Chapter Text
CHAPTER FIVE
The morning comes too soon, and it sees them still outside, Amaya’s head on Janai’s shoulder, their hands intertwined and the dictionary open between them.
Janai doesn’t remember how many words they’ve managed to go through before finally falling asleep, but she doesn’t care.
She can’t bring herself to care, not when Amaya is waking up next to her, scrunching up her nose like the Sun rising is personally offending her.
While Janai basks in the soft light of the morning, Amaya pouts and turns to hide her face in Janai’s neck.
Her heart skips a beat, the memories of the night fresh in her brain and the comforting presence of Amaya’s body pressed against hers as a reminder that they’re really there, together, facing what could either be their last day on this Earth or the first of the rest of their lives.
Janai smirks at Amaya’s obstinate refusal to face the morning Sun, but doesn’t make a single move. She waits, and watches as the Storm Spire comes to life when the Sun hits the rocks, the soft glow of morning enveloping them and the fields around them.
Janai can see a dark line forming under the horizon. She squeezes Amaya’s hand still in hers and Amaya looks up. Still with her head on Janai shoulder, she follows her gaze and finds what she’s looking at.
They both watch in silence as the black line on the horizon thickens, as it starts to shape in the form of an army.
Viren’s army.
Janai is at peace. She’s fought countless of battles, and her body is ready. She was born to wield a sword and protect her people, so this is what she’s ready to do.
If anything, she feels even more confident than she’s felt in a very long time.
She has new people with her. New friends, new allies.
New partners.
Janai is not sure what is happening between herself and Amaya, and she is not sure where it will go if they make it out alive after today.
But she is sure of the feelings in her chest, and she is sure of Amaya.
After what they’ve gone through, she has no doubt in her mind that Amaya will stand and fight next to her until the very end.
Almost reading her mind, Amaya lifts their joined hands and presses her lips on Janai’s battered knuckles.
Janai turns to find her already looking at her.
Their lips meet halfway, in a soft kiss that means nothing and that means absolutely everything.
Janai sighs, closing her eyes for a brief moment and pressing her forehead against Amaya’s.
“Are you ready?” She asks, already knowing the answer.
She opens her eyes to see Amaya’s short nod, then she follows her gaze as she looks briefly at something out of Janai’s line of sight and smiles.
Janai turns to see Callum standing there, blushing profusely but grinning like a mad man.
Janai has never shown vulnerability to complete strangers, nor she has felt comfortable with public demonstrations of affection with her past partners, but she finds that she doesn’t really care that Callum has seen them.
That family has something very peculiar to them.
Nonetheless, she raises a questioning eyebrow at Callum. The kid snaps into attention.
“Right! Breakfast is ready, then we should probably figure out what to do?”
Amaya nods, releasing Janai’s hand to sign.
Is your army going to follow my orders? She asks, with Callum translating.
Janai doesn’t even have to think about it.
“Without a doubt.”
Amaya’s spine straightens, her shoulders square up, and just like that Janai sees the General again.
Good. Then let’s go get ready. I have a plan.
(Janai makes of Rayla the last Dragon Guard and Rayla looks like her life has just been made.
Janai starts to understand a different meaning of the word family.)
They land on the battlefield, Viren’s army close and menacing, staring at them from a not so far distance.
Soren shuffles from one foot to the other, but there’s determination in his features.
Just like Amaya, Janai trusts him, and wishes she could take the pain away from him.
Losing family to a war is one thing, but having that same family causing the war is another.
Janai steadies herself, unsheathing her sword. The familiar warmth coming from its blade reassures her, but not completely.
She taps Amaya’s wrist with a finger, successfully catching her attention.
“However this goes...” She says, then trails off, not really knowing what to say.
Or knowing it, but unsure how to express it fully.
Amaya smiles. She nods.
I know. Me, too.
And then Amaya raises her shield, and like one spirit, the elves move and form the first line of defence.
Janai watches her people move under the commanding presence of this one woman in absolute awe.
She has thought of herself as powerful, in the past, as unbeatable.
But now, with Amaya by her side, Soren by the other, her people and her allies, now she thinks she knows what true power is.
And she doesn’t think of swords or Primal Magic. She doesn’t think of soldiers and warriors.
She thinks of family, blood one and chosen one. She thinks of shields and sacrifice and loss and love.
She thinks of the girl who’s following her parents’ steps and protecting the dragons.
She thinks of the boy with a gentle soul who didn’t let Dark Magic consume his soul, who didn’t let his suffering made him evil.
She thinks of the woman with no voice who has brought a new music in her life.
Janai grips her sword with confidence.
However this battle might go, she has won something else already.
There’s blood. There’s death. There are bodies hitting the ground, and dust and smoke and magic seeping through the air.
Janai’s body dances through known steps, fighting and protecting. Her sword moves just like an extension of her own hand, and she admires the tenacity and resilience of her soldiers.
The line holds, despite everything, despite the horrifying, powerful Dark Magic that is threatening to win them over.
It shakes and backs down, but it holds.
Even when soldiers are knocked down, more step up to take their places. Amaya presses herself between two elves and it doesn’t matter that their shields don’t match, it doesn’t matter that a month ago they would’ve been ready to kill each other: the line is strong, and it holds.
Janai exchange a quick look with Amaya and she sees the same pride, the same strength reflected in the human’s eyes.
She’s about to step forward and give more orders when the line is broken once again.
Only this time is Amaya who is flying through the air, being hurled away from a bulky, enraged enemy monster.
Janai is there, catching Amaya’s body with her own, both of them choking out a breath from the force of the impact.
Janai’s bones go cold in worry, as she tries to assess Amaya’s wounds.
Her General looks mostly winded by the impact, but otherwise okay.
Janai waits for Soren to take her away from the immediate battle, and then turns around.
The cold she’s felt in seeing Amaya hurt suddenly disappears, replaced by a bubbling, growing, hot rage.
She doesn’t have to search for the fire in her blood, this time, because the fury she feels is just waiting to be released.
She takes a deep breath.
And she lets it out.
When they see Callum literally soaring the skies with Rayla hanging in his arms, they collectively draw a big sigh of relief.
Janai noticed the subtle change in Amaya’s stance as her nephew lands safe and sound on the plank of the Storm Spire.
Her collected demeanour remains in place, but Janai has watched her and her face way too much not to notice the relief that washes over her.
After that, it’s all a rush of emotions, one after the other: Rayla telling them how Viren is no more, Callum recounting what happened at the top of the Spire, Ezran coming back, escorted by Soren, the Dragon Queen awakening and greeting them...
Janai is quite certain she’s never lived a day quite as full and emotional as today.
She feels like she’s been awake for a week, and the soreness in her muscles, although familiar and not at all unwelcome, is starting to make itself insistent.
Callum, Rayla, Ezran, Bait and Zym stay in the Dragon Queen’s lair to recount their adventure from the very beginning, and the rest of the group disperse to re-organize supplies for the rest of the day.
Amaya goes to meet with Queen Aanya, the blonde human child who has quite literally saved them all, while Janai flies down to find her commander and check on her troops.
By the time she makes it back to the Spire, Soren, Gren and Kazi are sitting on the stairs, chatting, the kids’ voices are still faintly heard from inside the chamber, and Amaya is nowhere to be seen.
Janai shifts from one foot to the other, trying to remember if she’s missed her when the human troops have rallied at the bottom of the Spire to camp with her army, but nothing comes to mind.
She huffs just slightly, frustrated. She had really hoped to... Well, even just seeing Amaya before going to sleep would’ve been nice.
She makes a move to go back to her mount when she catches Gren’s wave, not-so-subtly calling for her.
She raises one questioning eyebrow at him, and he merely points up.
Janai follows his fingers to see nothing but the ceiling.
She looks back down at Gren, who rolls his eyes with an affectionate grin and raises his arm a bit more.
That does it.
“Oh.”
Without looking at Gren again, trying to hide the blush that colors her features, Janai turns on her heels and heads out, taking the stairs two at the time to reach the very top of the Spire.
She is so not prepared to the sight.
The Sky stretches wide in front of her, the soft colors of the resting Sun lighting up the crown of the mountain. Delicate clouds surround the Spire, spreading like a sea of white foam.
The orange and red light hits the stone, turning the whole place into a nest of warmth and peace.
And yet, nothing, not even the Sun that has awed her for her whole life, is as beautiful as the woman standing at the very edge of the platform, blood and dirt on her clothes, staring at her with a grin on her face.
Janai’s breathing hitches. She knows, without the shadow of a doubt, that this woman is hers.
As well as she knows, with absolute certainty, that her heart belongs to Amaya and Amaya only.
It’s overwhelming and it’s terrifying to know something so surely, so deeply, without capability of being questioned.
But it’s also addicting and beautiful and powerful.
“Do you ever stop smiling?” Janai asks, a matching grin growing on her face.
Amaya smile widens, and she shakes her head, happily.
“You really should.” Janai continues, finally convincing her feet to bring her closer to the other woman. “It does things to my heart.”
At that, Amaya chuckles, her cheeks tinted in a soft pink. She reaches for her, and Janai is more than happy to close the distance, forgoing her outstretched hands and grabbing Amaya’s waist.
She lifts her and spins her around without a care in the world.
Amaya laughs, breathlessly, without tearing her gaze away from her.
Janai holds her there, on top of the world, on top of her world.
She wants to say something, say what she feels in her heart, but as she looks at Amaya, she finds that she doesn’t need to.
She sees it reflected in her eyes, and she realizes that words would not make justice to that kind of love.
Slowly, she lowers her to the ground. Immediately, Amaya reaches for her hands.
Their bodies come together, their fingers intertwine.
Amaya leans in to brush her lips against hers, and Janai’s heart explodes.
They have lost so much, and gained so much in return.
Her soul aches for her sister, for the lives she’s lost amongst her people.
And there is going to be time to mourn and cry and let grief take over.
But she’s gained something she never even thought existed.
Friendship, and understanding, and support, and love.
Amaya kisses her like the world outside doesn’t exist, and Janai wants to drown in the sensation. She wants to drown in everything that is Amaya and everything that she isn’t, because even that is worth discovering if she’s by her side.
Janai grabs her by the waist to bring her closer, as Amaya’s fingers keeps her mouth on hers. Amaya’s hands are callous and dirty and cold, and Janai doesn’t think she’s ever been kissed like that, touched like that.
She kisses her and then leans back to look at her, at her expressive eyes and the mischievous glint in them.
They both stare at each other with matching grins, and Janai doesn’t want to ever let go.
She presses her lips against Amaya’s scar, the one she’s never asked about and to which she never will.
She wants to know everything about her, but she will never ask. She will share her story and be there whenever Amaya will want to share hers.
Amaya leans into her touch, briefly closing her eyes. Her arms sneak around her shoulders and they stay like that, holding each other, breathing in.
Janai finds it easier to breathe when Amaya is around.
Amaya’s fingers scratches the back of her neck, sending a shockwave throughout her body. She can’t hold back the shiver, and Amaya notices.
Because, of course Amaya notices.
Are you okay? She signs with one hand, keeping the other on Janai’s neck.
Janai hums, nodding.
She places her palm on Amaya’s chest, right where she remembers cutting through her armour during their first first.
Amaya’s hands lands on top of hers, and Janai looks up, into her eyes.
“I am with you. How could I not be?” She says, cheekily.
Amaya rolls her eyes, but the blush on her face says too much of how she really feels.
Janai chuckles, turning her hand in Amaya’s to clasp it and then bring her fingers to her lips.
She kisses her knuckles, each of the five, marvelling for a moment in that extra finger.
When she looks up, Amaya is watching her with amused adoration.
She brings her other hand down and points at her, before circling her own face with it.
Those signs, Janai knows.
She’s checked them right after finding out how to sign ‘cute’ for the first time.
You’re beautiful.
Janai scoffs, embarrassed, and just like that, they’re laughing again.
Amaya is her own person, of course, and she owes her absolutely nothing. Amaya doesn’t need her, nor does she need anyone else.
She’s strong, and independent, and beautiful herself.
They both are.
Neither need much from others, because they’ve learned to fend for themselves a long time ago.
Janai knows that the need they seem to have for each other is different than that.
It goes deeper than that.
Amaya is something special. Before her, Janai’s always thought that the key to a good relationship is communication.
As Amaya swings their hands together with a smug grin on her face, she realizes now how wrong she’s been.
As Amaya drags her closer to steal a kiss that literally stops her heart, and kisses her like she’s can’t get enough of her, she realizes what the truth is.
The key to success is understanding.
Communication without understanding is doomed to fail.
But Amaya has opened her heart, her eyes, her mind and her hands.
She’s pushed her farther and higher than anyone else has ever done before.
As Amaya leans back to smile smugly at her dumbfounded face, Janai remembers the last few words her sister Khessa has told her before leaving her room, a life time ago.
“I will not lose you to this war.”
Janai takes Amaya’s face in her palms, drinking her in.
She’d lost Khessa, forever.
And she knows she would’ve lost herself, too, if someone hadn’t stopped her.
If someone hadn’t shone a light onto her path, if she hadn’t yanked her away from death and despair and revenge.
If she hadn’t set her on a path of love, instead of one of hatred.
She kisses Amaya briefly, breathing her in.
“My Sun.” She whispers, with a smile.
And her Sun smiles back.