Lake of Souls Chapter 13

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Filon and I said farewell to the villagers and then left to find the next village. As we headed out Filon reached into a sack he was carrying and handed me a small chunk of dried meat, "You haven't eaten much in the time you've been with us. You should eat before you become weak from hunger."

I took the meat from him and ate it in two quick bites. The first bite let me know I was actually hungry. The second one was in response to that hunger. The meat, while tough, had a bright spice flavor to it that helped counteract it's dryness. My stomach growled both in appreciation as well as a wanting for more. I also now found that thirst was suddenly a concern. I looked at Filon, "Would you happen to have any water? I now find myself overtaken with thirst."

Filon laughed, producing a leather skinned pouch from his bag and handing it to me, "I thought you might be. Drink to your heart's content my King."

I took Filon at his word and drained the pouch of all the water in it. Pulling it from my mouth I sighed contentedly, "That was delicious, thank you Filon. These sensations of hunger and thirst are still new to me. So I often find myself forgetting that they are a thing I must contend with now. I came very ill prepared for this journey it seems."

Filon smiled, taking the pouch from me and putting it away, "I guess it's a good thing you encountered us then, else who knows where you may have passed out from hunger or thirst. We can't have our new King dying less than a week into his reign."

I looked over at Filon smiling. He has already been so kind to me even though not all that long ago we were enemies. I honestly wasn't sure how far I would have made it if I hadn't encountered him and his men. He looked over at me curiously and I quickly averted my gaze. I wasn't even certain as to why but something had made me feel happily nervous at him looking back at me. I coughed a little to clear my throat, "So how far till the next village?"

Filon's face still held that curious expression, "Not too far my King. Is something the matter? You seem to be nervous."

I laughed trying to play it off, "Well I am a little. I mean I made a grand speech about saving the world but now I've actually got to do it. I'm not sure if planting all this food will save the world but it's all I've got for now. Though I hope the runner from the air kingdom returns soon. We will need those birds to help spread the seeds to other parts of the land. Make sure that food grows abundantly here in the fire kingdom and that no one ever goes hungry again."

Filon patted my arm laughing as well, "Well so far I think you're doing a good job. Yes the road ahead will be difficult but you are strong my King. I have faith that you will see us through these troubling times."

I smiled nervously now feeling the temperature in my face growing, "Well thank you for that Filon. I'm glad to know somebody believes in me even if it isn't always me." With that we walked in silence until we reached the next village. Not an awkward silence but a comfortable one. I didn't know what this new feeling I had towards Filon was but I both liked it and didn't all at the same time. It made me act very nervously with him and yet his attention already meant the world to me.

Upon reaching the next village it was near nightfall and we were greeted in a similar fashion as the first village. I tried to push my thoughts about Filon out of my head and act as a proper King. However I found myself often wearing a grin while looking at him talking and working with the villagers until he would look at me. Immediately I would look somewhere else and try my hardest to wipe the grin off my face. I needed to focus and help these people. So I looked to the head of the village, "Before the night completely overtakes us please get your five best planters and take me to the nearest patch of black soil. We have seeds for you to plant that will only take a week to ripen and be ready for harvest."

The village head nodded, "Afterwards we will have a small feast in your honor my King. We are one of the few villages that have not suffered terribly during this famine and so we can. Your knight Filon has informed me that you will both need food and water to continue your journey. Now come with us, the soil is not too far away." With that he led us to a large patch of black soil much like the last one we saw. I handed the planters their seeds and sent them to plant. After they were done I once again imparted a soul to the earth and watched the plants sprout.

After we were done we went back to the village where the feast was almost ready to start. People had been cooking non-stop since the feast had been announced. There was plenty of water as well as the odd smelling liquid that Alton had drank. One of the villagers offered me a cup of it. After taking a sniff of it I shrugged and tilted the whole thing back like Alton had. The villager watched in both amazement and horror as the liquid hit my throat and began to burn. I started coughing almost doubled over from it. Filon walked over and clapped me on the back, "First drink of alcohol my King? The drink made here in the fire kingdom will warm you right up and scorch you down to your very soul."

I finally stopped coughing and stood up straight. Already my vision was slightly blurred from the involuntary tears elicited from my coughing fit. I could feel the warmth of the drink spreading through me leaving me with a warm fuzzy feeling. I looked over to Filon and was shocked. He wasn't wearing his armor for the first time since I had met him. He had tousled sienna hair and bright emerald green eyes contrasting against it. A square strong jaw with a bit of stubble on it. Without the armor on he was a little shorter than before but he still came up to about my waist. His body was well toned from his years as a knight. Skin the color of burnt umber which glistened against the fire light of the various fires going around the village. Many of his features stood in stark contrast to one another and yet as a whole they produced a beautiful individual in front of me.

He was wearing a simple set of brown knee length trousers and a white undershirt. My mind was a jumble looking at him trying to figure out what to say or do. The alcohol impeded my thoughts and yet made me think and act more freely than I normally ever would. I brought one of my hands to his face cupping it. Noting how large it was compared to his face. Grinning like a fool ear to ear, "Thank you Filon. Your help was much appreciated."

I could see a light red color gracing his cheeks before he coughed which caused me to pull my hand away, "Come my King. I have saved us a spot to sit with plenty of food to eat." He grins now, "Also no more alcohol for you. Not tonight at least. That one drink already has you quite drunk. Perhaps the next time we drink it will be just you and me. We can take a slower pace so that you don't get drunk so quickly. I would be ashamed of myself if I allowed you to become ill from too much drink." With that he started walking beckoning me to follow him.

I did so watching his backside as we walked. I did not understand what had come over my mind but I couldn't seem to help myself. There was something deep in my mind that was yelling at me to stop my behavior. However this was my first party since I had gotten a soul and I intended to enjoy it. I would have plenty of time to be serious tomorrow. Right now I was having fun and I was with someone who was my friend. As we arrived at the spot Filon has saved for us I spoke, "I can become ill from drinking too much alcohol? That sounds absolutely awful. Why would such a pleasant drink make me sick just from having too much?"

Filon laughed, a wondrous sound to my ears and nodded, "Yes it can make you ill. Too much of it and your body will throw it back up. It does this to keep the alcohol from making your body more sick. It can do very serious damage to your insides if you have too much. So your body will make you get rid of it so that doesn't happen."

I sat down now and immediately began eating. The smell of the food made me realize that I was famished. I didn't speak again till I had eaten half of my plate of food. Something about the food was making the more dizzying effects of the alcohol fade away but not my high spirits. I stood up now and loudly proclaimed, "I want to thank everyone here for this glorious feast! Your King is extremely thankful to you for your kindness and generosity." With that I sat back down with a grin looking at Filon. This time I caught him looking at me and then averting his gaze. I remembered the moment before of touching his face and while it made me smile I realized it might not have been as fun for him as it was for me. "Filon if I made you feel uncomfortable at all earlier I'm deeply sorry. I'm not sure what overtook me but in that moment I was deeply grateful you had been there for me."

I saw the red coloration rush back to his cheeks and he actually choked on the food he had been chewing on. He coughed for a moment before looking at me with an almost sad expression, "You did not make me uncomfortable my King if anything you caught me off guard was all. It is peculiar for a King to show such a level of intimacy to anyone, even their own lovers. So I was surprised more than anything."

I leaned forward now studying his face. I could see his eyes going wide for some reason. Finally I spoke, "Why is your face red? Are you becoming ill?"

Filon pulled back laughing nervously, "No no not ill at all. Just got a little warm with you looking at me so closely that's all."

I pulled back myself now, "But you were red before I leaned in. That's why I got closer to look."

Suddenly a woman who was stumbling and slurring made her way past us, "It means he likes you your Kingness! He was blushing." With that she stumbled off laughing to herself.

I cocked my head to the side slightly, "Is what that drunk woman said true? Were you blushing and was it because you like me? I like you too if you want to know." Immediately I shut my mouth, my brain screaming in protest and celebration all at the same time. I stood up suddenly, "I need to go." I walked away quickly, stealing a look back to see Filon's face, it looked deeply sad which only left me feeling worse than I already did.

I made my way from the revelry to outside of the village. Finding an outcropping of rocks that I could squeeze myself into. I stared up into the night sky. What had I been thinking, saying that? I already knew I wasn't supposed to, my brain had told me not to. My heart on the other hand apparently felt quite different on the matter. I did like Filon, that part wasn't a lie in the slightest. I liked talking to him, traveling with him, and honestly just being around him. Yet I felt uneasy at the same time about those feelings, as if maybe I wasn't supposed to be having them. Not right now at least. I was supposed to be healing the land and preparing people for the arrival of the old gods.

I sighed and closed my eyes as I was starting to feel tired. Perhaps a bit of sleep would help me like it had before. It didn't take long for me to fall asleep and immediately find myself in the lake again. I looked out at the stream of endless souls, "What am I feeling and why do I like it yet feel guilty for it all at the same time? I don't even understand this feeling. It's deeper and more complex than the others yet infuriatingly simple. I enjoy being around Filon. He makes me smile and feel warm inside. There is so much going on right now though. I find myself asking do I even deserve that level of happiness? With all that I've done and the possibility of what will happen because of it." I started crying in my own dream, becoming overwhelmed by the sensation of loneliness and depression from all these thoughts.

The souls all stopped moving around me and one took shape. A kind looking gentle older woman. Someone like so many of the mothers I had seen in the villages. She came up to me and hugged me to her, "Yes you have done things that were not good. Yes you have possibly brought ruin to this land. However you are also trying to fix that now aren't you?" She placed a soft kiss on my forehead, "Do you deserve happiness? Of course you do! All living things deserve to be happy, including you. So if the man makes you feel happy then enjoy it. Yes don't let him distract you from your work but don't shut yourself away either. Now it's time for you to wake up Xea."

With that I was awoken by Filon who was back in his armor again minus the helmet. The bright morning sun hitting my eyes instantly made me close then again. Filon out a hand on my shoulder, "King Xea day time has come. I think we need to move on to the next village."

I slowly unfolded myself from the outcropping and groaned, stretching my now aching limbs. Apparently sleeping like this wasn't all that comfortable. I would have to remember that for the future. I looked down at Filon who was pointedly not looking at me. I sighed softly and got down on one knee so I could be eye level with him, "Filon please look at me." He slowly turned himself to me, "Filon, I want to say I'm sorry for how I acted last night. I said what I did and then I panicked. These emotions are all very new and a bit overwhelming at times. Still I had no reason to behave that way especially towards someone who has been as kind to me as you have been. I don't regret what I said but I do regret how I acted afterwards. Please forgive me?"

Filon studied me with his bright emerald eyes for what felt like ages. I could actually feel myself becoming more and more nervous the longer we sat there looking at each other. Finally he spoke, "You are truly a fascinating person King Xea. Not that long ago you were a soulless being determined to let nothing stop you from finding your lake of souls. Willing to kill people if it meant achieving your goal, seemingly without a second thought. You found your lake and declared yourself King of the world, yet you do not act like a King in the slightest.

You do not sit on a throne and dictate orders instead you walk beside your people and help them yourself. You drink and eat with your fellow person as if we are all equal to you. You show kindness and compassion when you are capable of terrifying strength. You show intimacy and vulnerability to this knight who you've barely met. You ask me for forgiveness instead of simply stating you were right to do what you did. Yes King Xea I forgive you. I'm sorry too for not thinking of the fact that you only recently truly came into having emotions."

He reaches out and cups my face now in a mirror of what I did last night. My mind can't help to think about how small and fragile it feels against my large face. He smiles now, "I did not answer your question last night. Yes, the drunk woman was right. I was blushing and it is because I like you." With that I could feel my face get several degrees warmer now and Filon laughed, "Oh my King Xea your face is so red now. Have you become ill?"

I pulled back and stood up trying to hide my face now, "No! You know exactly why it's red. Also stop calling me King Xea, just Xea is fine. If you really feel like you have to then maybe only around others. It makes me feel weird everyone calling me King and before you say it yes I know that I'm the one who declared himself as King. You were right though I am definitely not like any King before me and I hope to stay that way."

Filon chuckled, "Indeed you are not and I hope you stay that way as well. Now come and let us gather our supplies and make our way to the next village. It isn't terribly far away." With that he started walking back to the village.

After collecting our supplies from the village and being given plenty of extra food to take with us we headed out to the next village. Our walk was brisk but not overly fast paced. We talked along the way, mostly about Filon's early life and why he chose to become a knight. I learned that both of his parents had already passed away and he had lost his brother during the upheaval after I killed the Fire King. After that we were silent for a while as I internally panicked about it. How could he like me when I was the one responsible for killing his brother?

Sensing my unease he put a hand on my arm, "I don't blame you for what happened and I never did. Here in the fire kingdom we are taught from a young age that at any moment the land may take your life. It is why we must be strong so as to survive here. My brother was not weak but it was simply his time. Please do not worry yourself over it. What has passed, has passed and now you are moving forward from it. Our King needed to pass on when he did or else who knows what our wars with the other kingdoms may have done. If you need to hear it though, I forgive you Xea."

I smiled, my uneasiness fading away immensely, "Thank you so much Filon. That makes me feel much better." I continued smiling, happy to hear him just say my name.

We arrived at the next village with a bit of daylight left and performed the same ritual with the black soil again. I found it interesting that at least so far all of these patches of soil were near the villages. As if the land had known about my plan before I did, and perhaps it had. We decided to immediately head out from there because the next village was a bit further away. We still had a couple of hours of sunlight left that we could use and then we could find somewhere to camp for the night before continuing on in the morning.

As the sun faded away we found ourselves a place to set up for the night. I helped Filon gather some wood and then he set it ablaze for us. I watched in fascination as he did, "Though I have a soul of my own I am still not connected to the elements like all of you. Watching you create a fire so effortlessly is amazing to watch for me."

Filon blushed, shrugging his shoulders, "Thank you Xea. I don't think anyone has ever been so interested in my abilities before. Here in the fire kingdom everyone can, so no one really cares unless you're a master or a prodigy capable of things normal people can't do. Like setting the air itself on fire and getting rid of all the oxygen in an area. The other kingdoms don't really care either because they each have their own element. It's nice to have someone be so fascinated by them."

After that we sat and ate some of the food we had been given and decided to call it an early night. Filon stripped off his armor and laid it by him with his blade. I did the same with my own blade. We both laid near the fire and each other with only about three feet worth of distance between us. I quickly fell into a deep sleep smiling to myself.

My dreams were violent and convoluted. Flashes of war and despair rampaging across the land. Countless bodies being left in its wake. The god standing on top of an impossibly massive mountain watching it all and laughing. I felt weak and powerless looking up at him not knowing what to do. I was startled awake because I felt something touching me. I looked down to see Filon curled against my side with one arm thrown over my chest. It only reached about three quarters of the way across me. He sleepily mumbled, "I got cold and you were warm. Do I need to move away?"

I reached my other hand across and brushed his hair back smiling, "No not at all you just startled me was all." I closed my eyes again, drifting back off into more pleasant dreams.

So Xea has found someone he likes and is now dealing with all these new emotions. Going to be a wild ride folks. I thought this story might be near done but I'm not so sure at this point. I hope you enjoyed the read. If you did then please heart, subscribe, and feel free to leave a tip. Till next time. The next chapter and the original short story will be linked below.

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