Soon, Alden was surrounded by warmth.
…Both physical and emotional.
For the former, the stalwart rider had etched a fire rune into the heart of a firepit he had dug up - no kindling, just stones. Meanwhile, Alden guessed the latter to be a result of his travelling companion not abandoning him, and also the close proximity they now shared.
They sat across from each other, the warm stones in between them.
Alden had shrugged off his cloak, the fabric placed to the side where another fire rune had been carved into the ground. The two steeds huddled closer to them from the mouth of the cave. The creatures were easily startled, and the backdrop of thunder and wind was an uncomfortable combination for their nerves.
Alden scrutinised his companion more closely now that he had shed his cloak.
The rider's most notable features were a chiselled jawline, broad shoulders and a weathered face. His hands were also rough and calloused. Strangely, however, his eyes were warm and inviting, not at all fierce and cold as Alden expected someone so warrior-like to be.
It was… an interesting contrast.
The young man's chest pulsed with another wave of warmth. Alden frowned, extremely uncomfortable.
Silently, he raised his guard.
As thunder continued to ravage in the background, Alden watched the rider display a far-off look.
"Hey, little brother, do you know what I yearn for the most?"
Hearing the rider address him as his little brother, Alden's chest warmed even more.
'Ugh, I'm starting to really hate this.'
Gritting his teeth, Alden allowed a curious expression to form on his face.
He stared into the warm orbs of his 'brother', noting the seriousness in them.
The rider suddenly leaned forward, voice above a whisper.
Alden's interest immediately stirred.
He instinctively sat up straight.
"I want to be free. Free from the chains that bind us all. Free from fate, death…. Everything."
Alden blinked, hiding the incredulous expression that almost flashed across his face.
That was… quite the ambition.
Why did the rider desire it so much?
What had caused him to aim for such a lofty goal?
Alden's mind spun, reeling from the implications of his 'brother's' words.
First, the fact that he desired freedom denoted that life in the Domains was not much better than Arkanis. In Alden's world, no matter where you went, there would always be signs of the Great Collision. You couldn't escape it.
There, the shadow of captivity hung heavy. There was no such thing as freedom.
Alden expected life within the Domains to be less… distressing than an Apocalypse. However, each world seemed to have advantages and disadvantages - some better and worse. The second implication was perhaps even more alarming. At least with regard to his current situation.
After all, the rider did declare his desire to be free from everything.
That also included familial bonds…
Alden inwardly sucked in a cold breath.
His gaze hardened, the gears in his mind spinning rapidly.
'The pain I'm supposed to experience in this scenario…'
Alden inwardly cursed.
What kind of Trial was this?
He cursed again, mood turning a little glum.
What a devilish thing it was.
It enslaved one according to its whims, clouding any sort of cogent judgement.
Of course, there were 'good' types of desire as well - Alden's lips almost twitched into a smirk as he imagined wrapping Celeste in his arms. The thought of his precious love both deepened his dejection and made his heart skip a beat - despondency at being away from her and butterflies in his stomach from envisioning her beautiful face inches away from his own.
Alden shook his head slightly, returning his focus to the rider. The heavens boomed and shook in the background. A flash lit the mouth of the cave, scaring the poor horses.
Suddenly, Alden noticed a new item within his companion's grasp.
'It wasn't there, to begin with…. Does he also have something akin to dimensional storage?'
Scrutinising the object, Alden's eyes narrowed.
It was a perfectly round sphere the size of a large fruit. It was impossibly smooth, engravings dotting its surface here and there. The object gave off an aura of eternity, as if unable to be touched by time.
Alden saw a glint flash through the rider's eyes in the dim light of the cave.
Then, he froze, recognition dawning on his face.
His 'brother' wanted to be immortal.
…Free from everything.
However, Alden knew it couldn't be that straightforward. The rider couldn't be free, so long as 'he' - Alden - existed. Furthermore, fate would also be doubtless involved, so he guessed the immortality part was just a measure against Death.
Overall, Alden thought it was a pretty foolish choice by the stalwart man.
That was what desire did to a person.
It made them make illogical decisions.
That was pretty important.
Alden breathed sharply from his nose and closed his eyes.
The storm continued to rage outside.
As his thoughts continued spinning, he concluded that the sphere… was a precious object belonging to the creature responsible for the storm.
Alden opened his eyes, a silent question in them.
The rider grinned back.
"You catch on quick."
Then, he snapped his finger.
Two runes instantly materialised in the air.
"These will help conceal our presence."
The stalwart man flicked the symbol in Alden's direction. It phased through his forehead, and the young man felt something magical envelop his frame. Suddenly, he felt a little weaker. Alden guessed the glyph involved some sort of sealing art - to block his body's progress with mana from showing.
Soon, they were on their way again - after ensuring the horses had had sufficient rest and their cloaks fully dried. Riding through the storm, battered by the wind and the rain, and the deafening rumble of thunder, Alden kept his guard up. They continued travelling, the stalwart rider in front, and Alden behind.
Every so often they would stop for a break.
Each time, Alden's nerves, and apprehension soared.
Strangely, however, his 'brother' didn't act.
Eventually, they left the storm behind.
Alden found himself in a wide valley.
The skies were clear, and sunlight shone on the vale. Vultures also circled ominously from above. The rider signalled for him to stop, and he gladly did.
The exhaustion of constantly keeping his guard up, making sure he didn't fall from his steed and fighting against the furious storm… it all made Alden terribly tired. That was why he was more than happy to stop.
Turning around to inspect something on his horse, he suddenly felt something cold pierce his back. Alden gasped, struggling to turn around. A sharp pain pierced his chest - sharper than the blade that was doubtless lodged in his back.
Alden tried to open his mouth, but all that spilled forth was blood.
He became incredibly dizzy.
Then, he staggered to his knees.
Alden sensed his 'brother' move, and he raised his head tortuously to glare at him.
…All the rider showed was a mad, demented smile in response.
There was no remorse.
Alden croaked, voice incredibly raspy.
Then, he fell onto his stomach, a sense of coldness overwhelming him - both emotional and physical.
Bitterness spread rapidly like a malignant disease.
Alden cursed, sensing the life fade from his body. In the throes of death, the last thing he sensed was the fading footsteps of his 'brother', and the vultures swooping down, ready to feast on his corpse.