icarus_chained | Dak Territories Fic

Title: One Day More
Rating: PG-13
Universe: Dak Territories
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Characters/Pairings: Meruk, Beren, Daes, Aruk, Jung
Summary: One more day until the shrine of Solinas. One more day until this adventure ends, one way or another
Wordcount: 939
DIsclaimer: Very much mine.
Notes: Back on track, timeline-wise. Nearing their destination.

One Day More

The mountain rose ahead of them, the highest peak of the Landak arc, the Mountain of the Sun. Meruk followed the line of the ridge across its back, the trail to the Shrine of Solinas, their destination, where Aruk hoped to achieve a divinity with his brother's help. One day, the length of that trail. Just one more day.

He looked down, locking his eyes on the sword in his lap, trying futilely not to think too hard on what waited for them there. He was a servant of Aruk, a warlord, and as such he owed allegiance to Solinas as lord of the Gods. But. But. Of all the Gods, dark and light, old and new, the God of the Sun was perhaps the one he trusted least and feared most. Solinas was easily the most arrogant of the gods, the least caring for mortal suffering, and he hated weakness. There was every chance, then, that when faced with the mortal his brother had become, the Sun God would turn him away. Or worse.

There was a noise at his side, and he looked up in startlement to see the Guilder easing himself down beside him. He stared. Since the gorge, when the man had returned willingly, carrying Jung back to them, Beren had travelled beside them unbound, and not even Aruk had disagreed. Much as the War God hated the Guild, even he had admitted to the courage and honour of the man. But for all that, there had been no real easing of relations between Beren and the rest of them, save perhaps between him and Daes. But the older soldier would love anyone who helped Jung, so that was hardly surprising.

"Can I help you?" he asked, perhaps pointedly, but Meruk was not a man who appreciated being interrupted when in fear for the future. His life gave him little enough time to brood, and he had long since determined to make use of every minute that came his way.

"No, thank you," Beren smiled, the oblivious bastard. "I only came to see how you were. Your men are worried for you." Meruk looked up at that, startled, and turned to meet Daes' concerned gaze from across the fire. Jung, deep in eager conversation with Aruk, probably on some philosophical bent to judge by the God's bewildered expression, even took a moment from the discussion to nod his way also. Meruk blinked.

"So they are," he murmured. "I hadn't realised I was worrying them."

"They worry a lot for you," Beren commented mildly. "I think it's because you don't have a partner, the way they have each other. They worry that you hold yourself too distant, so they can't be there for you when you need it."

Meruk turned to him in surprise, eyebrows arching instinctively. "You're terribly well informed," he said waspishly, disturbed, but the man only smiled.

"Maybe," he answered gently, "but I happen to be worried too, so it seemed only proper to share the worry around."

Meruk stared. "Worried," he stated flatly, the disbelief rich in his voice. Beren nodded, and turned his gaze up the mountain, where Meruk had been looking only moments earlier. Meruk followed it, and sighed, understanding a little. Of course the man was worried. His death waited up there, after all. Maybe all their deaths, and only a day to separate them. He shook his head. "I'm sorry. Of course you are." Beren looked back at him with surprise, and then a real smile made its way onto his face, directed right at Meruk.

"You're a good man, Commander," he noted, smiling when Meruk looked away with a flush, guilt gnawing at him. "Thank you. But I'm actually more worried for your god."

"What?" Meruk turned back to stare in astonishment. Then worry, instant and shrewd. "Why?" Beren met his gaze seriously, his eyes tracking briefly to where Aruk was still engaged in increasingly baffled conversation with Jung, and when he looked back his expression was grave.

"You already know," he said. "Solinas isn't going to help. And Shaiar has been following us closely." Meruk jumped, looking around in sudden terror. The God of Death! Nearby? Beren shook his head. "Something's waiting for us up there. And I doubt it will be good for any of us, least of all Aruk."

Meruk frowned heavily, his hands clenching on his sword. He looked across the fire and met the knowing gaze of Aruk, the calm readiness for battle and death clear in the War God's eyes. He knew. They all knew. One more day, and this would end, one way or another, once and for all. And against Solinas, a mortal god, three soldiers and even the dubious aid of the Guilder were not going to amount to much.

But they had no choice, did they? One day to an end or twenty, Aruk had little time. And it might work. It might work.

"I know," he answered Beren, slowly. "I know. But we're going anyway." He looked at the man beside him, enemy and ally, and shook his head. "We've no other choice."

Beren nodded, smiling faintly, and settled back against the tree, his arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the distant shrine. "Of course not," he said. "No choice at all." And all Meruk's confusion and guilt made not a dent in his calm, bastard Guilder that he was. But for some reason, as he settled back himself beside the man, Meruk felt strangely reassured by his presence. It worried him a little, how much he seemed to trust this enemy. Enough even to sleep at his side.

Ah well. One more day, and it was hardly going to matter.