Chapter Text
Falmouth instantly listening to Lucas’ plea might have been too much to ask for. In fact, it was certainly too much to ask for. The squid was a lot of things, and stubborn was certainly one of them.
And yet it was something Lucas appreciated about him. Falmouth’s stubbornness was endearing and certainly saved their skins more than once. It just wasn’t helpful to Lucas in this moment.
Once the sun had risen enough, Falmouth went out to hunt for breakfast, leaving Lucas alone with his thoughts yet again.
He went back into the cabin and made his own simple breakfast. Before eating, he walked over to his writing desk and grabbed a worn notebook filled to the brim with pages sticking out. Taking the notebook and his meal, he sat on the couch to pick at his food and opened the book in his hand.
Lucas had spent the last ten years filling this notebook with everything he remembered of the three months the rest of the world had forgotten. Everything from what life was like under the rule of the Dawn Chorus to the nights at inns spent with Ellorie, Falmouth and Ashen. Whenever he remembered something new, he would scramble to squeeze it in until he had to add in his own pages.
What had started as a way to prove to himself that those months actually did happen turned into the story of how he became the man that he is today. It was his proof that not only could he change, but so could Falmouth and Ashen and even Daemys.
When King Conoris freed the four men from their cells, he insisted to Ellorie that they were criminals. While Lucas knew that in the moment he was right, every part of him wanted to scream that they were more than that. Ashen was a man burned by those he loved. Daemys was abandoned by the very system he sought to uphold. And Falmouth had a past he wanted to run from. Yet looking at the men in the dungeon, none of them believed that about themselves, and he didn’t know if he could prove it to them.
It was the grief that they would likely never believe it in this universe that ate at Lucas constantly.
Lucas sighed and started flipping to the passage he was looking for. Not every conversation came to him like it once did, but he knew that this one would help him in the moment.
Setting up camp by a river meant two things: Falmouth was in charge of dinner and it was pointless to look for him until he found it.
This night, however, he was taking longer than usual. They had a protocol in place in case something happened to one of them, and it was still a few hours until that plan would take place, but the wait was still taking a while. Long enough that Ellorie had fallen asleep in Ashen’s lap.
“What do ya think’s taking him so long?” Ashen asked as Lucas poked at the fire.
“Uhh…not sure.” Lucas looked up, gauging the time of night. “Maybe he’s finally scaring the fishes away.”
Ashen laughed softly enough to not wake Ellorie. “Surprised it took this long.”
The half-elf smiled at him. “Maybe he did before he got arrested. He was caught eating a cat.”
“Yeah…” The tiefling’s mood shifted at that mention. Silence passed over the duo for a few minutes as they both looked into the fire. “D’ya ever think about your life before we got arrested?”
Lucas didn’t know how to respond. Of course he thought about it. But he already knew it wasn’t in the way Ashen thought about his.
He knew he made mistakes, but it would’ve been a waste to let those mistakes define him. The eternal life that he held from his pact came from evil, so he used it for as much good as possible.
Ashen couldn’t move on from his mistakes. They adorned his head, his horns forming a crown of guilt, forcing him to forever bear the weight of his crimes.
The fact wasn’t lost on Lucas that him, Ellorie, and Falmouth might be the first people to not look at Ashen differently for that exact reason.
“Yes. Because everything I tried to do to help people...I’m not sure if any of it meant as much as what I’m doing here.” Lucas replied.
Ashen let out a light-hearted chuckle. “Here? What? Living on the run with two fugitives and a queen in over her head?”
“No.” Lucas reached over and grabbed Ashen’s hand. “Finding a family.”
Ashen grabbed his hand back. More silence passed before Ashen let the breath he was holding go. “You know, it’s funny. My family abandoned me when I got these.” He pointed at his horns with his free hand. “They turned away from me so quickly. I don’t even think I could ever return to them even if they forgave me. I... I’m glad I have you guys now. Even if it’s not for great reasons, we’re not abandoning each other anytime soon.”
Before Lucas could respond, a huge splash came out of the river, alongside a giant squid man. It was startling enough that Ellorie shot up.
“Dinner’s here!” Falmouth gurgled with four fishes in his tentacles.
As he said this, the water splashed on the fire that Lucas had carefully crafted while Falmouth was gone.
“Oops.” The squid replied quickly before all four of them started laughing.
Lucas closed the notebook as he thought fondly upon that night. He knew that group was his family, and that night was the first night that he felt it, not only from Ashen, but from Ellorie and Falmouth as well. It didn’t feel like four people on the run that night, it felt like three men collectively taking care of a child they were raising, while caring for each other, too.
Thinking about what Ashen said that night, Lucas realized where he would find him. Or at least, where he would eventually find him.
He ran to his desk and wrote a letter in the nicest handwriting he could manage. Sealing the letter, he gave it to his messenger pigeon.
With preparations in place, Lucas grabbed his travel bag and headed for his stable. His horse didn’t get much use, but he kept it around for small jobs and situations like this one.
He loaded the horse with his belongings and hopped on. Before he left, though, he turned back to the lake, looking for any indication of Falmouth swimming around. After spotting a ripple on the other side of the lake, Lucas sighed in relief. As long as he was still there, Lucas knew his plan might still work. All he could do was hope that Falmouth didn’t hate him for leaving, since this plan may take a long time to work out.
The journey to the capital took a few days, but nothing he wasn’t used to.
Every stop he made, however, he questioned if this was the right thing to do. And every time he remembered the days and nights he spent with Ashen and Falmouth, the sunrises he watched with Ellorie, and the moments they all helped each other find something in their hearts they lost. It was in those memories that he knew that he had to.
Upon arrival, Lucas left his horse at a stable and headed towards the castle. As he arrived at the castle, he only hoped that his letter made it in time.
“Halt!” A guard stopped Lucas at the doorway. “What business brings you to the palace?’
He took a deep breath and recited the line he had been mentally practicing the entire way here. “I have come to request an audience with Her Royal Highness, Princess Ellorie Lusensa. Tell her Lucas Flamingo has arrived.”