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“You have noticed it, have you not?” Joshua Rosfield said, unlacing his boots.
He wobbled a bit as he kicked them off and then stretched his limbs and curled his toes, his muscles aching after spending most of the day in the saddle or exploring the ruins. Despite the sand getting everywhere, the visit to Drake’s Fang had been worth it. He had made several detailed drawings of the cavernous space inside the mountain, and taken a good amount of notes to accompany them. Unfortunately nothing seemed to provide new clues to the mystery of Ultima, but every piece of the puzzle could turn out valuable once they started forming a bigger picture. Right now all he had was the edge pieces, and a whole bunch of sky. Figuratively speaking, of course.
He looked around their room in the Dalimil Inn. It was very nice and spacious, positively lavish for a small desert inn. He was certain they had been given the finest one available when the tavern keeper had recognized him. Joshua didn’t like throwing around his status, and would have been content with much less. He was used to sleeping in odd places while on the road. Still, after a long day under the desert sun it was delightful to have a real bed, an own dining space, and not to mention an actual bathtub at their disposal. Dalimil had a public bath house but he generally avoided places like that. The crystal prison in his chest would have raised questions. A proper bath was a luxury when traveling and he was already looking forward to it.
“That we are being followed? Yes, I have indeed,” Dion Lesage replied, his back turned to Joshua. He was arranging their meal on the table in the corner. There was fresh bread, vegetables and fruits, and cuts of meat lathered in spicy sauce that made Joshua’s mouth water.
Dion himself was pretty mouthwatering too, Joshua thought and grinned to himself, raking his gaze appreciatively over the wide shoulders and down the muscular frame. But all that could be saved for dessert. Joshua shook his head to chase away the thought for now and cleared his throat before continuing.
“I knew it was likely they would send the undercover guard to shadow me when I ordered Jote to stay behind. I have to admit that it is nice to see the old practice is still strong among their ranks,” Joshua said, huffing with amusement.
“Wait, they sent someone to guard you as well? I thought you were talking about one of my dragoons that has been following us,” Dion said and looked over his shoulder at Joshua, scrunching his eyebrows in confusion.
The daylight had waned into evening dusk, and the oil lamps scattered around the room provided a warm light, casting shadows that seemed to deepen Dion’s frown. His face had a definite pink tint that the lamplight darkened. The Dhalmekian sun had managed to mark him after all, despite the cloak shading his face.
“Do we both have our own shadows?” Joshua said and stifled a laugh as he slipped past Dion, letting his hand linger on the small of his back in passing. He took a seat at the table and reached for the loaf of bread.
“So it would seem. Is the short and slightly scruffy man who I saw talking to my dragoon one of yours?” Dion asked. He shooed Joshua’s hand away and turned to reach for the plates stacked on the sideboard.
“I believe so. I am fairly certain I saw him once in Tabor when I went there unannounced,” Joshua said, pouting at Dion for thwarting his attempt at snatching a snack. “He ran away as soon as he noticed me. I do not think he realized I had seen him, otherwise he would not be here. So the tall one is yours?”
Dion nodded in response. “I do not know why they would have gone this far, nor do I think I ordered this. I had to sort through a lot of paperwork before we set out, but I do not remember leaving an order to send back up,” he said with a mildly exasperated sigh.
The short - and in Joshua’s opinion more grumpy than scruffy - man was one of the Undying, Joshua was sure of it. He had noticed him hovering around the tall one while they were exploring Drake’s Fang, which had surprised him. An undercover guard should have stayed to himself, but these two seemed to be on quite friendly terms. Even bigger surprise was the revelation that the tall man was one of Dion’s troops. There was no way they could have met before, and Joshua was dying to hear the story of how their unlikely team up had come to be.
“Our shadows seem to have joined forces, which I did not expect. My people usually work in secrecy,” Joshua said, his enjoyment of the new development apparent in his voice. “I have a feeling this will be interesting.”
“This old practice you mentioned, what exactly is it?” Dion asked, placing the flask of wine they had brought with them on the table, where there were already cups waiting for drinks. Some cheese would have been a nice addition to the meal, but they had eaten all they bought the day prior for their impromptu picnic lunch by the oasis.
Joshua eyed their dinner with a pleased smile. There was not a single carrot in sight. The tavern keeper must have taken a hint from his previous visits. The food they served in the Dalimil Inn was always delicious and well seasoned, but the carrots… the carrots had been in everything . You took a spoonful of delectable stew and when you chewed on it - crunch - a piece of carrot. The sheer betrayal! He really didn’t want to go there emotionally when the day had been so successful. After he’d learned to first sift out the offending root vegetable pieces from the food he was served, Joshua had always left them untouched on his plate. It was a silent and miserable protest to the powers that be in the kitchens. Finally, it seemed that the message had been heard, loud and clear.
“It is an old story, from hundreds of years ago. Have you ever heard of the ‘Song of Colette’?” Joshua said, turning his attention back to Dion.
“Oh of course, it is a classic in Sanbreque. Everyone who has studied literary works knows it. The tale of Colette and Natalia, star-crossed lovers, and their Eikons,” Dion said, putting some flourish in his voice and gesturing dramatically with his hand before he broke into a song.
“Together did they fly
Across the darken’d night sky
Under the moon’s glow
Metia’s flame blessings bestow”
In Joshua’s opinion, Dion could have been successful on the stage. He could load a considerable amount of pathos into his words when he so chose, and he had a lovely singing voice. A lovely voice in general, really. On the odd evening when they weren’t too tired, they would tell each other stories they remembered, or sometimes Dion would read for him from one of the books they had found. “To spare your eyes,” he would say. Joshua didn’t much care if he were reading the Imperial Registry of Noble Houses , he just liked to listen to his voice.
“I have never heard those verses actually being sung,” Joshua said with awe and clapped his hands excitedly when Dion finished the song. He had even remembered the whole song, although with a few stumbles along the way.
“It is called a ‘song’ after all. Though it is hardly high literature, I am fairly certain it was penned by the bards of the time. Certainly not by a great poet, even though it is credited to one. He got the credit for recording it in his book,” Dion said. He gave Joshua a lopsided smile.
“Hey, do not sell out the bards,” Joshua said with a grin. Dion just gave him a deadpan stare.
Joshua might be a tiny bit biased, but the bards of the realm did an incredible job. Besides, poetry was easier to remember when you could sing it. Though the only song he had memorized just happened to be ‘Dion the Bold’, to Jote’s unending exasperation. She sighed every time she heard it.
“So what does this song have to do with your guards?” Dion asked.
“Lady Natalia Rosfield was an ancestor of mine,” Joshua said secretively. “Her involvement with Lady Colette was mostly hushed up in Rosarian history. Even I had to sneak into the forbidden tomes section of the Undying’s collection to read the poem,” he continued, putting his palm over his heart in mock offense for having to go through such trouble.
The library of the Undying held a number of other interesting tomes, their collection spanning centuries of history pertaining not only to the Phoenix but also other eikons. Joshua would save the stories of those discoveries for later. Especially the more risque ones written by the late scholar Sir Attenborough, delving into the mysterious habits of the Eikons. He had taken a peek inside on more than one occasion when he had sneaked in, and even thinking about those tomes made him blush a little. Those he understood why they were kept hidden in the deepest recesses, sometimes under lock and key. Fortunately, the Undying’s curriculum after Joshua had woken up from his coma had included many useful skills, such as how to pick locks. If anyone had discovered he’d been snooping around, they hadn’t called him out on it.
“That does sound very much like you,” Dion said, smiling at Joshua. He looked at Joshua like he knew exactly what he would do to get his hands on some rare books. Which he did. They had raided - no, searched was a more accurate term - some abandoned archives already, hunting for clues for their quest.
Those unfortunate books had been left to rot and disintegrate into dust on the shelves, with not a soul around to notice them missing. So, really what they had done was adopt the poor things and make sure they were being read again. Except for that Imperial Registry . The incredibly fancy binding had caught Joshua’s attention, but he’d left the book where they’d found it. It was far too heavy and the information contained within could have been printed on cheaper paper instead of the expensive vellum decorated with gold leaf. Official family trees didn’t carry much weight when you could get much more accurate information from town square gossip. In general, Joshua appreciated all books but he was willing to make an exception for this one. It was a waste of printing materials even in his opinion.
“I merely possess a healthy amount of curiosity,” Joshua grinned back at him, choosing to ignore Dion’s amused huff at the words. “The Undying are honorable and loyal people, but they see the Phoenix as a divinity. They find the poem very controversial, because it puts the Phoenix and Bahamut as equals.”
His shoulders sagged a bit. It hurt a bit to admit to himself that for the people serving him the Eikon was of real importance, not him as the Dominant. The Dominant had always been but a vessel for the rebirth of the Phoenix, generation after generation. And the stress that priming put on the Dominant’s body meant that most did not survive into old age like Lady Natalia had. Joshua had already gambled his life more than once, and eventually he would be past the point where the Phoenix could sustain him.
“Would it ease their minds if they saw my devotion for you?” Dion said, kneeling in front of Joshua. He took his hand and kissed his fingertips reverently.
“Then they would also see that the devotion is reciprocated, and no doubt sooner or later the bards of the realm would be writing another song. As catchy as ‘Dion the Bold’ is, I do not think it will become a romantic classic,” Joshua said with a mischievous smile.
“You cannot win every battle,” Dion said and smiled back at him. He let go of Joshua’s hand, resting his palms on his knees. His left thumb started to draw a soothing circle pattern over one of the laces strapped around Joshua’s legs.
“Oh, but that is not what the bards sing about you! Now, let me see your face,” Joshua said. He beckoned Dion to lean in closer, reaching to touch his face.
“It is hardly necessary…” Dion protested. A little sunburn was no harm at all for him in the grand scheme of things. Joshua had already fussed over him enough during their stop at The Fallen’s Rest earlier that day.
Despite his fair complexion, Joshua never got sunburns. His freckles got a bit more pronounced, but it was as if the Phoenix kept him safe even under the scorching heat of the Dhalmekian day. Dion was not quite as lucky. The skin on his cheeks and the bridge of his nose was clearly turning red and looking tight and irritated. He cupped Dion’s face in his hands and gently stroked his cheekbones with his thumbs.
“You have gained a rather fetching shade of pink, if I may say so,” Joshua said, looking into Dion’s eyes.
“I doubt it is my color. Are you perchance going to kiss and make it better?” Dion said, puckering his mouth in an invitation.
“I might be able to deal with this without having to resort to such underhanded tactics,” Joshua said haughtily, but there was mirth in his voice. Dion would get a kiss - or several - in any case. After some delayed gratification, of course.
“I am quite certain this would heal by itself in a matter of days,” Dion said dismissively.
“Or I can take care of it right now, and you do not have to suffer the discomfort,” Joshua said, raising an eyebrow.
“In that case, I place myself at your mercy, my Firebird,” Dion said and closed his eyes to enjoy the gentle caresses on his face. The feeling of the Phoenix’s power was at the same time warm and cooling his heated skin. Each touch felt rejuvenating.
“Were you actually serious about diving into that pit and priming?” Joshua asked, running the tip of his finger along Dion’s nose. The skin under his touch lost the angry pink shade, returning to its normal healthy tone.
“Of course,” Dion said in earnest. His face was still tingling but the feeling was no longer uncomfortable.
“It was a big hole but would Bahamut’s wingspan really have fit inside? What if you would have gotten stuck?” Joshua frowned. He traced the pads of his fingers over Dion’s brow, soothing the irritated redness.
“It would have been big enough for both of us, I promise,” Dion said and opened his eyes just so he could wink at Joshua. “I am fairly certain it could have fit two Bahamuts, should there ever be another one.”
“Is it a dragoon thing to want to jump into everything? Or a Dion Lesage thing?” Joshua said, shaking his head amusedly. Guess they were measuring things in Bahamuts now, though it might not be the most accurate scale. Or the most convenient. His thumbs swept over Dion’s cheekbones, chasing away the burns.
“Could it not be both? But I would not recommend jumping into that pit without wings on your back. It seemed… bottomless,” Dion said. His face scrunched into a frown.
“What if there was a portal to another world in the bottom?” Joshua said, gasping with excitement. “Imagine finding something like that…” his words trailed off as he stared into the distance for a while, thinking of the possibilities.
“In that case, I hope I did not hit anyone with the rocks I dropped into it,” Dion snorted. The first one had been small. When he hadn’t heard it hit the bottom, he had dropped in a few bigger ones. Alas, the results had been the same.
“I do think the people of Dalimil would have taken offense had we caused another scene after what my brother did,” Joshua said, his expression suddenly calculating. “Maybe… Maybe we could come back another time, when there are less people? At night, perhaps?”
“Oh I knew you would want to find out what was in the bottom of that pit too,” Dion said and grinned. Joshua was by far the more curious one of them, and fearless to boot.
“Without an international scandal, preferably! Besides, to the general public I am still supposed to be long dead,” Joshua retorted, poking Dion’s forehead with his index finger.
“Is that so? You seem quite lively to me,” Dion chuckled.
“I will show you lively,” Joshua huffed. He couldn’t hide the smile when Dion wagged his eyebrows at the words. “People are going to notice the Phoenix if I prime in public, I can’t hide behind Bahamut.”
“Bahamut is big enough to cover you, my Little Bird,” Dion said. Joshua smacked his shoulder in retaliation. Just lightly.
“There, the pink is gone, you’re all good and your usual color now,” Joshua said and leaned in to kiss Dion’s nose. He dodged Dion’s attempt to steal a proper kiss, for now. They would just get sidetracked and he was getting quite hungry.
“I am in your debt. Do you know what I think we should do now?” Dion said, standing up from his kneeling position. His knees protested a bit but he suppressed the wince before Joshua noticed. He had used up enough of the Phoenix’s power for tonight.
“Do tell me,” Joshua said, smiling up at him.
“I think we need a bath before we eat. It has been a very sandy day,” Dion said and fluffed Joshua’s hair. A puff of dust and a sneeze from him seemed to agree with his words.
“Do you think we can both fit in that?” Joshua said, glancing over to the stonework tub in the corner. It was a spacious one, sequestered from the rest of the room with a folding screen. However, neither of them were small men. The bath looked wide enough but Joshua feared he might end up with his legs sticking out over the edge.
Dion shrugged and smirked. “We can find out. In the name of research, of course,” he said with faked seriousness.
“Well, if you put it that way. I do remember a theory of using the volume of water for a formula to calculate something…” Joshua said and spun around in his chair, looking for where he’d left his bag.
“No notebooks in the bath!” Dion half yelled at him and laughed.
“And no jumping into the tub!” Joshua retorted.
The bath was an excellent idea, Joshua had to admit. The inn had actual running water, thanks to the oasis and Dhalmekian engineering skills. It had just taken a touch of the Phoenix’s fire to heat the water to a pleasant temperature suitable for bathing. Then he’d been treated to the always entertaining sight of Dion getting undressed. And he knew Dion had been staring at him (and his rear) while he was undressing. Which was fair, Joshua knew he had a great derriere.
Dion had insisted they rinse off the worst of the dust before getting into the tub, and had dunked his head straight into the water. He’d shaken his wet hair like he was Torgal coming in from the rain, making Joshua shriek at him. Joshua had gotten enough of the spray on himself that he’d relented and let Dion help him rinse the dust from his curls. The tub most certainly wasn’t the pit at Drake’s Fang, so it had taken a bit of shuffling of limbs, and some water spilling over the edges (with zero consideration to scientific research) to get them both comfortably in it. Now Joshua was resting with his back against Dion’s broad chest, all relaxed from the warmth of the fragrant bath water. He wasn’t used to this level of pampering. He could easily become accustomed to it though, especially if Dion were to join him every time. He tilted his head back, nudging Dion’s chin with his nose.
“No grapes to offer this time?” Dion said, smiling down on him. His hand - his cursed right hand - was resting on Joshua’s chest, covering the aetheric cage embedded there.
Joshua just shook his head. The grape kisses had been fun, if messy. He slid his hand over Dion’s, caressing the lithified patches. Like this it felt as if there was nothing between them, no need to hide the ugly parts that came with being a host to an Eikon. They could just be . Just Joshua and Dion, in this little bubble of peace. At least for a little while before the world needed them to join the fight again.
“Well, I suppose I will just have to deal with a plain kiss,” Dion said and did just so, leaning down to press his mouth gently over Joshua’s.
“Did that help more than the healing?” Joshua asked when their lips parted.
“I am not sure to be honest. Maybe another to verify?” Dion said, his left hand cradling Joshua’s cheek and tilting his head into a better angle.
“Empirical study is all part of science and research,” Joshua said breathlessly, craning his neck to meet Dion’s lips again.
The study part was very enthusiastic, with more water spilling out of the tub. Joshua, however, was far too busy to worry about taking notes on it.
“Should we let them know that we have noticed them?” Dion asked.
After the bath they had enjoyed their dinner, and all the food had made them both feel languid. Now they were curled up in bed together. Maybe the bed could have been a teensy bit bigger to accommodate them, but it was comfortable enough that neither was complaining.
Joshua reminded himself to compliment the cook in the morning, for there indeed hadn’t been a scrap of carrot hiding in their meal. If he was awake enough for passing compliments. He didn’t really do mornings if he had a choice, but with how long the trek across the desert took, he would have to adjust again. He silently swore to himself that once they were back in the Hideaway, he would stay in bed until noon. And he wouldn’t let Dion get up before that either. He was entirely willing to tie him to the bed if it came to that. Getting up for training at the crack of dawn was just not civilized behaviour in his books.
“I suppose we should, preferably before we reach the Hideaway,” Joshua said, frowning thoughtfully. “My brother might not appreciate surprise guests who do not know what they are walking into.”
“Sir Clairmont is a good man, if still a bit inexperienced. I am sure he will not cause trouble for your brother,” Dion said. He ran his fingers through Joshua’s hair that was now mostly dry and fluffing up again. He’d have an impressive bedhead the next morning. Joshua stifled a yawn and stretched himself like a cat.
“I know my personal shadow will respect whatever order I give him, but since I have never actually met him before I do not know how he will handle being confronted,” he mused.
“This arrangement seems rather convoluted to me,” Dion said. “How does all that work, guarding a person from such a distance? It would make sense if the undercover guard could at least be close enough to block any attacks, but this… I do not understand it.”
“Oh, it is definitely convoluted and quite frankly, silly,” Joshua said with a grin. “The Undying are very traditional. Even without the song, Lady Natalia left a lasting legacy, and I am certain she would be ecstatic to know they are still doing this because of her.”
“Are all Rosfields menaces like that?” Dion said, tickling Joshua’s side.
“Ahaha, stop, I am not a menace!” Joshua exclaimed, hiccuping out a giggle and squirming against Dion.
“Never have you done anything mischievous in your life, I am sure.” Dion said. He grinned, his fingers mercilessly dancing across Joshua’s ribs.
“Oh, now you are asking for it,” Joshua wheezed. His face was flushed and he was gasping for breath, but suddenly he wasn’t feeling tired at all.
“For what?” Dion asked, feigning ignorance with a serene smile.
Joshua knew full well what he was after as he rolled on top of Dion and looked down on him with a smirk. “Are you bold enough to handle a Rosfield menace?”
And as it proved, Dion the Bold could indeed handle it. More than once, even.