Chapter 10: The Price of a Promise
The snow was no longer a hesitant flurry but a silent, steady descent. It was a curtain of white, muffling the world, hushing the wind, and beginning to lay a soft, pure blanket over the cracked cobblestones of the market street. The flakes drifted lazily, catching in Borin's brown beard and on his bare, bald head. He stood frozen, his large, trembling hands holding the simple piece of parchment as if it weighed more than his axe. The wind, now a gentle moan, rustled the edge of the paper.
He read the words, and the world dissolved around him.
"My dearest Borin,
I am writing this letter about 27 hours after Valerius and I were separated from you. I decided to write this because I know that one of us, or perhaps both of us, may not survive what is happening.
Valerius and I are in a cave right now. He is hiding behind the wall of the entrance. He was bleeding heavily a few hours ago from the injuries he sustained, but I was able to heal him with my ability, as you've both come to expect. I will do my best to heal him again if he is hurt. Even if I cannot survive, I want him to, so he can carry this letter to you.
We encountered a target completely outside our mission. A Wind Dragon. It appeared without any warning, like a starving beast. The difference in power between it and Valerius is immense. To be honest, we cannot win this fight.
As we hide here, I know the dragon is tracking our scent, especially the scent of the blood Valerius spilled. In any case, I want to tell you that this entire time, I knew the truth of your feelings for me, even without you ever having to say it. I am sorry for acting so naively. I am sorry for pretending I couldn't see your heart. I want you to know that Valerius also knew the truth of my feelings for him, but he kept ignoring them, just as I did with you. It is not because he didn't want to be with me. It is because you are his only friend in this world. I do not want to be the cause of ruining that friendship any more than I already have.
Therefore, Borin, I have decided to sacrifice my life so that Valerius can survive. I am sorry to write this, but I love him. I have decided to give my life to let him live in this world, and to protect him from the danger of the dragon. I will place this letter in his hand when he will sleep, and I will write on the outside that no one should read it but you. As soon as he is asleep, I will go out to lure the Wind Dragon as far away from this place as I can.
Again, I am sorry for everything. I hope you can forgive me. Everything up until this moment… it was so much fun. All the pain, all the sorrow, and all the moments of happiness… everything was precious to my heart. Thank you, to both of you. I hope you will both live on, waiting for a brighter tomorrow."
The letter slipped from Borin's grip. It did not fall. His other hand, the one that had held the axe, snatched it from the air, clutching it to his chest. A sound tore from his throat, a sound that was not a roar of anger, but a wail of pure, unadulterated loss.
The tears that had been frozen in his eyes now fell, scalding tracks on his cold-numbed skin, dripping onto the parchment. In a shocking, heart-wrenching moment, the mountain collapsed. Borin's legs gave out, and he crashed onto his knees, his weight striking the thinly-snowed ground with a heavy, final thud. He bent over, his head bowed, and he began to weep, his massive shoulders heaving with sobs that shook his entire frame.
Valerius watched, his own face a mask of profound grief. His heart ached, not just for Mira, but for the friend he had just seen break.
Fulan, leaning heavily on Fayrouz, looked at her. Her gaze was fixed on Borin's collapsed form, her blue eyes filled with a sad, analytical clarity. "All of that rage," she said, her voice quiet in the falling snow, "it was just a fleeting squall. Now… his true feelings are showing."
She turned her head slightly, her voice rising to cut through the stunned murmurs of the crowd. "Do you all still wish to stand in this freezing weather? The spectacle is over. There will be no more fighting. Go home."
The villagers, startled by her command, began to move.
"She's right. It's too cold for this."
"What... what was all that about, anyway?"
"I never thought I'd see that man cry."
"So, no duel in the end…"
"I just hope my wife has hot soup waiting. This was all meaningless."
One by one, in small groups, the crowd dispersed, their footsteps muffled by the snow, until the street was empty.
Valerius walked forward, his steps quiet. One boot landed on dry, protected stone, the next on the thin, white layer of new snow. He reached his friend and knelt on one knee, placing a hand on Borin's heaving shoulder.
"She… she died for him," Borin choked out, his voice thick with tears and self-loathing. "And my anger… my blindness… I almost killed the very person she gave her life to protect. I forgot our friendship. I forgot everything." He looked up, his face a ruin of grief. "I didn't deserve to be your friend, Valerius. I didn't deserve to know her. If I had never been in your lives, things would have been different. You two… you might have had a happy ending. Everything that boy said was true…"
Valerius's grip tightened on his shoulder, a solid, anchoring presence. "Borin," he said, his voice firm. "If I had known this was the fate waiting for me, on the very first day I walked into the Academy... I would have still chosen to be your friend. I would live it all again, every bitter and sweet moment. Do not ever think you are worthless to me." He paused, his own guilt surfacing. "And do not think I failed Mira lightly. The fault is mine. I fell asleep. I was so exhausted from the fight… and when I woke up, she was gone. All that was left was this letter in my hand." He looked Borin in the eyes. "Raise your head."
Borin slowly met his gaze. He saw no pity in Valerius's eyes, only a new, cold, burning fire. "I will never forgive that Wind Dragon," Valerius stated, his voice like ice. "I will hunt it to the last day of my life. And, as we always did before every adventure, I will say this: you do not have to follow me. This is my vengeance. My conviction. My decision. You are not bound by it."
Borin wiped the tears from his face with the back of his massive, shaking hand. His voice, though still thick with sorrow, regained its deep, masculine resolve. "What are you rambling about? That beast killed the most precious person in both our lives. This isn't your decision and your fate. It is the fate that binds us together." He reached down, his hand closing around the haft of his axe, which lay on the snow-dusted stones. He lifted it and settled it onto his back. "I will breathe my last breath seeking this revenge," he said, pushing himself to his feet.
A slow, pained smile touched Valerius's lips. He stood as well, clapping his friend on the shoulder. "That's what I expect from my teammate."
The two men stood in the falling snow, their bond reforged in tragedy. They looked around. The street was empty. The crowd was gone.
"Where did those two go?" Borin asked, his voice rough.
Valerius smiled, tilting his head back to the night sky, letting the cold flakes kiss his face. "We delayed them long enough. They have to reach the Academy by tomorrow. I don't know… but I have a feeling this won't be the last time we see them."
"I owe that boy," Borin said, his hand resting on the letter in his tunic. "By the way… did you see his power?"
The two adventurers began to walk, their footsteps falling in sync on the snow-covered street. "I did," Valerius replied. "A perfect copy of a White Tiger's instinct."
"There's only one person I know who can copy skills," Borin mused, rubbing his chin. "That 'Crystal Knight'..."
"Are you suggesting a blood relation?" Valerius asked. "Impossible. The hair, the eyes… they're completely different."
"Speaking of which," Borin said, a note of wonder in his voice. "The boy had pure black hair and pure black eyes. Truly black. I don't think I've ever seen that before."
Valerius nodded slowly. "Now that you mention it... I believe I agree."
The scene shifted. A simple, two-horse carriage rumbled along the snow-covered road leaving Saikono, its wheels crunching softly. A young, bundled-up driver sat at the front, humming to himself. In the back, Fulan and Fayrouz sat opposite each other, the silence of the night broken only by the steady clopping of hooves.
Fayrouz was looking back at the village, a shrinking collection of golden lights in the snowy darkness. "Are you certain you wanted to leave without saying goodbye?" she asked, her voice soft.
Fulan was also looking back, watching their tracks disappear under the fresh-falling snow. "I hate goodbyes," he said quietly. "They make me feel like I'll never see the person again."
Fayrouz watched him for a moment, her blue eyes seeming to see more than just the boy in front of her. Then, she reached for the blue shawl around her neck. She touched it, and the soft fabric shimmered, the Minma within it activating. It changed shape, thinning and lengthening into the familiar blue strips of cloth. She carefully tied them around her eyes, covering them completely, a barrier against the outside world.
"The driver said we will reach the capital of Saita by dawn," she said, her voice calm and muffled slightly by the covering. "Get some rest. You'll need it."
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