Chapter Text
The team was divided. Through a series of inopportune injuries and circumstances, the plan was completely unrecognizable from what it was merely a day ago. Originally, it would have been a party of four each going to both Primrose and Therion’s next missions, but an injury that Primrose sustained rendered her essentially incapacitated by Alfyn’s diagnosis.
“She shouldn’t be putting weight on that leg for at least a week.” The apothecary stood up from his crouching position next to the injured dancer.
“How shalt the plan divergeth from here?” H’aanit inquired.
“With the state Prim’s in right now, we’ll probably need Cyrus’s ‘services’ once we track down the last of the Crows,” Tressa answered, sorting through the wares she had picked up on the road. Knowing the scholar, his ‘services’ would most certainly involve a variety of spells and very, very large red numbers.
“It would seem that since our party is incomplete, we must postpone Therion’s quest momentarily,” Olberic suggested.
“What?” Therion stood up, his scarf fell away from his face to reveal his scowl, “Hell no, I’ve already been waiting for too long to track down this next stone. The longer I wait, the more chance there is that it could move.”
“Therion, between you and Prim, the stone you’re looking for is way less likely to up and leave as opposed to an organized crime unit.” Tressa pointed out.
“I don’t give a damn; I’ll go alone if I have to.” The thief turned away angrily to prepare his tools. All the rest of the party watched him walk out the inn doors, none wanting to go alone with him without a full party. All except one. One girl who was far too kind for her own good. The cleric ran out of the inn doors after Therion.
“Therion, wait!” Ophilia called out to him.
“What?” He stopped and looked back at the girl.
“I… I will go with you.” She said with determination, causing the rogue to look a bit surprised before regaining his composure.
“… Whatever… Do what you want.” He continued walking, but now a bit confused at her actions. He knew she was kind, but to the point of going on a mission alone with him? No, she had to have an ulterior motive.
The two walked together all the way to Noblecourt where they needed to remain unnoticed. Unfortunately, some people did spot them on the way into the inn.
“Ah, what have we here?” The innkeeper turned to the two. “What a darling couple you two are, welcome to Noblecourt.” Ophilia was about to clear up the misunderstanding when Therion wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“Hello, my good man.” Therion greeted with a… smile? She had never seen Therion smile before, “I am Therion, this is my wife, Ophilia.”
“H-Hello.” Ophilia played along the best she could.
“We are here on our honeymoon, and we wanted to book a room for the week.”
“Of course! A week for you two would be… 500 leaves.” The innkeeper handed Therion a key. 500 leaves seemed low for a room for that many nights, but perhaps they got a couple’s discount of sorts. Therion paid the man and walked up to the inn room with a very embarrassed Ophilia.
“Wh-what on earth was that!?” The cleric turned to Therion indignantly.
“We need to stay undercover, it’s believable that a newlywed couple would take their honeymoon in Noblecourt.” Therion explained.
“You could’ve given me some warning at least…” Ophilia sighed, still nervous. The two walked up to their room together.
“So that’s why the room was so cheap,” Therion muttered at the sight of their room, a comfortable space with a small bathroom, table and… one bed.
“E-eh?!” The cleric quickly caught on to the issue in front of them. “Wh-what are we to do, we couldn’t possibly-” Her worries were abruptly halted by the thief’s finger over her lips.
“We’ll figure it out, the worst thing we can do right now is panic.”
“I… I suppose you are correct.” She sat down on the edge of the bed with a sigh. He sat down at the table, taking off his traveling gear.
“Therion…” She softly called to him.
“Yeah?” He looked up and met her gaze.
“We have traveled together for some time now… I still feel as though I know nothing about you.” She took off her own shoes.
“There’s not much to know, just grew up on the streets. Turned to crime to solve my problems, as it happened, I was quite good at stealing.” She knew he was purposefully not divulging the whole story, but pressing for too many details would only make him less inclined to share.
“Did you grow up alone?” She asked innocently, but he paused, as if remembering something.
“Darius…” He growled behind his teeth.
“Darius?” she asked, trying to gain some closure.
“It’s nothing… not important.” It was clear she wasn’t getting anything further out of him, it felt like an accident on its own he let that much slip out. “Take the bed, I’ll manage.” Not in the mood for a potential disagreement over the matter, Ophilia laid down on the bed, closing her eyes. That left Therion awake for some minutes, alone with his bitter memories.
The memories all rushed back. He thought on everything that night, his partner in crime who he thought of as a brother, and the cold reality that he truly didn’t care about Therion at all. He still remembered the way the events unfolded; the way Darius’s eyes finally faded of all care for his partner.
“Why, Darius!?” Therion snarled up from the ground at his partner, the cliff ended unnervingly close to where he sat prone.
“It’s simple.” Darius sneered down at Therion, “You remember that night we humiliated that rival guild, don’t you?”
“… Of course I do.” He thought back to the time they’d stolen one of the guild’s most prized possessions right out from under their noses, it was a fond memory, but he didn’t have time for nostalgia now.
“Good!” Darius mockingly praised Therion, “You told me they’d come for revenge, and they did. More specifically, they came to me, asking for a favor. If I did what they wanted, they said they’d find a nice high place for me in their midst.” He wore a shit-eating grin, one that Therion would learn to loathe, “That’s why you have to die. They want you gone, and so do I.”
“What!?” A pit of panic formed in the boy’s stomach as Darius laughed.
“I hate to break it to you, but this was bound to happen, mate.” Darius’s smile faded to a scowl of frustration, “Just looking at you makes me Tom and Dick!” At Darius’s beratements, Therion looked for any method of escape, but he was cornered and weak. “You were blessed with such skill. I’ve never seen anyone as good as you. So when we met, I knew I needed you on me side. You were so easily manipulated by cheap words!” His backhanded compliments returned to frustration once again, “But then you started to doubt me, to question me… Why couldn’t you just stay a naif!? Everything woulda been fine if you just did what I said! But you just had to prove yourself, didn’t you? Telling me to do it this way, or that way. Well I’ve had enough!”
“…So you’re going to kill me, and that’s that.” Therion muttered, half incredulous, half resigned.
“Damn right! Without you around, I can do things me own way!” Darius continued his shouting.
“That’s a bit drastic, don’t you think… partner?” Therion attempted one last time to get through to the man he once knew.
“Don’t call me ‘partner’!” Darius grabbed Therion by the collar, holding him up off the ground, near the ledge, “We’re not equals, you’re nothing but a stepping stool to me! You’re worth less than the scum beneath me daisies, and I’ll prove it!” He held Therion over the cliff edge and let go. As the boy plummeted, the last sound that surrounded him was that of the rushing wind, and the disgusting cackles of his traitorous partner.