Chapter Text
Winters were long and dark in Nod-Krai.
As the trees finished shedding their summer coats, daylight became sparse and nights grew longer as the looming darkness came to usurp the sun from her righteous throne in the sky. The sun sunk below the horizon early and delayed her rise, as if not even she could stand to gaze upon the lawless land of Nod-Krai during its most visceral season. As if lazily turning a blind eye could prevent the disasters that would inevitably descend upon Nod-Krai, as they did every winter.
The people of Nod-Krai were mostly a cynical breed that cared for little, except themselves. Nod-Krai attracted a certain kind of person; the kind that sought an escape from the laws that regulated the rest of Teyvat. A person does not come to the unlawful land in pursuit of a good life. Nod-Krai is a land born of desperation and necessity. A land of adversity that, in the name of survival, will mercilessly strip a person bare to the truest version of themselves.
The inhabitants of Nod-Krai were no strangers to danger. Danger was unavoidable for any who dared to step onto the land that held no regard for the concept of safety. It lurked in every shadow that shifted in the corner of their eye. It dripped from the smiles of desperate men with poorly concealed, crude weapons that had previously grazed flesh and now craved the taste. Yet, the danger posed by its people were trivial in comparison to the shadowy and monstrous figures that arose from the land itself.
Winter was the herald of death in Nod-Krai.
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Winter was what Illuga dreaded above all else.
The wind whipped angrily across the sky, forcing the sea to slam against the rocks that lined the coast. Thick snowflakes mischievously twirled and danced as they fell to the ground; settling into heavy sheets of packed snow that left nothing for his eyes to settle on, except for an endless landscape of white. Illuga blinked away crystalline tears that had formed in response to the ruthless gales that continued to howl around him.
Snow was not an uncommon phenomenon in Nod-Krai, but this snowstorm in particular had been unexpected and was making the patrol route considerably more difficult to navigate. Illuga weighed the consequences of ending the squad's patrol here, turning around and heading back to Pirmada earlier than expected. Just as he was beginning to form the words to call an end to their endeavor, the faintest of murmurs could be heard on the violent breeze. Murmurs whispered by the mouth of an ancient abyssal evil that, with the change of seasons, had begun to excitedly stir more frequently. A sound that Illuga had grown uncomfortably familiar with due to his years of being a Lightkeeper, tasked to purge the source of these murmurs from his homeland.
Illuga's ears quickly perked at the sound, head snapping to the side and senses sharpening as he summoned his polearm while scanning the land around him, signaling for his squad mates to draw their weapons and be on alert. Very few had ears as precise as Illuga and even fewer could decipher the whispers that had made his whole body tense. The squad of Lightkeepers faithfully obeyed their captain.
Illuga rushed through a series of thoughts in his head. It would be dangerous to engage with a pack of Wild Hunt in the storm that had grown increasingly violent and indicated no signs of slowing anytime soon. Simply traversing the treacherous terrain had already worn out some of his squad mates, particularly the newer recruits that were freshly trained. Typically, new recruits would be assigned to easier routes in more favorable conditions, but the Wild Hunt had grown unrelenting in the previous months and the Lightkeepers were severely lacking the needed manpower to handle it. He still had time to call for a retreat before the abhorrent creatures fully arose from the corrupted soil that had damned Nod-Krai to a centuries long battle against the Wild Hunt.
But the ghouls were always considerably weaker when they first emerged, and Illuga was not one to leave danger left to fester. It went against his greatest desire that spurred him to continue his duties even during the cruel winter: the desire to keep everyone safe. It was this fact that hardened Illuga's resolve to keep his squad in position and meet the danger head-on, despite his lingering reservations.
He had trained the majority of the squad, Illuga reassured himself. They would not be here had he doubted their capabilities. They trusted him and he would trust them to do their oath sworn duties as Lightkeepers. Everyone would get home safe tonight. Illuga would not need to trudge through the snow carrying the lifeless body of a friend he had shared a meal with the night before. There would not be yet another grave erected to commemorate his fallen brothers and sisters. Illuga would not need to regret another lantern that had been extinguished far too early while adhering to his orders. No one would die—not tonight.
The battle was quick.
Shadowy wisps contorting onto themselves as disfigured, vaguely humanoid creatures began to take shape in the purple mist that was emitting from the ground. The whispers intensified as grotesque flesh and magenta flames finished materializing into something that was tangible. Something that could be destroyed.
Illuga wasted no time. Each moment the exiles were allowed to walk the earth was another moment of danger that threatened to rip a loved one out of his reach. He fought efficiently; he did not fight for enjoyment. His strikes were precise and deadly, with not a single ounce of energy wasted on any unnecessary embellishments of his movements. Illuga fought with the experience of a jaded man who had seen far too many battlefields and far too much loss for someone of his age. He fought for no reason other than the survival of those surrounding him.
As Illuga plunged his spear through the chest of another enemy, a shift in his peripheral vision caught hold of his attention. A wilderness exile with extended claws was rushing towards him at a breakneck pace. The Wild Hunt was dangerous, but the creatures within were traditionally slow and lumbering. The Lightkeepers' agility was one of their most advantageous weapons against the threat they had been tirelessly warding off for centuries. The Wild Hunt was not meant to be fast. Their behavior had been drastically changing over the course of months. A sense of discomfort pricked within Illuga's chest that had been steadily growing with each new, unpleasant encounter with the Wild Hunt. Something was wrong; something was deeply wrong this winter.
Before he could properly redirect his polearm's attention to intercept the new threat, a warm light streaked out of his lantern. A small kuuvahki infused nightingale rushed to meet the exile before it could collide with Illuga, phasing through its chest and leaving behind a gaping hole. The creature made a high-pitched whine that left Illuga's ears ringing as it tumbled to the ground and began to disintegrate back into the purple mist it had originally emerged from. The little nightingale's glow had been slightly diminished, but it happily trilled before comfortably settling on its companion's shoulder.
Illuga lightly stroked Aedon's head in thanks as he surveyed the surroundings. Most of the Wild Hunt had been taken care of with the few remaining stragglers quickly dispatched by the oath lanterns that his fellow Lightkeepers carried. His eyes flickered from person to person, searching for any injuries. He found nothing that demanded immediate action and decided those that were injured would best be treated back at headquarters, rather than in the midst of what would now best be classified as a blizzard.
The squad set out quickly, and by the time Piramida was looming high above the returning Lightkeepers, Illuga was well and truly exhausted to the core of his being. Although Illuga prioritized others, he did not try to make a habit of neglecting his own well-being in exchange. But it appeared this year was specially designed to see how far Illuga could bend before he finally snapped. The Lightkeepers were swarmed with obstacles that were adamant on making Illuga's life as miserable as possible. The Wild Hunt attacks steadily grew in both number and power, the Fatui had made their presence known, creating an even more prevalent power struggle between Nod-Krai's factions than before, and Celestia itself seemed to be deriving great amusement by seeing how many storms they could use to batter Nod-Krai until the land itself split open and was worn down to the barest of bones.
He wanted nothing more than to lay down and hibernate until the somber winter passed and spring came to save him with its vibrant light. However, responsibility weighed heavy on Illuga's mind and shoulders, and prevented him from relaxing while there was still work to be done. And when wasn't there work to be done? Supplies would not make their way to Piramida without proper communication lines, training could never be neglected, team morale and relations needed to continuously be fostered, reports weren't going to write themselves and neither would meals magically appear in front of the young Lightkeeper.
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Winter was when the expedition arrived in Nod-Krai.
It was not a coincidence that the knights from the faraway nation of Mondstadt landed on the shores of Nod-Krai while it was faced with the most abyssal activity it had seen in years. They were led by their boisterous and grandiose grand master, Varka. The man had previously sent correspondence to the Lightkeepers' Starshyna, Nikita, letting him know of his impending arrival with promises of aid in subduing the Wild Hunt.
The news of the soon to arrive expedition party washed over the Lightkeepers headquarters like a warm stream of water after a long night of sitting in frigid temperatures during the deep winter; a feeling that Illuga had grown far too accustomed with these days. How the knights had known the Wild Hunt had grown unruly to a level never seen before in his lifetime? Illuga did not know and did not linger on the thought. The Lightkeepers were worn ragged and had no intention of turning away their newfound allies.
In Piramida's meeting room, Illuga sat at the right hand of his adoptive father as the gathered Lightkeepers anticipated their soon to be allies' arrival. His drooping shoulders betrayed the state of fatigue that had found a home nestled in his body ever since the harsh winter began. His knee jumped up and down, a nervous tick hidden beneath the safety of the table, as he bit into the soft flesh of his cheek; the sensation giving him a much needed burst of energy.
The faint sound of solid boots pounding against the ground came from outside the room, drifting its way to Illuga's attentive ears. He swiveled his head to stare at the entrance the knights would come through, and dilligently waited, alerting the rest of the Lightkeepers that their guests would soon appear.
Muffled voices began to grow identifiable the closer the knights got; growing louder as the distance to their destination decreased, eventually falling into a hushed silence. The door creaked open and the resulting man who stood in the entrance was nothing short of intimidating. He carried himself in a hulking frame that would have towered over everyone else in room, even the man stationed on Illuga's left, Nikita, if they had been standing. Vigilant and perceptive, the knight's icy gaze swept over the room's contents and inhabitants. Illuga chose to zero his focus onto the scars that hatched over the man's forearms and a particularly nasty mark that ran across the man's cheek.
Battle scars. Illuga was no stranger to scars—he had more than his fair share. The reminder dispatched a phantom tingle that wound its way down the scar that originated at his neck and descended to his shoulder. The sight of the knight's scars eased the young lightkeeper. This knight had seen battle; many battles based on the abundance of scarred skin. He had experience. Good. The Lightkeepers needed those with experience at their side.
The knight finished his intense inspection before suddenly breaking into a wide, bright grin that left Illuga forgetting how intimidating the man had seemed mere seconds ago.
"I hope we haven't kept you waiting too long, Lightkeepers!" the man exclaimed with a hearty laugh as he turned his attention to the head of the table where Nikita watched with keen eyes.
"Right on time actually, Grand Master Varka," Illuga's old pops responded. The knights had in fact not been on time, but none of the Lightkeepers seemed inclined to correct their leader.
Varka's eyes sparkled with amusement, as he chuckled, "A kind gesture, but it is part of a knight's duty to be honest and punctuality has never been a strength of mine. Starshyna Nikita, if I may presume?"
Following Nikita's confirmation, Varka finally stepped fully into the room allowing the rest of his entourage to enter, while he took a seat at the other end of the table. Only a few knights—and a… priest?—had accompanied their grand master to the Lightkeeper's headquarters. Illuga's tired eyes swiftly passed over them one by one, finding none of them to be as interesting as the leader that they followed.
Illuga's lazy, sweeping gaze was abruptly stopped when it met a pair of sharp eyes that were already intently focused on his own. Illuga grasped to identify the color of the eyes, and was briefly mesmerized. He thought hard on how to describe them. At first glace, they appeared to simply be an unusual shade of burgundy, or maybe crimson. However, as Illuga looked closer he began to notice more intimate details. They weren't one stagnant color, but rather a combination: piercing red that blended into the outer irises, which were home to an equally bright teal, with little light reflected in them.
Illuga forced himself to break the uncomfortably long eye contact he had maintained during his awkward attempt to decipher the color of a random stranger's eyes. He must be more tired than he realized if that was what he considered important enough to spend his time doing. Unfortunately, he found that his eyes weren't quite ready to move past this particular knight, not just yet.
Illuga took more notes on the knight's appearance. Viridian hair adorned his head, slightly messy, but not enough to be considered unruly. Most likely a result of the unforgiving wind that raked itself across Nod-Krai during this time of year. A small mole beneath the man's right eye, coincidentally mirroring the mole underneath Illuga's left eye, garnered even more attention from the lightkeeper. An impressive feat, considering Illuga had already spent the past… way too long, looking at this single knight.
He knew he should stop looking.
He didn't stop.
Instead, he committed to fully finishing his inspection; his eyes continued to lower, briefly catching on the man's lips that had formed into a lopsided smirk. A smirk that was absolutely directed at Illuga's current choice of action. Illuga knew he should be embarrassed, but instead a slight frown crossed his own features as he quickly flit his eyes to meet the ones that had been caught staring first. The knight's smirk grew and his cheeks lifted, giving his eyes a distinct cresent shape; he looked to be on the verge of laughing as the two men entered into their second makeshift staring contest within the past minute.
It had reached a point where it was going to be very awkward if the knight kept standing at the doorway without seating himself. Seeming to have the same thought, the knight merrily made his way to the table and chose the chair directly across from Illuga. Of course he did, Illuga thought. The knight hadn't looked away while seating himself and, so, their childish staring contest continued. Illuga didn't know why he refused to look away. He should focus on the important conversations that would be taking place between the two organizations. But the knight continued to stare at him in a very particular way, as if he were challenging him to… something—he had no idea what though.
After much too long, Illuga finally decided to look away with a sigh as he felt the questioning, and probably concerned, gaze of his adoptive father fall upon him. Clearly, their 'contest' had not been discrete if the Starshyna himself felt he had to pay it mind during an important meeting.
Introductions had begun to take place and Illuga reigned in his focus enough to attempt to learn the names of their new allies. He only had to remember long enough to go write it down somewhere. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem for him. He was good with names and faces, but he was acutely aware of the effect the continued sleep deprivation was having on his body, both mentally and physically.
He had been paying half a mind to the knights as they introduced themselves, just enough to gain the information he would need. Right now there was only one person his sleep deprived brain was uncharacteristically keen on giving his full attention.
"Lohen." Was the only introduction offered by the viridian haired knight who sat across from Illuga, who was making eye contact with him again, and had a much too pleased look on his face.
Illuga repeated it in his mind, memorizing the feel and sound. There was no need to write this one down. He would remember.
The introductory meeting continued monotonously; intel was exchanged and collaboration plans set in place. Apparently, the Grand Master had identified the Wild Hunt as a serious enough threat to the entirety of Teyvat, and therefore Mondstadt, that he chose to drag roughly eighty percent of Mondstadt's military force all the way to Nod-Krai.
Mondstadt really lives up to its name as the nation of freedom, Illuga thought to himself. He tried to imagine how safe their land must be compared to the viciousness of Nod-Krai if over half the knights could simply walk away without fear of what dangers the now weakened nation may encounter. Although that safety is exactly the future he fights for, Illuga struggles to truly imagine it ever becoming reality. Deep down, a selfish part of him wondered what would become of him if that which gave him purpose in life were to one day be no more. He wondered if he would miss it. Would ever be able to find meaning in his life again? Illuga shook the treacherous thoughts out of his head before they made him have a mid-life crisis at the ripe age of twenty-two.
Unbeknownst to the young lightkeeper who from then on out decided to stare at the table for most of the meeting, Lohen's curious eyes stayed fixated on him until it was time for the knights to take their leave.
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Nod-Krai's cold air burned Illuga's lungs as he ran. Discomfort equivalent to that of a volley of icicles piercing through his chest flooded his senses with every labored breath, each more painful than the last. Steps grew clumsier; feet slipping out from beneath him as his destination grew closer. Illuga grit his teeth as his ankle rolled at an uncomfortable angle, and sharp pain coursed up his leg. He didn't slow down. The metallic taste of blood from the incessant abuse his inner cheek had been subjected to was the only comfort he allowed himself.
He could make it. Almost there, he told himself. He would make it.
Illuga's mind was plagued with the thoughts of what would await him once he reached the clearing that was tucked against the cliff face of Kipumaki. A place that had been experiencing an unprecedented surge of Wild Hunt activity, as of late. He knew the dangers this area posed; he had read the reports and been tasked with writing his own after coming back from numerous patrols with fresh injuries that promised to join the myriad of torn flesh that already scarred his skin.
Illuga's tried to focus on his destination, the place that had claimed the life of one of his squad members only weeks before. The battlefield that had become her final resting place after the unrelenting hordes forced Illuga to retreat; unable to retrieve her body. By the time reinforcements were able to arrive and push back the last wave of the Wild Hunt, there was nothing recognizable left of the young lightkeeper who had fallen. The shame of her fate still clung tight to Illuga; all too familiar and tighter than any humanly embrace he had ever felt.
And now Illuga forced himself back to where she met her untimely demise while following his orders. The place where, after hearing about the dangerous area from one of the Lightkeepers, a certain knight with viridian hair and captivating, red eyes had ran off to. The talkative lightkeeper realizing his grave mistake, possibly having just sent the knight to his death, ran to his squad leader: Illuga.
The knights had only been in Nod-Krai for a short couple weeks and Illuga had not seen Lohen since that first meeting. He hadn't seen him, but, oh, had he heard about him. He learned how the knight thirsted for battle and often set off alone to exterminate any monsters he came across, often not returning for days at a time. Illuga knew Lohen must be exceptionally skilled in terms of battle prowess, but where he had ventured off to this time wasn't meant to be handled by one man desperate for a fight.
"Stupid," repeated in the dark confides of his mind as Illuga reach the tail end of his journey in an attempt to intercept the knight before he got himself killed.
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By the time Illuga arrived, he had mentally prepared himself for the absolute worst. He could hear the murmurs of numerous Wild Hunt creatures the second he entered the area. However, the mangled body of a certain knight with striking eyes did not await Illuga at the foot of Kipumaki Cliff. Instead, he spotted a very alive and breathing knight who looked like he had been handed the best birthday gift of his life. If the best birthday gift of his life were a Wild Hunt horde with a couple dozen exiles; accompanied by a Wilderness Hunter that looked ready to cleave Lohen in half with its axe.
The air carried a harsh chill, even harsher than what most winter nights in Nod-Krai brought with them. Illuga secured his coat around his shoulders and identified the source of the unnatural cold. A cryo vision was hanging off the back of Lohen's coat, as he speared one of the exiles clean through with his polearm. In the same movement, he whipped around—drawing a dagger from… Illuga had no clue where, before using it to slice the neck of another exile that had gotten closer while the knight was distracted with his first target. Then, the same dagger that had been in Lohen's hand was encased in ice and suddenly flung towards another with scary accuracy. A gleeful cackle sounded through the air, as Lohen watched his prey disintegrate at his feet.
…
Illuga stared.
Lohen had to be insane. That laugh, dripping with unrestrained joy at the carnage around him, was all Illuga needed to hear to realize the knight with the pretty eyes was positively insane.
At the same time Illuga made that realization, the insane man spotted the lightkeeper. The manic grin on his face grew wider than before, as if Illuga's presence had made this already great day, even better.
After what he just witnessed Illuga considered turning around and leaving. Maybe the knight really didn't need his help after all.
Illuga shook the thoughts from his head and steeled himself. Even if the knight was capable of defending himself, without an oath lantern Lohen had no way of cleansing himself from the abyssal decay that suffocated the area. With that thought, he summoned his polearm and took a deep breath of the chilly air, preparing to join the crazed man on his Wild Hunt killing spree.
Before Illuga could get close, his movements were cut short by the sound of Lohen yelling at him.
"Oh no! Nonono, you don't!" Lohen frenzied voice echoed across the clearing. His eyes kept frantically glacing in Illuga's direction as he danced around the monsters; twirling his polearm and weaving in attacks as he went, "It's been too long since I've had a fight this thrilling. Stay there and don't interrupt. You hear me, sunshine?"
…
Illuga stared.
Illuga was doing a lot of staring. It was all he could do apparently since Lohen very adamantly just announced he didn't want his help; enunciating his point with a nickname that sent a blush to Illuga's ears that he would very vehemently deny ever happened if asked.
He sighed and summoned Aedon from his lantern. He tasked the little nightingale with circling Lohen to cleanse at least some of the abyssal decay his body had absorbed. It was the best Illuga could do, as he was tasked with helplessly watching the knight fight for his life; smiling and laughing like there was no where he would rather be.
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Illuga lost track of time, truthfully sort of enamored with the knight's weird behavior. He was unsure of how long he had been standing underneath the full winter moon before the last of the Wild Hunt had been dispersed back into the corrupted ground it initially rose from.
With no more targets to stab, the knight was left standing in the middle of the clearing—breath heaving and eyes full of light that had been noticeably absent during their initial meeting at Piramida. However, the admiration could only last so long; Illuga needed to make sure the other man was okay.
"Are you injured?" Illuga's approach was cautious and his voice light, as if he were trying not to startle a wild animal. He was still slightly freaked out by the knight's chaotic behavior.
Lohen's terrifying smile eased into something more socially acceptable at the sound of the lightkeeper's voice, making him look slightly more sane than before.
"Oh, I'm quite alright. I'm better than alright," Lohen said, "It's a shame there aren't more of them," his eyebrows scrunched downwards and his tone implied he was genuinely disappointed. His gaze latched onto Aedon, who had perched atop Illuga's shoulder.
"Neat little birdie you got there. I assume it's why my lungs don't feel like they're on fire anymore?"
"Yes. Aedon is able to use kuuvahki to purify the abyssal decay created by the Wild Hunt," Illuga patiently explained because there was a chance Lohen genuinely hadn't known the danger he put himself into even though it was explained to the knights at the meeting. I guess I can't judge. I wasn't really paying much attention either, Illuga told himself.
"That's the same reason no one should be hunting the Wild Hunt without a lightkeeper, or the very least an oath lantern," The accusatory tone behind Illuga's words was not lost on Lohen. "I know all the knights were supposed to be briefed on this, so I must ask why you felt the need to go out to one of the most dangerous Wild Hunt hotspots, alone?"
Lohen chose to ignore his newly decided favorite lightkeeper and played dumb instead.
"Ah, it seems I've forgotten my manners," the man cheekily responded as he slightly bowed his head and raised his hand politely to his chest, "I'm Lohen, the Vice Captain of the Fifth Company of the Knights of Favonius. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, little lightkeeper."
Lohen's words were accompanied by the piercing gaze of crimson eyes staring up at Illuga through the fringe of his viridian hair as he began to raise himself from the introductory bow.
"I'm aware. I remember you introducing yourself at the meeting," Illuga said as his brows furrowed while his arms crossed over his chest. He hadn't known the knight was a vice captain, but he didn't linger. Instead, he pressed on, "You didn't answer my question of why you're out here alone."
Lohen quizzically tilted his head slightly to the side at the underlying sense of concern he detected in Illuga's voice. And then proceeded, to Illuga's growing frustration, to completely ignore Illuga's inquiry.
"I don't really listen during those meetings," That was a complete lie. Well, it was true he didn't listen at meetings, not unless something interesting caught his eye. And, oh—had a certain ratnik caught his eye alright. Because Lohen decided he quite liked teasing Illuga, he met his eyes and continued with a cheeky smile, "I had much more captivating things to focus on during that specific meeting."
"Sooo… I'm afraid I didn't catch your name yet, birdie," Lohen said curiously. Also a lie. Lohen paid very close attention when the lightkeeper had introduced himself. Not that Illuga needed know that though.
"…Birdie?"
"Well, I don't have anything else to call you. Now do I?" Lohen grinned like a chesire cat who was having too much fun with his prey.
Despite Illuga's annoyed sigh, he responded, "Illuga. Squad leader of the Nightmare Orioles, the Lightkeepers investigation squad. Now, do you plan on gracing me with an answer to my question, Sir Lohen?"
"Ah, and what was the question again?"
This is one very irritating knight, Illuga thought before sighing, "Why are you out here fighting the Wild Hunt by yourself? You almost gave my squad member a heart attack when you ran off." He wisely decided not to let him know that Illuga almost had a heart attack too.
"Well, if you're going to ask so politely I suppose I can, but is it really so criminal for a valiant knight to wander around a new place looking for a chance to purge the land of some evil monsters?" Lohen finally answered with a teasing tone and an unidentified glint in his eyes, "Nod-Krai has such interesting punching bags—oh, sorry enemies—compared to the pushovers back in Mondstadt. It would be a waste to pass up the opportunity for such a good fight."
Illuga's jaw ticked with frustration at the knight's words. A good fight. He had spent the majority of his life defending his homeland, carried countless scars inflicted by the monstrosities of the Wild Hunt and had lost numerous friends to the very same creatures Lohen was using for a good fight.
He took a deep breath that expressed his annoyance before he replied, "Fighting the Wild Hunt isn't something that should be used as a source of entertainment. They are a manifestation of the abyss' desires and will kill you with no mercy. If you were to fall in battle they would rip your limbs from your body if there is no one there to protect your corpse."
Gruesome memories featuring the fallen squadmate he had left to that very same fate, in this very same spot nonetheless, flooded to the forefront of Illuga's mind, "It's not a fate you should subject yourself to just because you decided you were bored and wanted a 'good fight'."
Illuga was acutely aware that he was reprimanding a high-ranking knight; it was probably considered highly improper, but he couldn't find it in himself to care about etiquette. The issue at hand was a matter of life or death and Illuga could not sit idle as he watched someone put themselves at risk.
"Sounds like you're speaking from experience now aren't you, birdie?" Lohen's brazen, dismissive remark to his warning stung more than Illuga would have ever admitted out loud. The judgement had been spot on, but the mocking tone cut deep; echoing in Illuga's ears until they were left ringing along with the sound of his blood surging through his veins.
There was a dangerous look in Lohen's eye that was only made worse as he watched Illuga's shoulders tense and jaw square from clenched teeth. Amusement was practically radiating off the knight.
Lohen was enjoying his discomfort.
Lohen was purposefully trying to provoke him.
Lohen was going to be a problem.
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