The First Flame part 23

“Ran!” Eon continued to call out. “Forgive me!”

He was desperate to chase her down and plead for forgiveness. He fisted the bars and tried to pry them apart, but the damn metal held.

“Ran!”

He couldn’t even hear her footsteps anymore. She was gone.

He rammed his hand onto the bars, welcoming the pain. He deserved it. Ran trusted him, and he hurt her.

Looking down at the hand that touched her, he flinched when he saw hints of blood. He didn’t understand how it happened. He had dulled his nails days ago, just to be able to caress her more closely. He couldn’t have pierced her with his nails. Were his fingers too thick, then? Did it happen because she jerked away too quickly?

“Mothers,” he breathed. “Why?”

She was a blessing to him. The bratty girl he thought should be protected at all cost chose him, and he messed it up.

The sound of quick footsteps made him look up hopefully. “Ran?”

“No, you bastard!” Neil yelled back in English.

“You,” Eon glared. He hated seeing this hybrid beside Ran. Hated that he could run after her, comfort her, while he was stuck in the ship.

“What did you do to Ran? Why did she run off in distress?” Neil demanded.

“Why did you let her go?” Eon returned. “You are supposed to watch over and protect her! Any man could hurt her out there.”

“Do not make this about me, Eon. You did something to her.”

“I did not hurt her intentionally!”

“So you hurt her?” Neil squinted. “I should have known. You are not good for her. She is risking herself every time she comes out here, and for nothing.”

“If you try to keep her from me…”

“I won’t,” Neil interjected. “She can do what she wants, but know that I only walk beside her to make sure she is safe.”

Eon gritted his teeth, still viewing him as competition. Both men were strong and young. Ran could easily have either of them, and Eon was insecure because Neil grew up with her. They had stronger ties.

“Go after her. Do it for me since I cannot and make sure she gets home safe. If she does not come back here, tell her that I am thankful for the memories.”

Neil observed him for another minute, before raising his sword and beginning to swing at the bars.

“What are you doing?” Eon asked while stepping away from the clashing of metals.

“Getting you out of here so you can fix whatever you did to Ran. That girl does not run away from much. You need to set this straight.”

By busting him out, Neil would make a mess of things. All what they planned would have been for nothing, because Vrox would find out and start another war.

Although he knew this, Eon couldn’t bring himself to tell Neil to stop. He let the man hit the bars once, twice, a thousand times, until he was sweating and panting.

“Let me continue.”

Neil hesitated before handing his sword off. Sharing a sword typically meant acceptance and respect, but he didn’t feel much of that for Eon.

Eon starting swinging at the bars. It was a difficult job since the cell space was tight, but it was do-able. After many swings, he looked as breathless as Eon.

The men switched until the bars gave up. Eon was a free man again, and he wanted to hunt.

“Time to go.”

They ran fast and hard in search of Ran. She didn’t seem like she cared to hide her tracks, based on the messy trail of busted leaves and disturbed wilderness she left behind.

They caught her by a lake. Her unbraided hair was wild, her arms scratched from twigs, and her arms around her body as she trembled.

Ezronians typically burned hot, so he knew the trembling wasn’t from cold temperature.

Seeing her like this made his heart crack straight down the middle. He looked at Neil, and the other man gave him an encouraging nod.

“I will go scout,” he whispered. “Fix this, or I will personally drown you.” With that, Neil made his way deeper into the woods.

He watched her for a long time, trying to figure out what he would say. The sunlight was burning, though. He couldn’t watch her forever.

“Ran,” he called out while keeping his distance.

She scrambled to her feet and lifted her hands as if to defend herself. Her sword was gone, and he hated seeing her defenseless.

“How did you…”

“Neil helped me. Forget about that. I need you to know that I am terribly sorry for hurting you. It was a mistake. Please?” he looked devastated.

“It wasn’t your fault.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I just… I… I…”

“You do not have to tell me today.”

Something horrible happened to her, he could tell. At first he thought she was fine since she always smiled, but he clearly had been a fool.

“Siox,” she shuddered. “I can’t get him out of my head.”

Rage boiled through Eon. He had hoped that it didn’t get to that; that Ran smiled because she killed him before he could get to dishonor her. Clearly, that hadn’t been the case.

“He touched me,” she whimpered. “I keep remembering it and being with you–”

“You saw him in me?”

It distressed him to know that she compared him to that monster.

“It’s not your fault, Eon. I’m just messed up in the head.” She slapped her wrist against her temple as if to expel the darkness in her head.

“Stop it,” he demanded, itching to go to her and hold her.

He looked down. He was naked, since that was his typical attire. Given the situation, he wasn’t sure if Ran wanted him against her.

“You are not damaged. I understand now, and I am not disappointed in you. I do not feel any different.”

She lowered her hand and gave him a hopeful look. “Really?”

“Yes. You need time, and I will wait for as long as you want until you fully trust me. This is not your fault.”

He locked his muscles to stop himself from going to her side and embracing her.

“I’m sorry. You deserve better. I don’t know why it happens. I talked to my family, and the nightmares stopped, but… but he’s still not gone.”

That son of a bitch. Eon should have gutted him when he got the chance.

Slowly, Eon sat on the ground and crossed his legs to cover his groin in the hopes of calming her.

Sex could wait. He didn’t need to enjoy Ran’s body to be pleased, because her personality did enough to entertain him.

“Do you want to talk more about it?”

She looked at the river, and then at him. “It won’t disgust you?”

“Why on Ezron would I be disgusted?”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged a little. “Because he touched me first?”

“Did he get to… to…”

“No,” she interjected. “I killed him.” Her shoulders relaxed a bit from that confirmation. “He’s gone. He only got to… uh, fondle me.”

He suspected more than fondling happened, but he wouldn’t push her.

“I will wait,” he promised her again.

…

About 7 chapters remain! This is going to be a shorter story. I’m excited to write Rider King after this, since it’s going to give much wilder vibes