With his nose buried in the book, Ian had lost track of time, and himself. With a squiffy smile, he raised his head out of the book and glanced at the wall. He'd stopped watching her. He wanted to, but each time he did. His urge to run to her was getting stronger. He couldn't. He needed to stay put.
" Something on your mind?" Nobos asked, stretching his limbs under the table.
" Many things" Ian reprised his perusing in the book unwilling to share his thoughts.
" Found anything?" Nobos continued poking his nose into his affairs.
" No" Ian grumbled, flipping to the next page.
" When you're done with it" Nobos grunted as he pushed himself off the chair he'd been sitting on for as long as he did " I would like to read it as well" he finished his thoughts craning his neck to have a peek at the book.
" Not done yet" Ian placed his palm over his face and pushed him back in his seat. He was cantankerous. That only meant he hadn't found what he was looking for in the book.
" What does it say?' Nobos probed further, grating his nerves. His nose poking was getting increasingly unbearable.
" Don't you have things to do?" Ian glared, crossing with him. The lack of answers was getting to him. He was getting desperate.
" No" Nobos huffed" Nothing that it can't wait" he added and stood up from his chair, shaking his limbs.
" Stiff?" Ian smirked, taking his eyes off the book. He needed some time off as well. He was probably so numb that he couldn't feel anything anymore. With that thought in mind, he followed Nobos's suit and stood up himself.
He was definitely stiff as a wooden block, he concluded after the few first steps.
" You need to plan" Novos glanced over his shoulder " In case that book turns out to be just a pile of useless parchments " Nobos sighed, clasping his hands behind his back.
" I know" Ian inhaled " There is still hope. I'm not giving up, not until I read the last page of that blasted book" Ian added, a little desolate.
" So, let's say that there are no answers. What do you have in mind?" Nobos posed a pertinent question. He'd thought about it over and over. There wasn't much to do, other than take Iris's life to break the bond that they shared. But he would stall, for as long as he can, for the time being. It was his prerogative.
" I'm not sure yet. Still working on it' Ian answered with a sigh.
" Hm. You won't be able to buy her much time. She will end up at the end of a blade, sooner or later. Why prolong the agony?" Nobos wouldn't let it go. He always split the hair in four when it came to certain things.
" I'm trying to make amends for all the broken promises. I promised her a peaceful life. And, yet here I am. She deserves it. She'd earned it. It is the least I can do, for now. Once she crosses into the afterlife, everything will be lost to oblivion. She won't know who I am. I will be nothing to her. I want her to remember me. And the love I carried in my heart for her. And still, very much do" Ian reasoned and he was right. Once Iris would give her last breath, they will both forget about each other. The bond will be broken, and all the memories of the life spent in the living world would disappear.
" I see" Nobos hummed and frowned.
" It does make me wonder, though. Isn't there anything in those catacombs that could help? I mean, I understand that the rules in this realm are different. But there must be a way to relinquish my powers." Ian added as he plopped himself on the edge of the cliff.
" No one has bothered to look for it. You are the very first one to ever walk in this realm with his memories intact. I doubt that there would be anything on it." Nobos sighed and took a seat next to him.
" Instead of guarding me. Why don't you make yourself useful and have a look? It couldn't hurt. Since you don't have anything else better to do." Ian smirked while Nobos rolled his dulled-out eyes at him, displeased with the task he'd given him.
Ian chuckled " I knew you'd be thrilled." he patted him on the shoulder and squeezed it when he frowned.
" I'm not" Nobos frowned, displeased.
" I'm well aware. It's hard to miss" Ian chuckled and pushed himself off to stand.
Ian sighed as strolled back inside the throne room to reprise his reading. The book hadn't yielded any results. Not the ones he was looking for anyway. He hadn't found anything on how to regain his place among the living. Nor how to break the bond between him and Iris. But he'd become very well acquainted with their ways. Very stiff practices, unmalleable rules that would make anyone turn on their heels and run. Ian chuckled, a very stoic society made by people with unmovable mindsets. No wonder Seth had managed to connive and overthrow an entire civilization all by himself. The lack of ability to adapt had been their very own, personalised demise.
With a heavy sigh and a clearer mind Ian took his seat at the table, in front of the darned book. Slowly, he'd begun to resent it and just like Nobos he was starting to believe that it was useless. In spite of that, he had to peruse the damn thing just to make sure. Better safe than sorry.