The image of her claws glowing with an unearthly blue, cutting down the Thaxil with terrifying ease, refuses to leave his mind. The teachings of the church echo faintly in his thoughts:
"Purge."
His jaw tightens as he slowly walks closer, studying her face.
She doesn't look at him, her head bowed. He swallows hard, the words pressing against his mind with crushing weight: "She is a threat."
The thought chills him and for a brief moment, his grip loosens. She's dangerous—he knows that now. But the Eska he's known isn't a monster. She's reckless, stubborn and defiant, but she's also brave and selfless, someone who has saved others at the expense of her life.
Before he can wrestle with the conflict further, her voice breaks the silence. Soft, trembling and filled with something that makes his chest tighten even more.
"Are you going to kill me now?" she asks, her gaze still fixed on the ground, but her words cut through him like a blade.
Valen freezes, his breath catching as his heart pounds in his chest.
"Eska…" he murmurs, his voice cracking under the weight of her question. He searches her face, hoping for a hint of sarcasm or defiance, something familiar.
He doesn't answer immediately, his thoughts a maelstrom of duty and loyalty. But the longer he looks at her, the more the answer becomes clear, even if he can't voice it yet.
His legs carry him forward. Dropping to his knees, he wraps his arms around her trembling frame, holding her tightly. Eska stiffens at first as if she was expecting something different, the tension in her body palpable, but gradually she relaxes, her head lowering onto his shoulder.
Valen's grip tightens as he feels her leaning on him. Even as he offers comfort, the lingering memory of her overwhelming power sends a ripple of unease through him, his mind racing to understand what she truly is.
"No."
Valen replies with an unwavering voice, leaving no room for doubt.
"What kind of friend would I be?" Valen adds with a warm tone.
Eska pulls back slightly, her teary yellow eyes meeting his with a hint of disbelief. When she spots the faint smile on his face, a small, shaky laugh escapes her lips.
She wipes her eyes with the back of her hand, sniffling as another chuckle slips out. "You'd be a pretty bad friend," she replies softly, her voice tinged with a mixture of humor and relief.
Before she can say more, Valen moves with surprising ease, slipping an arm under her knees and another around her back, lifting her off the ground.
The sudden motion catches her off guard and she blinks up at him, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"I've got you." He says matter-of-factly. He walks back towards the center of the encampment.
A voice echoes in her mind. "He's going to want answers."
Eska flinches slightly at the sound of Marina's voice, her body tensing involuntarily.
Valen seems to notice but chooses to ignore it. He carefully lowers her onto one of the logs by the campfire.
Valen grabs a few logs from around the campfire and arranges them at the center. Then, with a soft incantation, he stirs the fire to life, the flames crackling as they catch, casting a warm glow around the camp.
He moves around the encampment, finding a pot and filling it with water before setting it over the fire to boil.
He glances over at Eska, her frame wrapped only in bandages from their argalia ordeal. A flicker of concern crosses his face and without a word, he steps away from the fire.
Rummaging through one of the supply tents, he pulls out the blanket she was using before.
Returning to her side, he unfolds it and gently drapes it over her shoulders. "Here," he says softly. "You'll catch a chill if you sit like that."
He adjusts the edges to make sure it covers her properly before sitting back down beside her, his attention returning to the boiling pot.
"Thanks." Eska says as she grabs the edges to hold them together, Valen's gaze fixed on the pot. The flickering firelight reflects in his eyes but his expression is unreadable as he sits silently, waiting for the right moment to speak.
Eska simply sits there, occasionally glancing at him.
"Aren't you going to ask?" She asks him.
"I figured it was something important enough to hide from the church." He says calmly, sending shivers down her spine as she realizes death might still not be out of the question.
Valen exhales deeply, his gaze fixed on the flickering flames as he continues. "I was raised to believe that anything outside the church's teachings—anything that defied what they called 'natural'—was dangerous. Evil, even."
He pauses, his fingers idly brushing against the hilt of his blade. "They trained us to act without question, to eliminate threats before understanding them."
He glances at Eska, his expression softening. "For a long time, I didn't question it. I just followed orders, believing that everything I was doing was right. Was necessary. But you…"
He trails off, shaking his head slightly. "You're not what they taught me to fear. You're not some monster or abomination. You're just… you. And seeing what you can do, seeing how much you're willing to sacrifice for others, it's making me question everything I was taught."
Valen leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
"I'm not saying I've figured it all out, or that I'm suddenly a different person, but..." His voice softens further as he adds, "You've given me a reason to think differently, Eska."
Eska stares at him, her yellow eyes wide with surprise as his words sink in. For a moment, she doesn't speak, the flickering firelight reflecting off her expression of quiet disbelief.
Slowly, her gaze shifts away, drifting toward the dark forest beyond the campfire. Her eyes grow distant, unfocused, as if she's looking straight through the trees and into a place only she can see.
The weight of what Valen just revealed seems to press down on her and she pulls the blanket tighter around herself, her grip trembling slightly.
Eska hesitates, her shoulders hunching slightly as if trying to make herself smaller.
"Would it be enough if I told you someone has been helping me ever since the wendigo incident?" she asks softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Valen studies her for a moment before his expression softens. "It's enough that you trust me with that much," he replies.
He offers her a warm smile—gentle and sincere—the first she's seen from him since they met as they lock eyes with each other.
After a stretch of silence, the bubbling of the water over the fire draws their attention, breaking the moment between them.
Valen blinks and quickly rises, moving to tend to the pot. He carefully pours the steaming water into a pair of cups, adding some dried leaves from a small pouch he retrieves from the supplies.
The soft aroma of tea wafts through the air as he stirs the cups and hands one to Eska.
She takes the cup with a quiet "Thanks," cradling it in her hands and letting the warmth seep into her fingers.
After a few sips, the tension seems to ease and a familiar glint of cheerfulness returns to her yellow eyes.
"So…" she begins, her voice lighter now. "Is your mom part of the church too?" She smiles slightly, the question almost playful, a subtle attempt to steer them back to normalcy.
Valen raises a brow at her but says nothing at first, his lips quirking into the faintest of smiles before he takes a sip of his tea.
"You've already met her, actually," Valen says casually, taking another sip of his tea.
Eska's eyes widen in surprise. "Ciel?!" she exclaims, nearly choking on her drink.
"No! Not Ciel!" Valen replies quickly, his face tinged with slight embarrassment. "Miriel!"
"Miriel?!" Eska repeats, her shock somehow even greater. "What are you, like part angel or something?"
Valen chuckles, shaking his head. "No, that's not how it works. She had me before she was blessed. I was about five when it happened."
"So she's new to the whole angel thing?" Eska asks, tilting her head curiously.
"Not exactly," Valen explains, leaning back slightly. "The previous angel passes on their memories to the new one through some kind of divine ritual. Once the transfer is complete, the previous angel dies and the new one takes their place."
Eska sips her tea thoughtfully. "Ooh, that must be overwhelming. Suddenly inheriting all those memories…"
"It probably is," Valen admits with a nod. "The whole process takes an entire week, from what I've been told. It's not exactly a simple transition."
The two continue talking, the conversation flowing naturally as the tension from earlier eases. Hours pass as they discuss Valen's upbringing and share stories, the campfire crackling softly between them.
Just as Eska starts to feel her eyelids grow heavy, a flicker of orange light catches her eye. She straightens slightly, her gaze shifting to the edge of the forest where faint firelights begin to glow between the trees.
"Valen," she says quietly, her voice steady but alert as she nods toward the flickering lights. He follows her gaze, his expression hardening as he sets down his cup and rises to his feet.
Whatever peace they'd found in their conversation is swiftly replaced by an uneasy readiness.