night sky.
Maybe he should have been cold, but Malleus was practically a wellspring of warmth, better than any campfire. The two of them stayed like that for a minute, sprawled out on the grass without a care in the world.
“...I have come to realize that I do little to help you attain happiness,” said Malleus, abruptly shifting the mood. “You have sacrificed your security and your dreams for my sake, and whenever there is danger, you are the first to ensure no harm comes to me. I understand that you have no other motives driving you besides guilt, but…”
He nervously tapped his nails across the back of his hand.
“If I fulfill the prophecy, and you are still by my side, what will you strive for? What satisfaction will you achieve after I’ve upended the world you wished to protect?”
His question left Sebek stunned, the far-off thoughts of the future he tried to push away now coiling through the depths of his mind. He had betrayed everything he worked for, as well as everything he wanted to dedicate himself to in the first place. And in the absence of all that he once was, he’d clung tightly to his ideals and Malleus’ presence, desperate to protect the person he chose over everyone else.
He didn’t want to think about what would come after, should they succeed. If what they were doing destroyed all the things that made up his previous self, then what would his future have to be happy about?
Sebek gnawed on those thoughts in silence, his face twisting between frustration and resignation and plain incredulity. He slotted in dreams and aspirations he’d heard of but never connected to, swapping ambitions like an actor changing costumes. If Malleus picked up on his tumult, he didn’t say anything. He just looked up at the sky, waiting patiently for an answer.
“...I can’t say I’ll be satisfied with what we’ve done until we’ve accomplished it,” Sebek eventually replied. “Queen Meleanor is planning on abandoning this world for the one where all our flotsam comes from. She’ll likely invite my ‘mother’ to Camelot, while ‘father’ will be left behind due to his expiration date nearing. Gawain will also be allowed passage to the new world. Everything important to me will be saved.”
“If we progress forward, we’re likely to face off against your… family, I think is the word. Meleanor will not let her kingdom be conquered without a fight.”
“We’re going to hurt each other,” Sebek said this matter-of-factly. “You might pose a greater threat to my ‘family’ than Her Majesty ever will.”
“So what will you gain at the end of this, should we win?” Malleus asked again. “Sebek, regardless of how often we clash, I do not want you to be unhappy.”
The artificial fae turned his head to the side, staring at Malleus in astonishment. It was like he hadn’t expected those words to come from the other, which both stung and saddened the dragon fae in a way he hoped wasn’t visible on his face.
“What I’ll gain at the end of this, huh?” Sebek repeated, feeling lost and slightly introspective. “...I can’t fathom what I’d do at the end of our journey, but I think that it will be up to you.”
“Me?” Malleus pointed at himself in confusion.
“The last verse of Ainsel’s Prophecy states: ‘At the journey’s end, when the crown shall be placed upon the Child of Prophecy’s head, the Faerie Kingdom’s closing chapter will be written in happiness or sorrow.’ That means the fate that lies ahead of me depends on you, Malleus.”
The Child of Prophecy stiffened silently, a lump of something hard lodging in his throat.
“...Then I shall endeavor for a happy ending as best I can, Sebek. The time to think about a new future is the least I can do to repay you.”
Sebek scoffed. Then without warning, he punched Malleus in the arm. “Stop worrying uselessly over things like that! You always get so serious about the wrong things!”
“Thinking about you is wrong?” Malleus asked, wincing over his bruising arm.
“Well– Uh–” Out of habit, Sebek almost said ‘yes’, but stuttered over his words when he realized Malleus was looking at him with a guileless face. It was the same expression he saw when he first met the dragon fae when he was still learning about the world and had a childlike curiosity over everything and everyone. He couldn’t lie to that face even without remembering Malleus’ truth-seeing eyes. “...It’s not wrong, but there are more important things to think over!”
“I can ponder over matters of grave importance some other time.” Malleus returned Sebek’s punch, albeit much softer, before shuffling closer to him. “You have great significance to me as well, Sebek. You’re my first friend after all.”
If there was anyone in the world who knew what getting shot in the heart felt like, they could probably relate to Sebek right now.
“Stop talking!” The artificial fae barked, cheeks practically aflame as he tried not to give into the urge to strangle Malleus. “Enough! I’m ending this conversation!”
The dragon fae’s lips curled into an amused grin. “Hahaha! Is that embarrassment I see, Sebek?”
“f*ck OFF CASTER!!!” Sebek objected loudly.
Malleus laughed uproariously as Sebek began to pummel him with lightning-fast blows, all of which glanced off the magical barrier he’d cast prior. The sound of fists meeting an impenetrable wall echoed throughout the camp before Sebek hit the barrier hard enough to leave minuscule cracks in it.
Seeing that his efforts to give Malleus temporary amnesia were fruitless, Sebek threw his hands up and leaped to his feet. He wasn’t going to take any more of this (self-inflicted) humiliation.
“I’m going to bed! You have the first watch!” The Fang Clan fae declared.
There wasn’t any real room to protest, but Malleus took the order gracefully. He watched as Sebek dove into the tent, the sounds of garbled snacking coming out from behind the tarps before suddenly going quiet, the source of those noises likely forcing himself to sleep.
Now left with nothing but the wind, the earth, and the crackles of a dying fire, Malleus folded his hands over his chest and gazed at the stars. They twinkled like jewels, emitting faint lights so powerful they could cross the boundaries of space to a planet millions of miles away. Some of them were fakes while others were already long dead, but to Malleus, each star evoked the same thing.
Yearning, as well as the curiosity and bewilderment that followed it like comet trails.
He looked up to the sky, asking if those persistent lights had even the fraction of an answer to the conundrum known as everyone’s future, and received no reply.
But that was alright.
Malleus could find those answers for himself, as long as there were still stars left to discover.
“I wonder what Gloucester shall look like?” He pondered on his lonesome. “I never got to ask Sebek for a description.”
Oh well, perhaps the sights would serve as a nice surprise for his future self. A city of trends and splendor was sure to have plenty of interesting things. Maybe he could find some inspiration there, to start thinking about a solution to the problem brewing in Norwich.
Despite himself, Malleus smiled. He was starting to look forward to his time in Gloucester.
“Now Sebek, while you were sleeping I crafted a dowsing rod that leads one to large concentrations of mana. Since you claim Gloucester is surrounded by a Fae Domain, the density of mana there should be especially high, so this rod will allow us to keep going without getting lost!”
“...I’m going to ignore the insult to my navigation skills and instead ask if this has been fine-tuned in any manner.”
“Of course not! If I had a better idea of Gloucester’s nature then I could craft something attuned to it, but magecraft can’t make miracles out of the shadows of ignorance.”
“Hrm, fine! We’ll use it if we lose the road again.”
“You mean ‘when’ we lose the road again.”
“Caster, I am this close to punching your teeth in so you’ll keep quiet.”
“Your fingers are nearly touching.”
“This. Close.”
…
“Holy sh*t!”
“Why are there six people faking their deaths in a perfect line in the middle of the road?”
“Ugh… You gotta help us… gullible– I mean, nice-looking faefolk…”
“What in the name of Her Majesty's spear are you talking about? Malleus, let’s leave them–”
“I hear the sounds of an actual dying person up ahead! Cover me, Sebek!”
“WAIT, DON’T YOU IDIOT! IT’S A TRAP!!”
…
“See, Sebek? It wasn’t a trap.”
“No, that was a slaughterhouse. I can’t believe there are roaming Mors that powerful so close to a major city…”
“Briar Valley is in quite the state these days from what I’ve surmised.”
“You may be right… Hey, you. The gawking Earth Clan fae with a hole in his pants.”
“Yeah?!”
“You and those other ones playing dead for the Black Dogs are going to get us into Gloucester. Think of it as payment for saving your life.”
“Sebek, I did not realize you were a fleecer in your past.”
“Shut–”
…
The ride from there to Gloucester ended up in nothing but awkward silence and nervous laughter.
In the company of seven Earth Clan faeries, Sebek and Malleus managed to arrive at Gloucester by evening, any oddities they had were off-set by their traveling companions, who agreed to call them their escorts in exchange for their protection (and to stop Sebek from strong-arming them). Sebek was going by the name Dinadan again, while Malleus had reapplied his Salisbury disguise. The latter of which was washed off in an instant the moment they stepped through the city gates, leaving him with nothing but a hat to cover his features.
There was a brief scare where they were certain Malleus would revert into his more draconic form and blow the roof on their hole-and-corner plan before it even began, but thankfully, nothing of the sort happened. Both of them were free to explore the city; a proposition Sebek quickly shot down immediately due to how much the dragon fae was standing out in the city of trends.
So they hurried their way past the close things that looked tiny and the far things that looked large, past the high-end shops and cafes that served as part of Gloucester’s great attractions, and over the rainbow road that dyed their steps red, orange, and blue.
Throughout their search for private lodgings, Sebek held onto Malleus' hand, always standing in front of him, protecting him wherever they went. There would always be fear trembling in his heart when he did that, but unlike before, there wasn’t a drop of hesitation in his actions.
They were in Gloucester, and in Sebek’s mind, that meant they could be safe for a little while longer.
And if his booming voice and towering height hid the genuine smile Malleus wore from beginning to end, then that was the Child of Prophecy’s secret to keep.
