Double-Edged Blade
The kingdom of Uraya. A truly marvelous place to see. Being inside of a Titan, the days had filtered light; the nights, though, were a thing of beauty. Nearly everything within the creature seemed to have bioluminescence to it, giving a real shining feel. Not to mention the showering petals from the trees, glowing rose in color. It was enough to make anyone pause and take in the natural beauty that existed around them. Roc was one of many who would do so when he was in Uraya, finding the playful winds as tantalizing as the display itself. Being a wind blade, it let him see things beyond just the physical elements of such times.
This was also his home. At least, so he had been told by the mercenaries and drivers around Garfont Village. Being a blade, his memories were lost upon returning to his core crystal, which lied on his chest. It was a blessing and curse, he figured. Never to remember all those he had to leave behind but never recalling the good times. The avian looking creature closed his eyes as he thought of that, taking a moment to lament his lost memories. Another thing to consider was that he was only recently taken and reawakened to the world at large, to a driver who knew his previous; among others who knew as well. Truly a mixed bag, a weight to add to the two bags of wind he wore around his neck.
Shifting around in his seat, the bird opened his eyes to look over himself. His torso and along his arms and legs to the elbow and knee, respectively, was a deep brown skin; lines of gold and green ran along the areas as well. Coating the rest of his limbs were feathers, ranging from green at the base to yellows and orange to a fiery red by the tips. His hands were clawed and his feet were talons, his legs bent awkwardly compared to most humanoids he had seen. Speaking of which, he was the only avian looking blade he had ever come across as well, his gray beak offsetting his vibrant feathers and piercing white, glowing eyes. His ears twitched at the air hitting them, wings splayed out so he could lean back against the sturdy blade he was currently lain against.
Who was it that he laid against? None of than the earth blade Wulfric. He was, without a doubt, a rough looking individual. From his body resembling that of an insect’s exoskeleton, marred with holes, divots and slashes; to his large antenna and serrated tail; the spikes lining his legs and arms with the channels on his backs to release steam from battle. The insectoid blade was very broad, though shorter than Roc himself was, boasting a wide chest and smaller waist. At current, the avian had scrunched himself a bit to lay against the other near head height. He was softly reading the book to the wind blade, who was distracted. Roc couldn’t readily keep his mind on what Wulfric was saying, his gaze lightly sweeping over the pool of water surrounded by a small circle of land. Dragons Whiskers it was called, something many people overlooked when they went exploring it seemed. Or maybe it was just his driver and their companions.
The voice stopped, drawing the avian’s attention. The insectoid hummed as he spoke. “You are distracted.”
The wind blade tensed a little, feathers fluffing up some in embarrassment. He let out a sigh from his beak as he lightly tapped an arm encircling him. It was a signal for the earth blade to let him go, which he did. Spinning about, Roc faced Wulfric now. He stared at the white eyes, similar to his own, as he spoke.
“Sorry, just thinking.”
“What about?”
There was so much that ran through the avian’s mind. From their drivers goal of reaching Elysium and the many dangers that came with it. Helping the others around Garfont and mercenary work. That the two had to sneak out to rendezvous like this, mostly to avoid the others jumping to wrong conclusions. That Roc always felt much more aware of himself around the other blade.
In the end, it came down to what was ever forefront in his mind when the two were alone. “What are we?”
Wulfric blinked once at him. “We are blades.”
Sometimes the avian wished he had pupils so he could roll his eyes easier. He let out a chuff of a chuckle, a grin tugging at his beak. “That’s not what I meant, Wulfric.”
“Then say what you mean Roc.”
“What are you and me? Are we friends or something else?” It was wrong of the wind blade to ask that, he knew it was, yet Roc couldn’t help it. Always wiggling in the back of his mind every time they came here. The long pause as the insect looked off to the side while collecting his thoughts had the avian staring at his handsome face.
Then the earth blade looked at him. “You are Roc and I am Wulfric. What we call what we have does not matter.”
The wind blade’s beak parted in mild surprise. Of course he knew Wulfric was intelligent, yet sometimes it still was shocking just how deeply philosophical he could be. It was something Roc truly cherished about their time together, whether it be reading or sparring or just hanging out. The insect was just looking at him and he was looking back and his face was growing warm and his heart was beating in his throat and ears and…
Before the avian knew what he was doing, he was kissing the earth blade. It was soft and short, the wind blade pulling back and feeling mortified. By the Architect, he was stupid! It was wrong to do that to Wulfric of all blades!
“Wulfric…I…” Roc’s face had to be colored deeply by now. It came as a true shock when the insect pushed forward and kissed him back, longer and deeper this time. The avian melted into the embrace that was the earth blade’s arms pressing him in closer. He could feel every inch of their bodies touching, it was like electricity through his skin and feathers. When Wulfric pulled back, it was to whisper simply.
“We are what we want to be.”
It didn’t take long before the two had lain down together on the ground. Sure, it wasn’t the most comfortable of places, given it wasn’t flat or how the wind blade had to scrunch himself up some just so he could lay in the insect’s arms. On their sides, face to beak, Roc was caught in the hug of the sleeping earth blade. How on Uraya he slept out here was beyond the avian but he presumed it was an earth elemental thing.
His claws lightly dragged on the others’ chest, drawing erratic, non-sensical things as he laid awake. It wasn’t that he wasn’t tired, just that the wind blade was thinking again. About how they’d have to get back in a while or else people may look for them and find them tangled up together. Their legs were lightly intertwined. There was the mission they had to do, one that could rip them apart at any given moment. Yet most of all, Roc thought of his own internal struggles on memory and who he himself wanted to be.
Then Wulfric shifted slightly and broke the avian’s thoughts. Seeing the hard lines of the insect soften in sleep was worth any price. A pain blossomed in avian’s chest, one that yearned to be fixed, yet knowing that it could not be. It would take a miracle for it to be that way, as the wind blade placed his head and ear on the others’ chest. The loud drumming of the earth blade’s heart lulled Roc into the half-sleep state. His defenses down, a need to say what was burning in his chest coming out just this once, when he was alone and the other would never know his terrible secret before fading into slumber.
“I love you Wulfric.”
