THE TAINTED MASK OF TRUTH IV

Alicia broke loose from the clenches of slumber deep in the night, the screaming crickets didn't give her a chance to think about going back to sleep. She looked beside her, Lisa was snoring like she always does, at that moment she looked peaceful, leaving all those tormenting chants of the crazed villagers behind her and enjoying her sleep. She noticed the little light left of the fire they set up in the evening creeping into their tent. Lora left earlier in the day to report back to headquarters so they planned to go back to their ‘home’, wherever that was she had no clue where it was.

She suddenly heard someone coughing outside, that lazy delivery of a cough was all too familiar. There was only one person she knew that never put much effort into using his vocal cords, and what in the heavens was he doing awake at this time of the night?

She stepped out of the tent and saw him, sitting on a rock staring into the dots of lights sprayed across the Cimmerian sky. A hot steaming pot of green tea sat above the dying flames of the firewood, obviously?! But it had no tea thanks to him.

He violently sneezed, harder than the last cough that escaped between his teeth. The fool was sitting outside with only a light cloth covering his torso, it was foolish of him to challenge the freezing cold knowing well the consequences. Alicia felt like slapping some sense into that overpowered simpleton, even with god magic he was no match for mother nature. She picked up an empty cup beside the tents and took some dried tea leaves, throwing them into the cup and working her magic. She did everything as loud as she possibly could to grasp his attention, but not loud enough to wake the others snoring their fatigue away inside the tents. Though she tried as much as she could to clank those cups together Daito didn't shiver one bit. Moments after the brewing tea whistled through the hot kettle Alicia picked up two cups and filled them with the overheated liquid she walked over to him and handed one of the cups over.

“Just take the damn thing you foot face, it's not poisoned,” Alicia said, trying to balance the fervid crockery between her burning appendages. Daito reached out slowly like he wanted it to burn her fingers a little bit longer. He swayed it severally before taking an elegant sip. Alicia nearly showed her smile. Daito always looked like a little kid whenever he was having his precious tea. It was a moment when his face lit up, Alicia wondered what it was about green tea that made him so bright. But at that time he didn't react as usual, and Alicia knew why.

“It wasn't your fault you know. And she is going to be fine.” Alicia said, finishing her statement with a sip of her concoction.

“Lisa already treated her hands with healing magic. So in about three days, they will be as good as new.”

She added on. Daito remembered the hug from those bandaged arms Lora gave him before taking off for headquarters. He felt nothing but guilt under those arms, and nothing seemed to be taking his mind off of it. He chortled softly, continuing to sway his cup.

“What's so funny..” she asked.

“... Nothing, well maybe you.”

“Huh? Me...”

“I mean you came here to take me back to Royal republic yet three weeks later you are still here. You do know after this you might wake up one morning and find out we vanished again”

“Well...the only reason I stayed was because of the vurhans, and the villagers. Though they are stupid and annoying as you they still needed to be protected. And as long as I’m a state guard and have the power to help people I will.”

“... If you know what's good for you, you better stop hanging around us.”

“Look. The only thing I hate, well I mean other than you are people who hate on themselves for nothing, which you are doing right now so that makes me hate you even more. Basically, that's a lot of hating but in the end, you get what I mean.”

"It's horrible,” he said, staring into the cup.

“Yeah I know, I don't like people ridiculing themselves and...”

“No I mean your tea, it’s horrible.”

She slapped his arm as she got up and dusted the dirt under her skirt, aggravated and pleased at the same time. “Moron! It's clear the cold was killing you and this is the thanks I get for trying to save your life!” she then walked away, angry because he joked about the first pot of tea she ever made for someone and pleased because that was the first time they have ever had a real conversation, well at least it was close to one.

“Wait...” Daito whispered to her before she got far. Alicia swallowed nervously. She tried to mask her unease, “What, you still have another insult you just couldn't repress.”

" I need to ask you something.”

In an instant, the air seemed to have shifted. The whistling wind halted abruptly and the screeching crickets finished their annoying recitals. Daito's ‘magic’ kicked in and Alicia slowly walked back.

“I, I wanted you to...tell me about Drom. How’s he doing?” Daito inquired, angling his head further. Perhaps he didn't want Alicia to see the expression on his face.

Alicia sat back down beside him. Clamping her hands together to ward off the cold.

“Well, he’s pretty much what he used to be before you left, always a smile on his face, always wanting to help everyone. He’s practically the definition of the nicest most positive person you'll ever meet. Though he did change for a while after you died, I mean you get what I’m saying. He didn't turn out to be like his father that's for sure.”

“..So, he sent you to find me.”

“Despite everyone telling him you are gone he still had hoped you were out there somewhere. He knew you were too stubborn to give up on life that easily, so he didn't give up on you. He has been searching for you for six years! I wish I had a friend like that.”

“That damn oaf!” Daito said, crowning it off with his signature chuckle. Alicia secretly eyed his smile, his slightly curved smile. It was beautiful, and his expression was heartfelt. It was then that she knew Daito wanted to go back to his friend, he wanted to return home so badly and meet his best friend, no, his brother. But she also saw the sadness tucked away inside that smile. The fact that however bad he wanted to get back to Royal Republic he couldn't. For a moment he looked vulnerable, and Alicia felt like giving him a warm tight hug, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. The smile she saw earlier on promptly deformed to an addled blank shape, then finally dropped to a scowl. His face turned pale again, paler than usual.

“What about Hashi?”

“You mean your father...”

“He’s not my father!” he growled, packing up a load of hate behind his words. “You know what forget it, forget I asked...” he rose tucked his arms inside the side pockets of the trousers he had on. “I’m going for a walk...”. she definitely said something wrong

“Wait Daito...hold on!” Alicia tried running after him, but he vanished into the trees, swallowed by the darkness of the night. She thought back at how Daito had a hard time growing up. She, on the other hand, had everything going well for her, the perfect childhood. A loving mother, a caring dad. They were seemingly royalty living in a mansion. She had supportive friends, in essence, she had everything Daito never had. His father was a ruthless individual, his mother abandoned him while he was seven, the only person closest to him was to face death by his hands. Most people would have done what he did were they to be in his shoes.

Alicia crept back into the tent. She swam into her sleeping bag and tried to sleep again. Her heart was heavy, and she felt sad for no apparent reason. As her eyes closed and she quietly gasped, surprised by the set of streams that cascaded across her face. Her shut eyelids forced out the tears building up under her eyes and she didn't even notice them. She then realized, the closer she tried to get to him, the further apart they got. And it was then that she asked herself, maybe. Was she, could she be falling…