Chapter 50: Is she dreaming about me?

He pulled out a few strands of thread from his inventory and tickled her ear with them. Once she shook her head in annoyance, he moved the threads down to her neck, and held his breath as she moved a hand to scratch.

’He he heee’ Thadius giggled silently. He knew he was terrible for it, but she wasn’t expecting his visit, making it the perfect opportunity for mischief.

He lightly brushed the threads across her face, and when she slapped herself, Thadius had to cover his mouth to keep from bursting out in laughter.

“Hmm, stop Thadius.” Christina murmured.

Thadius froze. Had his Fighting Spirit woken her up? He had tested the effects of it in the men’s dormitory, so he was sure that wasn’t the case. Yet, the only other explanation…

’Is she dreaming about me?’ Thadius smiled to himself. But the smile was short lived as his thoughts drifted back to matters of the heart. That alone drained the mirth out of him.

“Christina.” he whispered as he poked her nose.

She twitched, then went still. Thadius poked her again. This time, her face scrunched up as she opened her eyes.

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”Thadius?” she said drowsily.

“Hey.”

“Hey.” she said, turning her head to the other side to get more comfortable.

’You must have been knocked out. Poor thing...I’ll wait.

A few seconds passed before reality set in, then Christina sat up abruptly and stared at Thadius through squinted eyes. “Thadius?” she whispered.

“Hey.” he smiled.

“Hey.” A smile slowly spread on her face in turn.

“No night gown?” he asked.

Christina looked down at her grey set of Wolf Gear, then quickly laid back down and covered herself. “I didn’t bring one…” she replied, blushing fiercely.

“I could make you one.” he offered.

“That’s okay.” She pulled the covers up to her nose while her cheeks filled with more color.

“Christina likes to sleep half-naked huh? Good to know…”

“Don’t say it like that!” She covered her face with her hands. “I just like the way it looks.”

Thadius just smiled.

“What’s wrong Thadius?” Christina said in concern. She sat up again to get a better look at his expression.

Thadius rubbed a hand across his face, he didn’t think he made any expression in particular. Yet, Christina had somehow picked up on his inner turmoil.

“That depends, do you want a lie or do you want the truth…” he whispered with a stern expression.

“The truth of course.” she responded immediately.

“I’m wondering what my life would be like if I started a relationship with you. Not as a companion, but as a woman.”

Christina chewed on her lip as she slowly laid back down. The divine glow in her eyes, the aftermath of Tegaia’s healing, completed the picture of her anxious face. Men wrote poetry with less raw material.

“Her golden hair, shines like the sun, no matter how it lies.” Thadius recited as he ran a finger through her hair. “Eternal-blue eyes, endless as Heaven’s skies, promise a life filled with joy.”

He moved from her hair to stroke her cheek then cupped his hand under her chin. They locked eyes as Thadius coaxed her into releasing her lower lip.

“And with love and joy, she’d try to destroy the walls that surround my heart. The tricky part, is where to start without tearing my heart apart.”

“I wouldn’t tear apart anything, Thadius.” she said quietly, taking his hand into hers.

“I don’t think so either…” Thadius replied truthfully.

“Then what’s stopping you? What’s stopping us?” she questioned softly. Though she could guess what it was.

Under her honest gaze, Thadius couldn’t lie to her. “Nothing at all.”

“Then why do you look so sad when we talk about it?”

“Because being with you would mean letting go of the love that already fills my heart, and I don’t want to let go just yet.” he whispered to her.

Christina looked down as she traced his palm with her finger tips. “You don’t have to.”

There was a sadness in her voice that clawed at Thadius like a wild beast.

“Yes I do.” he replied.

Christina carefully moved herself to the edge of the bed, maneuvering her legs slowly so as not to wake the sleeping Goddess below. The warm breeze from Serenity, and Thadius’ aura, protected her from the chill as she held his head in her hands.

"I know that I'm a burden on you Thadius." she said.

"Christina-"

"I know it." she whispered fiercely. Her stern gaze wasn't one of a love-struck girl without any common sense. "You and Yuna could be out there right now, hunting down monsters on some grand adventure. I know that." she continued, brushing his lips with her thumb. "And I know some other woman has your heart. But I'm here and she's not. While she's away in some far off land, you're here with me, and I'm fine with that."

She pulled Thadius closer, so close that he had to look up at her. "With time, I know I’ll find my place beside you. Until then, you won't run from me, remember?" Christina leaned down and placed her lips on his, as if she could convey all she felt with her touch.

Lost in the moment, her legs wrapped around him, then she trembled as the warmth of his hands slid across her back.

But Thadius had to pull away before he completely lost his sanity. If he gave the wolf control, the initiates would wake up to quite the show, and he would never hear the end of Yuna' and her ‘stuff’ talk.

"Do mind setting me free?" Thadius smiled slyly as he moved his hands to her legs.

Christina nodded and reluctantly detached herself, allowing Thadius to move toward the edge of the bed to proceed with his mission. He lifted the covers and searched through layers of white hair to find the slumbering Goddess underneath.

"Yuna. Yuna, wake up." he whispered as he poked her cheeks.

"Hmmn? Leave me alone Thadius..." she protested.

"Yuna." he poked her again with a little more force.

She opened one eye and glared at her tormentor. "What?"

"I'm leaving on a trip. I won't be back for a week or so." he said.

"Uh huh. Tastes good." she yawned.

'What exactly are you hearing....'

"Yuna, I'm leaving. I'm never coming back."

"Mmmhmm." she murmured as her eye closed slowly.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"Cookin' time." It was an instant reply.

"If you understand that, then you must be awake. Do you understand what I just told you?"

"Going away...a week...bringing back food to eat."

'Close enough.' Thadius sighed as he left Yuna to fall back to sleep.

"Where are you going?" Christina asked.

"I'm going out with the city guard for a bit. Nothing to worry about. Now cover up. Too much temptation is bad for my health." Thadius chuckled softly.

"Thadius finds my body tempting. Good to know." She smiled playfully.

Thadius eyes widened in feigned surprise, and Christina nearly burst out laughing from the look on his face. Both of them ended up covering their mouths until the mirth subsided.

“Well, it’s time I headed out. Try and get some more sleep.” Thadius said as he raised from the floor.

“But I’m wide awake now.” Christina pouted. She blamed Thadius 100%.

“Then you and your friend should get a head start on those chores.” Thadius whispered.

Christina eyes went wide as she watched him disappear in front of her eyes. She heard a chuckle, then the subtle click of the door leading down to the first floor.

“He he. I saw somethin’ good.” a voice said from the next bunk over. A pair of narrowed cat eyes looked at Christina like a prized fish.

Christina just shook her head and got up to go put on her robe.

“Wait! Christina!” Esaa cried out as quietly as she could manage, which wasn’t very quiet at all.

---

Thadius shook his head as he closed the doors of the church behind him. Esaa had woken up in the middle of Christina’s display of affection. Fortunately, Christina counted on her as a friend, so the fact that there had been a man in the girls dorm would be a secret between the two.

’At least I hope so.’ Thadius thought as he set out for the building he’d met Tony at yesterday.

Dawn had yet to break over the city, and the streets were quiet and still. Thadius set out at a brisk pace, anxious to make it to the meeting on time. His robe flapped violently behind him because of his speed and the continuous wind released by Serenity.

He reached the doors of the recruitment center just as the sky began to brighten. When he walked in, a familiar face was there to greet him.

“This is the youngin’ I was talkin’ about.” Old Man Tony said as he maneuvered his piece on the chessboard. His opponent looked up at Thadius in irritation.

“So you’re Thadius, huh.” The man got up and came around the counter to scrutinize Thadius. “Hmph, You don’t look so tough.” he said, despite the obvious twitch in his jaw that was triggered by Thadius’ Fighting Spirit.

“I’m stronger than I look.” Thadius responded confidently as he looked down at the man. “And if you still doubt my abilities after the excursion, I’ll leave.”

“Excursion he says!” the man exclaimed as he threw up his hands and walked back to his seat. “He talks about a walk into the mists as if it’s some sort of picnic!” He looked at Tony in disbelief. “How many rookies will you send out there to be killed before you’re satisfied, General?”

Thadius raised an eyebrow in surprise. He figured the old man had connections, but he never expected him to have such a high rank.

Tony laughed, and his bushy eyebrows quivered with amusement. “Oh, this one won’t go dyin’ so easily Richie. He’s been taught good and proper!”

Richie sighed, rubbing his forehead to ease his tension.General Antony always found a way to make his job more difficult than had to be. “Fine,” he said, holding out his hand. “give me your status card.”

“He doesn’t-”

“I have it right here.” Thadius interrupted Tony, winking at the old man as he removed his status card from around his neck.

“Ho ho!” Tony chuckled.

Richie narrowed his eyes in suspicion, looking at both Thadius and Tony, but he could only guess as to what transpired between the two. He snatched the card from Thadius’ hand and barked orders. “You’ll report to Captain Dain. He’s the commanding officer for this ‘excursion’.” he said, turning back to the chessboard to make his move.

Thadius waited patiently for further instructions, yet it only served to flame Richies misdirected anger.

“Well!? What in the hells are you waiting for!? Go to the mess hall!” he shouted. “And make sure you change out of that ridiculous armor before you do! You’re in the Todos army now, so you need to dress the part!”

Thadius quickly moved behind the counter and through the door in the back, frowning at his unceremonious recruitment as he walked into the connecting corridor. Not only had he been fussed out moments after he arrived, he’d also been told to remove the armor he’d just bought yesterday. He understood the need for uniformity, but he was disappointed nonetheless.

Thadius followed the corridors to the mass of presences that could only be the mess hall that Richie mentioned. The place was packed with rows of tables and soldiers. And when he walked in, he received all sorts of glares from them. Some men even thought to put a bit of pressure on Thadius, only to have their pressure returned ten-fold.

’The faster I find the Captain, the better.’ He thought as he approached the nearest soldier.

“I’m looking for Captain Dain, do you know where he is?” Thadius asked.

The soldier merely looked at him, then returned to eating.

Thadius turned to the man opposite him. “Excuse me, kind sir. Do you know where Captain Dain might be?” The second soldier gave him the cold shoulder as well.

’Please don’t make me get ignorant.’

Thadius walked over to the next table, hoping to find someone friendlier. “Hey, I’m looking for Captain Dain. Mind pointing me in the right direction?” he asked another soldier.

This time, the soldier didn’t even acknowledge his existence.

’Okay...’ Thadius sucked in a breath.

“CAPTAIN DAIN! WHERE ARE YOU!?” he screamed at the top of his lungs. To his satisfaction, the soldier that had ignored him nearly jumped out of his skin.

“Who in the hells is yelling in my mess hall!” a voice shouted at the end of the room.

Thadius located the man immediately. He was a short, broad-shouldered man with black hair and a goatee. His sharp gaze had no mercy, and his posture as he leaned on the table screamed intolerance.

Once Thadius made his way over, he made sure to be polite as possible. “I apologize for screaming, sir. The soldiers were uncooperative when I was trying to find you.”

The captain glared daggers at him. “And you thought that gave you the right to disturb the meal of my men!?” he hissed.

“Yes sir.”

“Oh? Then you must be one of those entitled little pricks!” Dain came face to face with Thadius. “I’ve ordered my men to remain silent during every meal. So they were following orders when they kept their mouths shut!” he spat.

“They still could have gestured, sir.” Thadius frowned.

The captain stared at Thadius as if he’d bumped his head, then he sighed heavily.“State your business.”

“I was told to report to you for duty, sir.”

“And where is your uniform, rookie?” Captain Dain questioned with narrowed eyes.

“I’m aware that I’m not in uniform, sir, and I apologize for that as well. I wasn’t informed as to where I could obtain a set of armor.”

“He wasn’t informed, he says!” Dain cried out to the eating soldiers, a chorus of laughter followed. “Well then, why didn’t you ask?” he questioned in a mocking tone.

“I was ordered to report to you immediately, sir. It seemed like an inappropriate time for questions.” Thadius responded tactfully. He felt like Captain Dain favored obedience, so an excuse like ‘I was following orders’ seemed acceptable.

The captain sighed again and shook his head in exasperation. He turned toward the opposite end of the table. “Elroy!” he called. Immediately, a young man jumped up and came rushing over.

Thadius was instantly reminded of Marshal by the way the man carried himself. It wasn’t just his dirty blonde hair or his sharp eyes that reminded him of Christina’s father, it was the way the man carried himself with the same air of nobility. Thadius was willing to bet that the man had come from a wealthy family.

“Yes, sir?” Elroy said.

“Elroy, this one will be your fourth. Make sure he’s thoroughly informed on the situation.”

said the captain with an overly sarcastic tone. Thadius was starting to feel like they wouldn’t be friends.

Elroy nodded and gestured for Thadius to follow him. When they were in the hallway, Thadius asked, “Is he always like that?”

“I wouldn’t know. I only arrived yesterday.” he replied stoically.

“You arrived yesterday? And you have a unit already?”

Elroy shot Thadius an annoyed look, but he answered the question. “...I received basic training at an early age.”

“Oh…”

’Definitely nobility.’

“And what about you? You don’t seem like you belong in the city guard.” Elroy asked.

“I have friends in high places.” Thadius smiled.

Despite his stern expression, the smallest of smallest of smirks appeared at the edge of Elroy’s mouth. “Indeed.”

They walked down a few more corridors before they arrived at the armoury. Racks filled with poor equipment littered the place. Elroy picked one out at random and handed it to Thadius. “I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping once we return from the mission. For now, you should be curious about where we’re going, yes?”

“I heard something about the mists?”

“The Mists of Croaka. Further south of Todos there is a gigantic stretch of marshland. Due to the climate, a never ending mist hangs over the entire area. For years, the Croaka have waged war against Todos. It’s one of the reasons why Todos is so militant, and also the reason why we raised the city off the plains.

“Now, we send subjugation squads into the mists just to keep the Croaka in check. They know Todos rules this land, so they hide in their marsh, rarely leaving its protection.” Elroy explained.

“Why attack if they don’t come out of the mists?” Thadius asked, he was curious as to why country like Todos would waste time with an enemy that’s weaker than them.

Elroy shook his head. “Don’t be mistaken. The Croaka are amphibious monsters, and the entire marsh is some sort of massive dungeon. No matter how many we kill, we go back and find the same number in their place. If we left them alone, they’d gain the strength to strike back. And that will not be tolerated.”

“Monsters huh?” Thadius made a confused face.

“Is something the matter?” Elroy frowned.

“Nothing, I just thought there’d be more to it.” Thadius mumbled as he looked at his new armor in disdain. It smelled like a used jock strap.

“So did I, but here we are. Any questions?”

“Yes. Where do I sleep?” Thadius asked.

“I told you I’d show you after we return.”

“I need a place to set my armor after I change…” Even though he could easily use his inventory, Thadius wanted to keep his identity as a Traveler under wraps.

’Which reminds me, I need to get my status card back.’

Elroy nodded. “We’ll be meeting in the courtyard after breakfast, so I suggest you change quickly. There’s a latrine down the hall, first door to the left, if you want privacy. Once you’re done, the bunk room will be the last door on the right, just pick any empty bed.” With his orders fulfilled, Elroy left Thadius to his business and returned to the dining hall.

Thadius looked around the neglected armory, it was a good a place to change as any. From the look of it, the chances of someone walking in on him were slim-to-none, and slim just left town.

’Just what am I getting myself into?’ Thadius sighed as he removed his mint condition armor. He sincerely hoped that his week in the mists wouldn’t be as disappointing as his first impression of the city guard.