FALDREY

"You're miserable," Aphrodite worried.

"No, I'm not. Why do you think I am?" Faldrey tried to force a smile, but it never came. He couldn't even fake happiness.

"Yes you are, just look at you," Aphrodite placed a compassionate hand on Faldrey's shoulder.

It had been a whole year since the butterflies stopped coming. A complete year since he got seperated from the best thing that ever happened to him; Eren.

The past year had been the worst year of his life, it was bleak. He had a huge void in his heart, a void that should've been occupied by Eren's words, Eren's touch, Eren's soft breath on his face. The castle guards had continued with their harrassment, teasing and smacking him wherever and whenever they pleased.

Faldrey had learnt to live with that because that was his new life. That was the punishment intended for him, it had to be. He wasn't flagellated so he was sentenced to live the rest of his years a punching bag for the spiteful, lustful Flame Breathers of the Red Stoichi Tribe. He'd learnt to become apathetic, because that was the only way he could survive.

Some of the guards had gone as far as to drag him to their chambers and make him strip naked in front of them, whilst dancing and singing Blazing Sun rhymes. The first few times were abhorrent, but when it became the norm for them, Faldrey adjusted. He had to, that was the only way he could survive.

He'd seen Eren only once this past year and that was when all the foreign servants were summoned so Goliath could pick one for replenishment, the process was called The Selection.

The Mage had picked Chayne from the Floating Mountains. Faldrey was just waiting for his turn now, maybe the sweet relief of death was what he needed after all.

He was just like a Dakyrian husk with a spirit struggling to survive, he wanted to finally let go so his soul could find happiness in the Otherrealm. If there was happiness still left in any realms for him.

His eyes didn't for once connect with Eren's during The Selection. Whenever he dared to glance over he just saw dark eyes staring blankly into oblivion, the rest of his face scarred and hidden behind a mask.

The sight of Eren that way, hurt more than everything the castle guards had done to him, but they were cursed to end up this way. This was what fate had in store for them from the very beginning. If only Faldrey had known.

Zaal seemed to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to his pleas and requests for a quick death. He thought maybe Zaal still had a lot planned for him, maybe this wasn't the end of his story. But it surely felt like the end.

"I'm still adapting," a sad smirk broke on Faldrey's lips. "Someone once told me I'll always be fine, no matter the situation I find myself in. So I will be fine, I'll adjust completely soon enough."

Aphrodite wished she could save her friend. She wished she could destroy these stupid rules that kept her friends apart but that was way out of her reach. She wished she could use a coaxing poem on everyone in the realm so they'd just stop fighting and live in peace. She wished she could go back in time and stop the alliance of the Blazing Sun and the Westerners from ever happening in the first place.

She wished she could lift her friend out of this pitch-black pit of despair he'd sunken deeper into. But there was only so much an Earth Stoichi Dakyre could do, and she was determined to put her best into it.

It wasn't a beautiful evening, the wind was whistling aggressively, battering the tree branches and blowing leaves away from their mother trees. The skies were dark with vengeful rain clouds that threatened to unleash it's anger on the air-dried land which was as a result of the long dry season.

Rainy season had come for the Red Stoichi Tribe of the Dakyres of the Blazing Sun. A season of seed sowing which later on brought about a bountiful harvest.

This year, however, was not going to be a fruitful year for the Red Stoichi Tribe, or the four tribes as a whole. Danger was looming over the realm, and it was bound to befall all of them.

"Listen to the earth," Aphrodite rested her head on Faldrey's arm.

They sat on the soft grass with their backs leaning against the wall.

"Are you trying to use a coaxing poem on me?" Faldrey looked down at her with gratitude in his eyes.

Aphrodite: the only reason his spirit hadn't given up completely, the only person who still stayed by him through the ups and downs, the one in a million friend he was grateful to Zaal for.

"No I'm not, I'm just trying to make you listen to the earth. The earth is father, mother, sister, consoler," she looked up at him and placed a hand on his cheek, "the earth is lover," she finished.

Faldrey felt a calmness like no other rush through him, taking with it the sadness. A pulse of green soothing him like the tickling sensation of dandelions as the basal leaves were blown by the wind. He felt weightless and safe, like a frog on a Lily Pad on a very calm lake. The aggressive wind suddenly started whispering calmly in his ears.

"Thank you so much Aphrodite, but this surely feels like a coaxing poem," he squirmed as he felt the soft grass tickle his body in its entirety.

"Okay, maybe it is, you won't stop me. I just hate seeing you like this Byron," she went back to resting her head on his shoulder.

Faldrey sighed, willingly letting the effect Aphrodite's poem mesmerise him. She still called him Byron. It occurred to him a few times to tell her his real name but he was certain Faldrey was dead. Byron was almost dead too and Byron was going to be his last chance of a second life.

"Thank you, Aphrodite," he whispered.

"You really don't have to, but since you insist on showing gratitude, I want you to meet up with Eren today."

Her statement caused a short pause in Faldrey's thinking and the sequence of his heartbeat. He wished that could happen, but he knew his days of being in love were over.

"I wish I could, Aphrodite, but it's over. We were done over a year ago, we're just slaves to destiny."

"To the core of the earth with destiny!" She gently, but quickly sprung up from his shoulder, "fate can burn with destiny in the earth's core. Zaal made it so that you remained here in the castle even when you were on the verge of being sent to Denutardt. That calls for something. Anything," she argued.

Faldrey just looked up at the now completely, starless night sky with not even a gleam of hope in his eyes.

"You still wish you could continue hoping, I know you do," Aphrodite continued. "Just this once, bring back all that hope you had."

"Even if I did that, he has completely forgotten about me. The flame butterflies stopped coming over ten months ago," Faldrey blew air out of his nose.

"Hope," she took his hands into hers, "if you hope hard enough there will be a flame butterfly this night. And when you see it, heed to the call and meet with your lover at the place where your love blossomed into the fiery passion it once was."

Faldrey was silent for quite some time. His emotions surging and contorting; from sadness, to hope, then to love. Always love.

Taking another very deep breath, he chose to hope. His friend needed him to.

"And if it doesn't come?" Faldrey voiced his one true fear.

"Then we just keep hoping," she leaned back and rested her head on the wall with a sigh. "That's all we have."

***

Faldrey didn't know what time it was, but the skies finally opened and gave way to the rain that pattered against the roof of his small servant room. His roommate slept quite peacefully tonight, oblivious to the menacing rain that threatened to pierce right through the leaking roof of their servant chamber-room.

He had found out his tribesman, whom he shared a room with, was over seventy years old. He was hoisted to the Red Stoichi Tribe during the last two raids, spending the rest of his life as a servant to the commander. He was a pending life replenishment for Goliath, just like the rest of them.

Faldrey couldn't fall asleep and it wasn't because of the loud noise of the rain against his window or his weak, leaking roof. It was because he was waiting, the suspense kept him awake. He jerked and almost jumped out of the window when a Flame Breather sped past with an almost out of control Stoichi flame hovering above his palm. His wooden torch was wet, put off by the rain, so he created a torch to light his way as he cut through the merciless rain.

He soon realised that the rain might prevent the flame butterfly from getting to his window, it would put it out. Falling to his bed and losing the last breath of hope he had in a sigh, he decided to fall asleep.

Just then he felt the similar warmth that always engulfed him whenever the butterfly came. Shooting up from his bed quietly so as to not wake his sleeping roommate, he saw it. The beautiful yellow flame creature was fluttering with every last sperk of strength it had, fighting the rain. It's colours dying out like their fading love for each other.

Diving into the motley hooded cloak he had made from bits and bits of excess fabric lying around, he sped out of the servant's quarters stealthily. Speeding through the rain with only one goal in sight.

Faldrey had regained a little more of his Stoichi, at least now he was able to keep the rain away from him, save for his worn out shoes that splashed into every puddle of water there was.

On getting to the rear wall he feared the worst, what if it was a trap or some kind of mistake. What if it was one of the tricks of Aphrodite's coaxing poem. And if this was a trap, then he would know it was what love led him into.

He knew his friend wouldn't go to such lengths, playing with his emotions, so he eliminated every negative thoughts and decided to stay positive.

Speeding up the spiral staircase leading to the top of the tower where they had their trysts, he was running out of air. His lungs shouting out at him but he didn't listen, he couldn't listen. The desires of his heart cried louder than everything else in his body.

Getting to the top of the tower, he quickly made his way straight into the room where they always met. Stopping in his tracks and staring at the view in front of him, his heart skipped more than just a chorus of beats.

Finally! It's been long overdue! He thought to himself.

Closing his eyes, he finally filled his lungs with fresh air.

(Play the song.)

_
AN: There are 13 chapters left till we get to the end of the first part of "Dakyres of Ardor". I didn't say this earlier but this is the first part of the two parts of "Dakyres of Ardor".

The name of this part will be mentioned in the next chapter. I hope you all are ready for the end of this part.