Cerene was right about the sun.
By the time it finally rid the land of its unforgiving heat, darkness was ready to take over and soon, nightfall arrived.
The cave in which they had taken shelter wasn't very spacious, but it was enough to contain three lost teenagers. And of course with the darkness came the unbearable cold. It still amused Spheris how the only thing that separated scorching heat and freezing cold in this realm was bare moments.
Everyone wanted to make a fire, but they were still in close proximity to the Dreadwingers and Hell knows what other creatures. So they all sat on the cold rocks, sharing what remained of Spheris's carapace meat.
"Scorvulcan tastes horrible," Linne said between bites. "You should try Shrikes...uh, Heavens. Shrike meat is awesome. Red lizards too, they're not half bad."
In silence, Spheris and Cerene glanced in each other's directions, the same thought going through both their heads even though they could not see each other.
"I don't just get why you would go with Scorvulcan," Linne continued. "I know they look like lobsters, and lobsters are splendid. But this... this tastes like old wood."
"You are aware that you do not have to eat it, right?" Cerene asked, her patience drained.
Linne turned to her and shrugged. "Yeah, but I'm hungry and this is all there is."
"Well, we are sorry to disappoint you."
"All good," she shrugged again. "We'll just hunt Shrikes next time. Sneaky little buggers, dangerous too. But by the Five Wings, they are delicious."
Spheris rolled his eyes and placed the remnants of his carapace meat down for Talon to eat. "If you hate the meat so much, why have you hidden a lot of it behind you?"
The darkness went quiet. Spheris waited, listening as Linne devoured a chunk of meat, the audible gulp echoing through the cave. Then, breaking the silence, she belched before asking, "How did you know that?"
"You should try not to be greedy. We must manage, who knows when next we will find food?"
"No, don't dodge the question. How did you know that I hid some meat?" Linne's voice grew sharper. "By the Gods, you can see in the dark can't you?!"
Spheris was silent.
"You totally can! You naughty little rascal."
He felt Cerene turn to look at him, a worried and surprised expression on her face. "Is that true? Can you see in the dark?"
"No, I can't," he replied.
"Well, how then do you explain what just happened?" Linne pressed.
Spheris remained soundless for a second, but then he gazed into the darkness in Cerene's direction and he could sense the difference in her demeanor.
Darkness acted as clothing for everyone, knowing that someone can't see you gave one the freedom to do as they please, and to feel... unfettered. But now that she knew that Spheris could see in the dark, she was self-conscious once again and maybe even uncomfortable.
Spheris's lips twitched. He felt guilty.
"I don't see in the dark," he spoke. "I feel."
They were both quiet for a while before Linne asked; "How does that work?"
"I don't know."
When he saw that that wasn't enough, and they still had curiosity in their demeanors, he sighed. "It's difficult to explain. It's like the air. The way you feel the air... except with my powers you don't just feel the air that's on you, you feel all of it. You feel the air that touches the mountain, the air that pushes the waves of a river, the air that pours against another person. You feel all of it.
"That's the same way I feel the darkness. And that way I know the mountain is there, or the lake, or the other person. As long as the darkness touches it, I can feel it and I know that it is there... I don't need to see it."
The two girls remained silent for even longer this time as they tried to reconcile with what Spheris had just said.
"So wherever I go right now, as long as I'm covered by the darkness, you would know?" Linne asked.
"Well, you'll have to be in close proximity, but yes."
"Ahhh," the girl nodded. "What of expressions? Would you know if I frowned, or if I smiled."
"I wouldn't know the expression you'd have on your face, but I would know how you feel. I'll know if you're angry, sad, happy..." Then he looked in Cerene's direction. "...nervous."
He heard her heartbeat fasten and felt her eyes bore into his in the darkness. Again the silence returned.
"Shivering." Linne muttered.
With a gentle parting of her lips, Cerene finally spoke. "That's a very powerful Influence, Spheris."
His expression lightened. "You think?"
"Yes?" she puckered her lips. "Functional too."
Spheris felt a weight lifted off his shoulder. He didn't know why, but knowing that his powers had discomforted the Bearer made him uncomfortable as well.
'Hmm. Is that what caring for another person's emotions feels like?'
"If you have the powers of darkness, then you're the Temple of Obsidian, right?" Linne asked.
Spheris didn't reply, seeing that the answer was obvious.
"You're just not what I expected when I imagined the son of the First Wing Duke, or the son of any Duke for that matter."
He frowned. "That's because I'm not the son of any Duke."
Linne paused in confusion. "You're not Royal blood?"
"No."
She turned her eyes to where Cerene sat, hoping she could add some clarity. "Well, I'm quite confused. Don't you have to be a Royal to participate in the Convergence?"
"Spheris stole the Essence Box that was meant for the Duke's son and he got the powers instead, which is why he's here." Cerene let it all out, it seemed she couldn't bear any more of the conversation.
Spheris looked in her direction, slightly annoyed.
"Oh!" Linne exclaimed. "You're Heathian."
He turned back to her. For a moment, he had almost forgotten he was Heathian. Back in the Continent, there was always a Gentlefolk yelling it to his face everyday, making sure he was reminded. But in the Abyss, he was simply only a person. The last time he'd been called a Heathian was back in the trap cave, when he said it to himself.
"Yes I am." Spheris replied, remembering Ardion's advice.
"Now it all makes sense. I suspected you were, but it couldn't be since you're a Celestial's Temple. Yet you seemed rather different than your other friends and uhm... a little less... healthy... no offense."
Without a flicker of emotion, Spheris took his eyes away from the talkative girl and rose up to his feet. "We should be heading to sleep. Tomorrow is important."
Cerene got up as well, happy the discussion was over. "I'll take first watch."
"First watch?" Spheris looked at her.
"What?"
"I didn't know we were taking watches," he replied. "My powers will signal me if we are in trouble. There's no need for taking turns to keep watch, we can all sleep."
Cerene thought about it for a while and then agreed.
"Are you confident in your powers, Commander?" Linne asked. "Shrikes are camouflage experts, your dark senses might not pick them."
"Then, it's a good thing that Shrikes don't reside on dry hills." Spheris replied.
Linne, who was surprised that the Heathian was informed about Shrikes, smiled nervily. "Yes, it is."
"The Celestials will keep us for the night," Cerene declared. "We have their protection."
This made Spheris grit his teeth, and even though he tried to remain shut, his disdain spoke for him. "If we are attacked tonight by an army of Gorgoliths, the Celestials are not going to do anything about it. We will die."
"Then so be it." Cerene retaliated instantly, as though she was anticipating his remark. "We are not authors of our fate. Our fate was decided long before we were born."
Spheris gazed at her in the darkness, confused, overwhelmed with thoughts. "So if you were fated to die, to live a life not by the choices you make, but by the ones that were made for you, and to be forgotten in the end... you would be accepting of such a fate?"
She was silent, and he could feel her eyes boring into his with a hurtful intensity. "I am but my God's Temple."
Sad. He thought she was becoming his friend as well.
Silently, they both went opposite directions and sprawled on the floor, hoping that sleep would come quick and heavy. But while they lay on the ground, there was nothing but the darkness and the odd silence their argument had catalyzed.
Then they were reminded of the cold once again. Spheris embraced his companion in a huddle, while Cerene grabbed both legs with her hands, knees under her jaw.
"Does anyone want to cuddle?" Linne's voice tore into the silence. "I don't know, it's just a suggestion. We could use the body heat."
Silence.
"No one?"
Still silence.
"No? Oh, well."