Joined Hands

"A rebellion that made Corvus ready to greet us with a smile the next time we meet." Cole ended his sentence as he moved towards the gate, Eliran following after, wanting to inquire and ask more questions.

The inn's door creaked open as Cole and Eliran entered, the warm glow of lanterns illuminating the cozy interior. Kalor looked up from wiping glasses and greeted them with a nod.

"Back so soon and done with business? Ready for the meal you two wanted to order, or should I have Eliran here treated for those wounds?"

Cole, feeling generous, decided to pass on the meal for the night, even though his stomach was growling for food since all he had for his last meal were fruits from the trees of Skyleaves.

"Leave the meal for tomorrow morning. Treat him now," Cole instructed, pointing at Eliran, who was more than willing to accept the offer with his hand that was about to drip blood through the cloth.

As Eliran headed towards Kalor whose hands began to glow green, Cole made his way upstairs to his room. 

'He's a healer I see. The definition of tending people.'

Following the bartender's instructions he had received earlier, he found the third door on the left. 

The hallway was dimly lit, and the wooden floor creaked beneath his boots. 

Cole reflected on the simple yet ominous nature of the corridor, a pure contrast to the grand halls of the golden shining ones in the Castle of Silvindor.

'The irony. To be filled with Gold when named after Silver.' Shaking his head in annoyance, Cole didn't waste any time thinking on that topic. He focused on the task at hand currently: to get rest.

Entering his room, Cole was relieved to find it more comfortable than the inn he had been in back in Stonehaven, Twilight Haven Inn. 

The bed here seemed softer, the closet more spacious, and a small lantern sat atop the drawer beside the bed. A small table with a chair completed the modest furnishings of the room.

"At least I have a table too compared to the single chair back then," Cole mused to himself as he undressed. 

'Welp, that's the least they could do considering I paid a whole silver coin for the night.'

"Hmmm."

Glancing at the worn-out black shirt he had been wearing for the past week, he considered the need for a replacement. 

"Should I just find another thug tomorrow and strip him naked and use those clothes for myself, or should I just buy new ones… Hrmmm, I got no clue."

After leaning right and left while thinking out loud, with a shrug, he decided to postpone the decision until the moment itself reached.

"Instead, hmph!"

Hopping onto the bed, Cole stretched out, reveling in the luxury of a real mattress after a week of sleeping on straw in the Blightbringers' village. 

As he closed his eyes, he couldn't help but anticipate a good night's rest.

'This might be a very good sleep, or a very bad one if I come to meet… that being.' He thought, feeling discomfort just by being reminded of that being, the smoke's presence.

The reason, unknown.

Soon, exhaustion caught up with him, and Cole drifted into a deep sleep where he rested like a tired lamb.

However, when he next opened his eyes, the morning light filtered through the curtains, revealing an overcast sky.

"..."

"Eurgh, it's so cloudy and gloomy... I just want to sleep here till tomorrow," Cole muttered to himself. 

Fwyu~

As he forced himself to sit up, he noticed something breathing next to him. 

'Something feels warm against my hand…'

Surprised, he whispered as he shifted his head towards the side of the bed, "Huh… K-Kaia?!"

'When did she even get in my room? Still, she's enjoying her sleep way more than she should considering she's a bird and the one who should've been waking me up from my slumber. She shall get punished, muwhaha!"

Chuckling softly, Cole flicked Kaia's forehead with his finger. "Wakey, wakey, Kaia. When did our roles change?" he teased, enjoying the playful moment.

His small companion stirred, blinking sleepily and getting flustered as she realized she had been caught red-handed in his room, and even bed at that.

"Ah… S-Sorry." Her emerald feathers flitted around as she shook her head, feeling guilty.

"Haha, it's okay, it's okay. Anyways, it's better that you're here, I can relay my words and tasks for today right off." Cole said as he ran his arms through his shirt, his legs through his dark pants, and tied the cloak around his neck.

After getting up and conversing, they ventured out of the room. 

"Off you go."

Kaia moved through the halls at an unnoticeable speed, while Cole went down to find Eliran already awake and seemingly waiting.

They decided to have breakfast together, and Eliran couldn't resist returning to the topic as soon as the food was served, "So, what did you mean? Being on the same side and all of that."

Over breakfast, Eliran pressed Cole for more information about his intentions and the rebellion inside the castle. Cole, however, kept his responses vague, wary of potential eavesdroppers.

'I need to keep my sentences short too. I don't want to reveal too much to him either. He only knows my name so far too, my surname is still a question mark in his mind.'

As their conversation unfolded, Cole sensed a shared purpose with Eliran, focusing more on the details of how the King had become his enemy, and how he wanted to execute Cole.

After detailing his own motivations, Cole extended the invitation that could prove beneficial to both sides.

Clink.

Pushing himself up, Cole cleared his throat as his expression turned into one of infinite and pure confidence.

"Eliran, join me, for we have one purpose and goal. Dethrone and finish off Corvus, before he does that to us, that is." He declared, his voice sounding authoritative and cold.

Calculating and assuring.

Eliran hesitated, contemplating the offer. 

After a moment, he reluctantly extended his hand, whispering, "Once you fill me in on the details of your journey more properly, you can say that the funds for our... organization, can be offered by me."

"Oh? I see you're quite generous. True to your convictions, huh?" Cole tightened the grip of his hand, like the men they were.

Albeit, inwardly, Cole was doing his most to contain the hideous smirk that wanted to etch itself on his face.

'This is perfect."

'Another pawn I can use to my benefit has been added to the list.'