The first, timid rays of dawn slipped through the cracks of the barn, painting lines of pale light on the dust suspended in the air. It was cold. Ari woke first, with a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature. Thalassa slept beside him, a ball of pale skin and silver hair on the threadbare blanket. At some point during the night, the blanket had slipped off, leaving her back and legs exposed. With a tenderness he reserved exclusively for her, Ari carefully covered her again.
He watched her sleep, the expression on her face serene, free from the burden of her rank. There sleeps the Silver Maiden, he thought, a lazy smile curving his lips. The dreaded Captain Thalassa, terror of sorcerers and monsters. And last night, she screamed my name until her voice was gone. If her soldiers saw her now, trembling under a cheap blanket on a pile of hay... the myth would shatter. The thought brought him a wave of possessive satisfaction, followed by a pang of melancholy. Pretending. Having to pretend again was going to be hell.
He leaned down and woke her with a soft kiss on her shoulder. She stirred, letting out a small murmur of protest.
"Mmmm..." she complained, her voice hoarse and sleepy. "Is it morning already? I don't want it to be."
"I'm afraid so, Captain," Ari whispered, caressing her cheek. He used the title with deliberate, affectionate irony. "Duty, monsters, and a bunch of soldiers clad in shiny armor await us."
Thalassa sighed deeply and snuggled against him, seeking his warmth. "Five more minutes."
"I wish I could give them to you. But your second-in-command, Vespera, is probably already organizing a search party. And if she finds us here..."
"I know," she moaned against his chest. She opened her eyes, blue and clear even in the dim light. "Today... today you'll have to call me 'Captain' in front of everyone. You'll have to bow your head and pretend you don't know what my skin tastes like when I sweat."
Ari smiled against her hair, inhaling her scent. "It will be the hardest performance of my life. Harder than convincing Widow Gable that her donation will actually reach the gods and not the tavern."
She gave him a gentle nudge with her elbow. "Idiot."
"But don't worry," he continued. "I'll save the memory for the next time you need to 'confess.' I have an excellent memory for important details."
They dressed slowly, in a comfortable silence heavy with the impending separation of their roles. The act of dressing was the antithesis of the previous night's ritual. They weren't undressing, but rebuilding their public armor, piece by piece. Ari handed her the chainmail shirt.
"Your mail, Captain," he said, with mock formality.
She took it but fumbled with one of the side buckles. "Dammit, this thing always gets stuck."
Ari stepped closer. "Allow me, my lady."
Their fingers brushed as he easily fastened the buckle. It was a final moment of closeness, a shared secret before facing the world.
"Thank you, priest," she said, her voice already noticeably firmer.
"At your service."
They left the barn and the cool morning air hit them. The village was waking up: smoke rose from chimneys, the baker was pulling out the first batch of bread, filling the air with a delicious smell, and in the distance, the steady rhythm of the blacksmith's hammer on the anvil could be heard.
"Everything seems so normal," Ari commented, tucking his hands into the sleeves of his robes. "I'd almost expect the world to look different after a night like yesterday's."
Thalassa wasn't looking at the village. Her gaze was fixed on "The Thirsty Boar" inn, where there was already movement. A group of templars, armor on and weapons at their belts, were in formation in the courtyard.
"For them, it's a normal day," she said with a sigh of resignation. "Another day, another patrol, another town to save."
"How boring," Ari replied. "Any idea what kind of 'threat' we'll be looking for today? I sincerely hope it's nothing more than some ill-tempered wolves. I'm not up for major thrills before noon."
"I wish it were wolves," she said, and her voice was already that of the Captain: firm, clear, and with no trace of the woman who had snuggled in his arms. "The reports speak of traces of dark magic. Livestock mutilated in unnatural ways. Corpses drained of life, not blood. It's not wolves. Whatever it is, it's intelligent." She paused and glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "That's why you will be at my side. Your knowledge of this forest's flora and fauna is one thing, but your skill as a healer is crucial. And... I've seen your notes on arcane texts. You might recognize something we don't."
The "at my side" hung in the air between them, a double meaning only they understood.
Ari gave a small bow, his face a mask of piety. "Understood, Captain. Your humble servant will follow you to the ends of the earth."
He placed an almost imperceptible emphasis on the word "Captain," a private joke just for the two of them. She shot him a warning look that held a spark of suppressed amusement. The facade was almost complete.
When they arrived at "The Thirsty Boar," the place was unrecognizable. The common room, normally filled with farmers and merchants, had been transformed into a makeshift headquarters. Maps were spread across tables, secured with daggers. Several templars cleaned their weapons with methodical concentration. The atmosphere was martial, disciplined, and smelled of leather, oil, and steel.
Vespera saw them enter and hurried over, her expression a mixture of relief and reprimand.
"Finally!" she exclaimed, her voice echoing in the room. "I was about to send a patrol for you! Where in the world have you been?"
Before Ari could come up with a witty excuse, Thalassa answered, her voice as cold as the steel of her sword, "The priest was showing me the exact boundaries of the parish and the forgotten forest trails to optimize our patrol route. Vital information, Sergeant Vespera."
The use of her rank was like a door slammed in Vespera's face. She blinked, bewildered and hurt by the coldness. "Yes... yes, Captain. Of course." She took a step back, the warmth of their reunion the day before completely erased.
Thalassa, ignoring the discomfort, strode into the room. "Squad, assemble. I want to introduce you to our local guide."
A small group approached, her inner circle. Ari sized them up one by one with his usual cynicism.
"This is Sergeant Major Gideon," Thalassa said, pointing to a mountain of a man who looked like he'd been carved from an oak tree. His face was a map of scars and his nose had been broken more than once. "My eyes and ears on the battlefield. If he says the wind smells of blood, it's because someone is already bleeding."
Gideon looked Ari up and down, let out a grunt that might have been a greeting, and nodded once.
This guy must eat nails for breakfast and drink lamp oil, Ari thought. Charming. A real conversationalist.
"A pleasure, Sergeant Major," Ari said with a friendly smile. "I'm Ari. The spiritual guide and expert on things that grow."
Gideon just grunted again.
"This is Seraphine," Thalassa continued, gesturing to a tall, slender elf with hair as black as midnight. She carried a magnificent bow on her back, and her almond-shaped eyes examined him with a cold, analytical curiosity that made his skin crawl. "No one has a keener eye. She will be our eyes in the forest."
"Priest," the elf said, her voice melodious but devoid of warmth. "You smell of wine, hay, and a lack of sleep. An intense night of prayer, I assume."
Shit, Ari thought, maintaining his smile. She can probably see my sins from two hundred yards. Better be on my best behavior. "Devotion requires sacrifice, Lady Seraphine."
Just then, another figure approached, moving with an arrogant grace that Ari found instantly irritating. He was tall, with perfectly coiffed blond hair and silver armor that somehow seemed to shine brighter than everyone else's. He was exactly as Ari had imagined. Captain Valerius.
He ignored Ari completely, directing a possessive and slightly concerned smile only at Thalassa. "Captain. I'm glad to see you're safe. You spent the night away from the camp. Such a... rustic... village can harbor unexpected dangers."
Thalassa didn't flinch, her face an icy mask. "I was in the best of hands, Captain. Priest Ari knows this place and its dangers better than anyone." Once again, she was protecting him, validating him in front of his rival.
Only then did Valerius deign to look at Ari, his green eyes sweeping over him with barely concealed disdain. "Ah, the priest. I've heard you and the Captain grew up together. A man of... humble origins." The insult was subtle, but clear as day. The implication was obvious: you don't belong in our world.
Ari met his gaze, his smile now laced with a false innocence that was his sharpest weapon. "The Light blesses us all equally, Captain. Regardless of whether our hair requires more or less time to comb in the morning."
The jab was so direct that Vespera coughed to hide a laugh, and even Gideon seemed to let out a sound that might have been a choked chuckle. Valerius's face darkened for a split second before his mask of arrogance snapped back into place. The first round had gone to the village priest.
Valerius, clearly irritated and determined to reassert his authority, turned to the map spread on the table. "Well, since we're all here, let's review the strategy. I've mapped out what I believe to be the most efficient route to cover the most ground." He tried to take control of the meeting, tracing a finger across the map. "I propose that you, Captain, and I lead the vanguard. Our combined experience will allow us to assess any threat quickly. Sergeant Major Gideon can cover the rear with a small detachment." He paused and looked at Ari as if he were an insect. "The priest... can stay with the support team. His healing skills will be of more use there, and he'll be safe, of course."
The plan was blatant. Not only was he trying to separate them, but he was relegating Ari to the position of a useless civilian in need of protection, undermining Thalassa's authority by assuming she would accept his plan.
The room fell silent. All eyes fell on Thalassa.
She didn't raise her voice. She didn't need to. Her tone became frigid, each word as sharp as a shard of ice.
"Your initiative is admirable, Captain Valerius, but entirely unnecessary. I, and I alone, decide the formation and strategy for my squad." Her blue eyes, as cold as a frozen lake, locked onto him. The challenge was open. "Priest Ari, as our local expert and primary healer, will be at my side, in the center of the formation, alongside Sergeant Major Gideon and myself. His safety and his counsel are my number one priority in this unfamiliar terrain."
Valerius's jaw visibly tightened.
"Sergeant Vespera and Seraphine will cover the flanks. Their speed and sight are indispensable there," Thalassa continued, her voice cutting through the air. "You, Captain Valerius, will cover our rear. It is a position of vital importance, and I trust a captain of your caliber will be up to the task." She finished with a devastating, "That is an order."
The humiliation was public and absolute. She had not only rejected his plan but had publicly demoted him, relegating him to the least prestigious position and placing Ari, the scrawny, commoner priest, literally at the center of her protection, declaring him her priority. The message to everyone in the room was unmistakable: to touch the priest is to touch me.
Valerius clenched his fists, his face a mask of contained fury. For an instant, his murderous gaze flickered from Thalassa's back to Ari's smiling, carefree face. And in that instant, Ari saw the true danger in the Captain's eyes. It wasn't just professional rivalry. It was something deeper, more personal.
This scrawny priest... Valerius thought, his mind seething. This village parasite. What in the hells does she see in him? Why does she protect him like this? He's not a soldier. He's nothing. He's a weakness. But he's close to her. Too close. I will crush him.
"As you command, Captain," Valerius hissed through his teeth.
"Excellent," Thalassa concluded. "We move out in five minutes. Get ready."
She turned and began giving orders, her authority flowing effortlessly. Ari winked at Vespera, who still looked stunned by the entire interaction. Thalassa shot one last look at Ari over her shoulder, a silent warning he translated perfectly as: Behave, you idiot, or I swear I'll put you on latrine duty.
Valerius watched them both, his green eyes glittering with a promise of conflict that had nothing to do with monsters. The patrol was about to begin, but the real battle, the more dangerous one, had already started within the walls of the inn.