“What did you say his name was?” James asked Alaris as they walked side by side.
“Lorin.”
Arglor was one of the most beautiful places James had ever seen. Everything in the jungle was vibrant. From the greens and browns of the tall trees, the bushes, the dirt, and the grass to the purples, oranges, blues, reds, and whites of the flowers, every color was as bright as the sun. The leaves and plants were thick and long, each having it’s own unique shape and size, some longer, thicker, and darker, and others being thinner and lighter with small or thick slits within them, allowing some sunlight to pass through. Each and every flower was unique; some were large and looked abnormal compared to the flowers James was used to seeing, and some were small and normal. But he wished he could enjoy Arglor’s beauty under different circumstances. Aldor was still at large, and now he and his friends, but mostly he, faced a new problem closer to them than the sorcerers.
Braya and Aviar were further ahead, with Lorin walking alongside Aviar. The previous night, after he and Aviar returned with firewood, Lorin explained his actions and eventually asked why they were in Arglor, to which they answered.
James couldn’t fathom why everyone was so quick to trust Lorin. He could understand if Lorin thought Braya had purposely come to his village to hurt him, but that wasn’t the case. He attacked her based on an unfortunate event that she, nor did anyone else, have a part in. But yet everyone still rashly trusted him, as though the possibility of Lorin trying to kill her or anyone else didn’t occur to them.
“I still don’t understand why he wants to join us,” James stated. “It doesn’t make sense for the last remaining panther beastborn to immediately want to put his life in danger because three strangers told him about two sorcerers who plan to awaken an ancient beast who wants to destroy the world.”
“Last night, while we were talking by the fire,” Alaris began. “It was like his face changed when I mentioned Frostland’s involvement with Aldor and Evisior’s plan. He looked surprised yet happy, which is unusual since he’d been melancholy for most of the night and still is.”
“Do you think he joined us because he wants revenge on Frostland?” questioned James.
“It would make sense,” answered Alaris. “He’s been here his whole life, killing people from there. Maybe he sees this as a chance to take out their ruler.”
“Does he not understand that Sorlia isn’t the one who killed his people?” James could understand Lorin’s hate for Frostland, but he couldn’t perceive his habit of murdering innocent people as good, even though Sorlia is nowhere. near innocent. Everything about it was wrong.
“I’m not trying to make excuses for him, but Sorlia is the daughter of the man who did, and they aren’t very different. She practically did the same thing to our kingdom. He probably sees her as the closest thing to him, and by getting rid of her, he’s getting rid of her father’s legacy,” said Alaris.
“Speaking of the kingdom,” James began. “Is he going to come back with us?”
James didn’t see Lorin as anything less than human, even though he wasn’t, but he wasn’t fond of the idea of Lorin returning with them. Lorin was different. From his way of living to how he looked, everything about him was different. The only thing he wore was a brown pteruges around his waist that was long enough to stop just above his knees. Sometimes, whether purposely or accidentally, his hazel eyes would switch between those of a human and those of a panther, his pupils becoming thinner and the whiteness of his sclera being taken up by the browness of his iris. Above everything else, Lorin could shapeshift into a panther at will. As much as James didn’t want to admit it, he knew Lorin would be the target of mistreatment.
“I think he will,” responded Alaris. “I can tell he’s still hurting because he lost his family. He’ll take any chance he can just to feel like he belongs somewhere again; at least, that’s what some people do when they’re going through something like that.”
“I can see why he’s taken a liking to you.” James stated.
“What makes you say that?” Alaris asked, laughing slightly.
“You sympathize for him a lot more than I do,” answered James. “Which is a good thing, I guess. If he’s going to be around us, I’d rather him like somebody rather than nobody.”
Alaris briefly looked at Lorin, then said, “Do you think he’s dangerous?”
“You don’t?”
“Not really,” Alaris looked back at Lorin. “I think he’s just hurting and confused. I doubt he’d pose as a threat to us, at least.”
“I hope you’re right,” stated James. “I’m surprised he’s up there with Braya and not back here with us since he hates her so much.”
“Before you and Aviar came back with more firewood, I told him to avoid being around you since you weren’t fond of the idea of us helping him,” Alaris admitted. “I could tell you like him that much. That’s probably why he’s up there.”
I’m not going to hurt him, James thought. He felt as though Alaris’ actions were unnecessary. Even though he didn’t trust Lorin, he didn’t plan to bully him or hurt him physically. But he could understand why he did it. To Lorin, James probably hated him entirely, but that wasn’t even slightly true.
Up until sunset, they travelled through Arglor. Through the trees, the sky was orange and yellow, with the colors purple and dark blue taking over closer to the sun. The breeze had cooled down, but it still wasn’t as cold as it would’ve been in Southern Lyrid. When the wind stopped blowing, James could feel some form of heat in the area. It wasn’t strong, but it definitely was there until it was covered by the wind.
As James and Alaris tried to set up another fire, Lorin helped Braya and Aviar pick fruit in the area, showing them which ones were edible and which ones were not.
“I truly don’t think he should be joining us,” James began, rubbing two sticks together. “We don’t know him.”
“You don’t really know Braya either, but you were quick to trust her,” Alaris replied, dropping the sticks he collected next to James.
“She didn’t try to kill us.”
“Maybe not us.”
“What do you mean by that?”
James could tell Alaris wanted to say something but wouldn’t. Or couldn’t.
“Nothing,” Alaris sighed.
“What aren’t you telling me?” James asked, halting his attempts at making a fire as he stood up to face Alaris. “And don’t try to lie. I know you too well.”
"Nothing, James,” Alaris repeated. “Just stop being so negative toward Lorin. He hasn’t done anything to you, nor will he.”
Whatever it was Alaris wanted to say, he would have to wait until he was ready, James figured. And pushing him to speak would’ve only made him uncomfortable entirely. But Alaris did confirm what James suspected: he and Braya haven’t taken a liking to each other. Instead of thinking about it too much, James tried to focus on starting the fire.
He bent down and continued rubbing the sticks together. No matter how long or how fast he rubbed them, a flame wouldn’t start.
“Could you help me?” James requested of Alaris. “It won’t ignite.”
“Sure.”
As Alaris began to assist him with the fire, James briefly made eye contact with Lorin as he returned with Braya and Aviar. When Lorin looked at him, he looked disturbed, his eyebrows lowering. He quickly looked away, continuing to purposely avoid James’ eyes.
I couldn’t care less.
“Did you find anything?” Alaris asked as he vigorously rubbed the sticks together.
“No,” Aviar said. “All the fruits over here are poisonous.”
“James,” Braya began, “Are you alright?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You look different,” she stated. She looked almost as disturbed as Lorin did.
“It’s your eyes,” Aviar added, he too sharing the disturbance. “They look dark.”
James didn’t understand what they were talking about. He felt fine. Everything on him felt wonderful except the wound on his stomach. Even though he didn’t have a reflection to look at so he could disprove their claims, he figured they simply were fooled by a shadow cast on him from the trees.
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After hearing faint blowing, he looked down and saw that Alaris managed to start a fire.
“It might not last long since the wood is damp.” Alaris stated as he added more wood to the flame.
“There was no point in making that,” said Lorin.
“Why not?” Alaris slowly asked.
“Indora is just through there.” Lorin pointed at a thick cluster of large plants in between trees.
“Are you sure?” Avair questioned as he looked at his map. “The map says otherwise.”
“Then your map is wrong.” Lorin walked over to the large plants and began to proceed through them, pushing them left and right as he stepped slowly.
“Were not actually going to follow him, are we?” James questioned.
Alaris then stood up. “He knows this jungle better than any map, I’m sure.”
“Alaris is right,” agreed Aviar.
Braya, Alaris, and Aviar then followed Lorin into the cluster of plants, carefully pushing them about to make way for them to walk.
They trust him too much, James thought as he too followed.
To James’ surprise, Indora actually was just through the plants.
The only word that could describe Indora would’ve been burnt. The grass, the dead trees, the dirt—all of it was black and charred. Even some of the grass, trees, and plants in Arglor had been charred where the two places met. You could just barely see it’s original color if you got close enough. Winding rivers of scorching lava ran through the burnt open terrain, providing a source of light as it would’ve otherwise been dark since the sky was filled with ominous, thick, burgundy clouds, blocking all light from the sun. The only sounds that could be heard were the ones coming from behind them in Arglor, plants and branches of trees hitting each other in the wind, and the faint sound of the lava bubbling.
James felt like he’d been wrapped in multiple thick blankets that had been lying on the sun itself. Indora was so abnormally hot, he couldn’t imagine anything possibly living there. He and everyone else could fill buckets with the sweat they’d accumulated from just standing there.
As they continued to walk through the fire wasteland, it only got hotter and hotter. Braya’s hair became bushier than usual, and everyone else’s either drooped over their foreheads or down the sides or backs of their heads.
“Why exactly would Aldor come here?” Braya asked. “There doesn’t seem to be much of anything here.”
“If I had to guess,” Aviar began, moving his wet hair away from his face. “He’s here for the Nalah.”
“As dangerous as they are, why would anyone seek them out?” Lorin’s face showed worry, his eyebrows drawn closely together.
“Who are they?” James asked.
“Not much is known about them,” Aviar explained. “Very few people have survived their clutches, and all of them have only talked about how evil they are. Their magic, called Kunada, is fueled by their uncontrollable anger. The fire in their hearts grows larger and stronger with every human sacrificed to whatever deity they worship. And they’re the only known tribe that still partakes in such violent rituals.”
“How does human sacrifice make them stronger?” Alaris questioned. “And the deity doesn’t actually exist, does it?”
“I don’t know,” said Aviar. “There are things in this world that could leave the wisest and most intelligent person confused.”
The deeper they went into Indora, the hotter it became. It was as though they were walking inside a volcano, or on the sun itself. For the first time, James found himself missing the cold winter down south.
As they walked up a short hill, they could see a large village in the distance. Its buildings were small but plentiful.
“Is that it?” James asked. “Where the Nalah live.”
When James pulled his eyes away from the sight of the village and turned to face Aviar, he instead was met with the black-eyed, rotting corpse of his father. Startled, he streched his eyes and took a small step back.
“Come to me,” his father’s corpse said. He spoke in the same eerie, chilling voice his mother did.
James blinked, and his father vanished just as quickly as he appeared.
“I would assume so,” Aviar answered. “I doubt people other than them live out here.”
As they continued to walk down the hill, Lorin quickly snatched Alaris’ arm and began speaking.
“You aren’t seriously thinking about going in there?” he said to him.
“Is something wrong?” Alaris questioned. He looked just as confused as James did. It was the most emotion Lorin had shown since they all met him. He seemed worried and terrified, his eyes wide and his hand shaking slightly as he held Alaris’ arm.
“It’s too dangerous,” he urged. He was speaking to everyone when he said that. “For all of you. The faster you run after death, the slower it will run.”
“We’re not chasing death, Lorin,” James barked. “They won’t even know we’re there.”
“How do you plan to find that sorcerer without making your presence known?” Lorin questioned.
James didn’t have an answer. It wasn’t really something he’d thought about.
“The longer you make us wait here, the longer all this will take.” He said instead, unintentionally raising his voice.
“James, the place is nothing but evil. If you want to be corrupted by their magic, then so be it. But don’t drag other people down with you.” Lorin remonstrated.
“You don’t have to come with us,” James snapped. “Why are you even here?”
Lorin's eyes quickly became narrow as he slowly took a step forward toward James, letting go of Alaris’ arm. “What issue do you have with me?” he retorted. “I never did anything to you.”
“You attacked Braya for no reason.”
“I never did anything to you,” Lorin repeated.
“Why can’t you answer the question?” James too took a step forward, followed by another. “Seriously, why are you here?”
“I don’t have to answer to you,” Lorin snarled, taking another step forward. He and James now stood within arm length of each other, glowering at each other.
“James,” Alaris began, stepping up behind Lorin. He slightly pushed James away from him. “Stop.”
“It’s not like he’ll do anything,” James replied.
He turned around to look at Braya, as she had pulled his arm back. “Stop it,” she scolded.
“Why are you all acting like you aren’t thinking the same thing underneath your blind trust for him?” James blurted before turning back to face Lorin. “He’s just a scared little kitten who will follow after anyone who’s nice to him because he doesn’t belong anywhere else.”
Almost instantly, Lorin lunged at James, his eyes switching to those of a panther as he threw his arms out toward James’ head. He saw Lorin’s teeth for the first time. He had two sharp fangs on the top row and two on the bottom row, like those of a panther but small enough to fit his mouth. Had Alaris not yanked Lorin back and Braya not pulled James closer to her, James would’ve been severely hurt.
“What has gotten into you, James?” Braya shouted.
“Nothing,” he quietly answered. He didn’t expect Lorin to actually do something. But all it did was prove what he had been saying to Alaris: Lorin is too dangerous to be around.
“You don’t have to leave,” Alaris softly said to Lorin.
“Get off,” Lorin hissed as he shook Alaris’ hands off his shoulders. “If you value your lives, none of you better show your faces in Arglor. Assuming the Nalah won’t get to you before I do.”
He then quickly left, walking in the same direction they came—back toward Arglor.
“Did you have to, James?” Aviar ranted. “Never once did he ever do anything to you!”
“He’s barely spoken to you!” Alaris yelled. “Your hatred for him is stupid, James.”
James couldn’t believe they were taking Lorin’s side over his. Everything he said was the truth, and they knew it. Their reason for defending Lorin was beyond him.
“It doesn’t matter,” James stated. “He would’ve been useless to us anyway.”
“He would’ve been more useful to you than Alaris and I,” Braya quickly said. She stood beside James with her hand firmly on his shoulder.
“You heard what he said! He was too scared to go into the village!” James fumed.
“So are we!” Braya shouted. “So how come you don’t degrade us like you do him?”
“Because you aren’t murderers,” James answered. “It’d be better for us not to have a fickle killer around us anyway.”
“But you have no problem falling in love with one,” Alaris blurted.
“What?”
Glancing at Braya, James saw that her eyes had widened. She looked as though her heart had fallen straight to the ground.
“Don’t,” Braya hissed.
“Go on,” Alaris began. “Tell James all about how you plan to steal Aviar’s belt for whoever you were talking to back in Daroeth Keeth. Tell him how you threatened to kill him and me if I told anyone.”
James turned to look at Braya, but Aviar had spoken the words that were on his mind. “Is that true, Braya?”
She looked away from all of them, removing her hand from James’ shoulder. Then she turned to face Alaris, glaring at him maliciously. “Yes,” she answered.
James began to feel a faint ache in his heart, one he’d never felt before. Braya wasn’t the girl he thought she was. Instead, she was a thief. A killer.
“Why?” It was all James could say.
“I had no choice,” Braya began. “None of you have been through what my brother and I have. You don’t know the things we were forced to do to survive.”
“Killing people and stealing from people was a choice,” Alaris quickly stated.
“If she had no choice, then she had no choice, Alaris,” James retorted. “We’ve both been roped into things against our will.”
“How could you defend her?” Alaris yelled.
“How could you defend Lorin?”
“You’re the one defending someone who threatened to kill you,” Alaris stated. “Does that not bother you?”
“If it bothered you, you would’ve told me sooner,” James shouted.
“Did you not hear me? She threatened to kill us both!” Alaris raged. “This isn’t my fault.”
“Maybe not this, but you’re mother’s suicide is.”
As soon as the words escaped his lips, James immediately regretted it. He didn’t mean to say or even think it. It was as though someone else was speaking for him. He watched as the life in Alaris’ glossy eyes slowly faded as Aviar and Braya gasped, his face wanting to frown but couldn’t. The last time he saw such a lifeless expression on Alaris’ face was during the time of his mother’s death.
“If we’re going to the village, let’s go now.” Alaris stated and turned to walk in the direction of the village.
Braya and Aviar followed behind him, but James stayed behind briefly. For the first time in his life, he felt disconnected from Alaris. As though their bond had been broken, completely erased from existence. In his heart was a growing pain, like a hole, once that had been dug out by his own hands.
"Good,” he heard from his left. When he turned, he saw his father’s corpse again, his hand on his shoulder. “Now, come to me.”
James looked back in the direction of Alaris, Braya, and Aviar as they walked away, a piercing pain in his head growing slowly.
I’m going insane.
Do you think James' feelings about Lorin are valid?
