“I love you,” Elias whispered, bending down so that his lips were just a few inches from her ear. While she cleaned the blade of her sword. Allowing himself so close to her while bringing up such a delicate subject was a dangerous decision, but a calculated one.
“And what made you decide that burdening me with this information now was a good idea, on the eve of the end of the world?” She looked up at him with stormy eyes narrowed. “Did the sacred wisdom of the ages tell you so?” He could tell even now by the dry sarcasm in her voice that her approval of the entire invasion plan was thin at best.
He chuckled slightly, shaking his head as he turned his gaze from her and out to the horizon. “I wanted you to know in the event I didn't have another chance to say so.” He paused for a moment, before slipping a silver ring with a large red gem off of his finger and producing a silver chain from the pocket of his breeches. Pea couldn't help but glance down and watch his fingers fumble, noting to herself that even though he carried the sacred fire tomb with him now, he still dressed in the garb of a swordfighter and his sword scabbard hung from his side, the only difference now being the dark crimson cloak that hung from his shoulders, marking him as a prince and a fire mage.
The sandy-haired woman sighed and set her blade down on the cargo box she was perched on. “If you don't have another chance to speak with me after this is all over I would be quite disappointed in you... having gone through all the trouble to teach you to use a sword only for you to die. It would look bad for me as a teacher.”
Elias cracked a grin, despite himself. “And of course, that's all that matters.”
“Of course,” she replied evenly.
He stood in silence for a moment, still looking out over the deck of the ship rather than at Pea or at his fingers as they unclasped the chain and slid the silver ring onto it. “I want you to have this,” he said finally, looking over at her again and holding the chain outstretched in his hand. “The band is likely too big for your fingers, so wear it around your neck. It's magic.”
“You know how I feel about magic, my Lord Sage.” He knew she was going to give him problems, even over something as simple as this. It wouldn't be like her not to, after all.
“Yes, but I also think I know how you feel about me,” he replied, grabbing one of her hands with his free hand and placing the chain in it. “And as flighty and fickle as women are... hold on to it for me for a while at least.” He curled her fingers over her palm, gazing back into her eyes as he did so.
Pea nursed her lip for a moment before nodding slightly and pulling her hand out of his grasp to inspect the contents. “Do not think I am so easily won by trinkets and charms,” she murmured, unclasping the chain and refastening it around her neck before inspecting the ring more closely.
“I know better than to presume anything involving you could ever be considered 'easy',” he replied with a slight laugh.
~~~
So, this is an introduction drabble into a fantasy story I've been contemplating in the last week or so, although in the timeline I have planned it would actually be quite near the end. The problem I have with this story is that it feels like something that should be less of a written narrative and more of a video game.
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