Prison

He stood by me in the dark, just watching.

We'd made some progress. Merkain had potential, but he was still young. He'd done some very precise work that I'd admired. He reminded me of a younger, bolder me. The council revolved around time, the timing needs to be perfect. I scoffed at Shval for making it all too clear. Me, the one who perfected time before perfection could be timed. But respect is timely, and timed well, it is perfection. And so, I wait.

Merkains breath literally clouded up the shadows.

"You keep breathing like that, they'll know we're here."

"So, you'll just tear 'em to bits."

"No...my hand's sore from the last one we did."

"You're joking."

"Sometimes I wish I joked more so everyone would say the exact opposite. Serious seems to be too serious."

"No, you're funny."

I turned and stared at him.

"How so?"

He didn't look at me, but instead lifted his arms and pranced on the spot with his cheeks bloated out. I frowned.

"That was a very, very long time ago. And who told you that story?"

"Story? It wasn't a story. Syriane swore it was true."

"Syriane needs to get out more. She tells one too many tales to too many young ones."

Merkains aura diminished. He looked to me for many a thing, and I loved him as one of my own. This, I never made obvious, but he knew. He learned to feel quicker than the rest.

"Don't. You know why I chose only you to come with me. It will never change despite what I say or do."

"I know."

I felt sad and distant as I felt him look up at me, wishing I would say or express more. But I couldn't. The more I dwelt on it, I wanted to rise and wreck my pain across the universe. Yet it would prove nothing. To burn within is to keep the brightest fire alive.

Merkains hand on my arm stunned me momentarily. I didn't move.

"Someday, somehow, it will come. I'll wait with you, if that's ok. For however long it will take. Till this body rots."

And deep down I wept for the pain ran deeper than my eternal bleeding soul.