Quietly, with the stealth of a man familiar to sneaking around a house at unacceptable hours to visit with a friend, Devis made his way through the camp, carefully avoiding any groups that were still awake. Which were surprisingly many, he was frightened to discover. But in an hour’s time he was very thankful for the distractions as he slipped past some of the nobles into the portion of the camp that was very much off limits, right in the center of it all. The place where the strangers were being housed and guarded in close proximity to the commanders. If he was caught, it would be the end for both himself and his irresponsible master.
He crept around the side of one tent, listening intently to the voices inside, but they went silent before he could make out any words. Out of nowhere came a loud crash that very nearly caused Devis to cry out in surprise, but he caught the noise in his throat, sneaking his way around to another side, just in case.
“I’ve had enough of this you crazy bastard!” shouted one angry voice.
“You should know better by now, dearest,” said another, slightly more feminine voice. The statement was followed by yet another crash; wood breaking and metal striking upon metal. Devis retrieved the dagger from the waist of his pants, cutting a hole just big enough to peek through.

Though Alden’s lips were curled into a smile his eyes were burning with hysteria and lust. Skye, pinned to the ground, grabbed the man’s wrists, trying to wrestle them away from around his neck as the fingers gradually tightened. The broken cot and various pieces of armor dug into Skye’s back as he struggled. Through his tiny slit, Devis could see the front of the tent, the guards pulling back the flaps, seeing the stark naked albino straddling the brown haired one, and apparently decide that the two were best left alone as their heads disappeared behind the ugly brown fabric that hung down. Skye scowled, cursing to every deity he could think of, cursing that was cut short when the albino leaned over, hands loosening slightly around Skye’s neck, and pressed his mouth firmly against the helpless man’s own and forced his tongue inside.
“This is your reward,” sneered Alden when he pulled away. “Are you really so eager to see your punishment?” Skye, finally finding some leverage, threw the other man off and jumped to his feet, buttoning his pants back up. Alden looked up at him with a smug look, his legs folded under himself. “You know that you’re precious to me, but you’re far from necessary. If you try to betray me I will gut you just as easily as I would anyone else. Then I would really be a hero here. But I’d prefer not to do that. I am very fond of you after all. My right hand man, so be a good little boy.”

Devis watched them with growing curiosity. It was very clear that the two only meant trouble, but it was an interesting pair alright. Interesting enough to keep his mind occupied for the two hours he waited for the pair to fall asleep. Widening the hole he’d already cut he ducked into the darkened tent, targeting the motionless lumps resting on their cots. The pale one was closest to him to his left. The one he’d been molesting was only inches away on the right.
The hilt of the dagger slipped in his sweaty hand as he raised it above the sleeping albino. Arms raised to his shoulders, he could feel his entire body shaking. And so he did what he needed to. The dagger plunged through the air and would have hit its target had a frighteningly tight grip taken hold of one of Devis’ wrists, stopping the blade on its way down. Red eyes shot open and the man sat up as the dagger fell uselessly to the floor. The servant boy found himself completely paralyzed, unable to think comprehensibly, let alone think.
“Such soft, tender flesh,” he said with a hiss. “Oh, the possibilities of what to do with it.”
“Alden, let the damn kid go,” Skye snarled, not yet asleep as Devis had thought.
“Do you mean to spoil all my fun tonight?”
“Do you really mean to have a dead body discovered in our tent when we’ve yet to gain their trust?”
“You know that I can take care of that.”
“You’d be a damn moron to risk it,” Skye barked, rolling onto his side. “But it’s not like I could stop you anyways.” A laugh the sent chills through Devis’ being was released from the albino. The hand on his wrist released him and he fell backwards, scrambling as far away as he could.
“How very right you are! But I suppose you’re right. You, go back to whatever hole you crawled out of,” Alden said, directing his attention back to the terrified boy backed against eh wall. “But mind you, you will be watched. And if even the tiniest hint leaks out, I will gladly make your death worse than the most horrid experience you could ever dream of. That is, after finishing with everyone else.”
“I-I’m just… a servant… no one would believe me anyways,” Devis managed to stutter before his voice once again failed him.
“Get the hell out.”
That was the only direction that Devis needed.

“Devis, what happened to your arm?” inquired Kris later in the morning. The servant had been unusually quiet, and the dark purple ring around his wrist was concerning. Devis only shook his head.
“I tripped and fell on it yesterday. Hit it on a rock.”
“That’s a blatant lie,” Kris replied feeling an impatient anger rising in him. “It’s all around your wrist.”
“I fell on it,” Devis repeated cooly, standing and starting to walk away.
“You liar,” scolded Kris, jumping to his own feet and facing the other boy. “Never lie to me! Now you tell me the truth this instant!”
“Will you beat me if I don’t, like the lowly servant I am?” Devis spat. Kris felt something inside him snap.
“Perhaps I will!”
Their jaws clenched, both immediately regretting their words but too stubborn to retract them. It was Devis who finally moved, breaking their intense gaze.
“Please excuse me, master,” he said, putting an extra emphasis on the last word as he trudged away from Kris, leaving him fuming and overflowing with guilt.
“Can’t you tell somethin’ bothering him?” Sutebenu piped in. Kris hadn’t even noticed him standing only a few feet away, too absorbed in the argument.
“Of course I can! But what is there that I can do when he won’t tell me?”
“Kris,” sighed the built man, resting his callused hands on his hips, “You should know by now that it’s the things that are left unspoken that can be the most important. And I think right now the kid’s in no position to fix this himself.”
“So you’re saying I have to apologize?” Kris asked, already knowing he should, but dreading the thought.

Several hours passed before Devis disappeared, looking even more battered and bruised than when he had departed. One eye was swollen up in a purple and yellow bubble around the socket, splotches of varying shades of purple covered his now tanned skin. Ignoring his master completely, he sat down, distancing himself from both Kris and Sutebenu.
It was because of me, Kris thought. Because he happened to hold the last name Kael, because of the actions of his father, and because Devis belonged to them. He was sure the rough men had recognized him and taken advantage of him being unescorted. That must have been what happened to his wrist. It was no wonder that he didn’t want to talk about it.
“You know I didn’t mean it, right? You know that I wouldn’t hurt you…”
“Yeah, I knew,” Devis replied after a pause.
“I shouldn’t have even said it. I was out of line. Not as your master, but as your friend. Because that’s what we are and what I want us to remain.”
“Yeah.” He had yet to raise his drooping head and meet Kris’ gaze, something which Kris quickly remedied, lifting the dark haired boy’s chin with his hand gently, pressing a soft kiss against his cheek.
“Please. Take care of yourself.”
“Only if you promise to do the same.”
“That’s much better,” Sutebenu chimed in, hardly seeming to have moved from where he’d been before, standing and gazing into the distance. “Now that’s one problem resolved. How ‘bout those other two? Heard anything more about ‘em?”
“Sutebenu…” Devis started nervously, drawing the man’s attention. “They’re enemies. I saw them last night. They said if I spoke of it they’d kill me, but I had to let someone know!”
The statement had hardly left his lips when something cold and sharp was pressed against his neck from behind. Someone shrouded in a heavy green cloak held the boy tightly with one arm, holding the dagger- Kris’ dagger- to the boy’s throat. Sutebenu cursed himself, having noticed the man wandering about all day, but had thought nothing of it. Though unable to turn his head, Devis recognized the deep, clear voice.
“Be thankful that it was I who caught you,” it whispered harshly into his ear.

Back inside the tent, Alden pouted at the lumps of armor and clothes underneath the covers meant to deceive the guards outside, sulking in his loneliness and thinking of the dirty things he could do to them while he was alone.

Sutebenu was the first one to race in, one hand grasping the arm holding the dagger, the other reaching around to hook the stranger in the jaw. But Skye was too fast, ducking out of the way of the fist, the dagger hand pulling free and slicing a large gash across Devis’ chest as he brought it down and around, plunging it into Sutebenu’s ribcage. Pushing the boy out of the way, Skye yanked it out as blood began to flow from the open wound, and taking advantage of the man’s momentary shock, sent the point straight into the redhead’s neck.
Kris watched in utter horror as one of the strongest and kindest people he knew crumpled to the ground as he suffocated to death. One hand lie twitching on the ground before going still. By that time Skye had made his way over to Kris, the only one remaining standing, stepping over the bloody mess of Sutebenu and Devis. Kris knew it was hopeless. His sword lay twenty feet away, and the distance increased as he backed away step by step.
So that was hopelessness. His friends dying at his feet. The cause he’d risked his life for about to be torn apart from the inside. A world where the innocent suffer and greed reigns, and where hope really would be too much to ask for. He saw it all as he closed his eyes, preparing for the inevitable. Just let it be fast, he thought. Let it be fast and painless so I don’t have time to regret all the things I never did or said. I want to end up in the same place as him…

A startled grunt made him open his eyes. Kris jumped out of the way just in time as the threatening man stumbled forward, hissing in pain. Behind him stood a sight that Kris could hardly believe. Maybe it was even a mirage, a trick of the mind.
Devis stood with his legs spread far apart, struggling to stay on his feet breathing heavily. Crimson blood seemed to be gushing from the wound on his front, but in his hands was a sword that Kris recognized as his own, the edge tainted the same color.
“You little bastard!” Skye growled through his teeth, using a good deal of his energy to stand up straight. When he turned back around to face the servant boy, Kris could see that Devis had indeed hit his mark, a long slash mark running across the cloak. But it was the cloak that kept the blow from being more serious and allowed him to stay on his feet.
“I don’t know why you’re doing this,” Devis shouted, exerting an unnatural amount of confidence, “why you want to kill so many innocent, good people just because you want more power, but I know what I’m fighting for, and it’s something even stronger.”
Skye couldn’t help but laugh. How ridiculous it sounded coming from a mere kid.
“And what is more powerful than power itself?”
“Having a reason! Because having a reason gives you power.”
“Power. That’s the only reason I’m staying with this lunatic. If there were something better out there, I think I’d know. I’ve been in the business a long time. Nothing is more powerful than money and the right connections.”
“Have you ever fought for anything else?” Devis asked sincerely. Shit, the kid could read him, Skye thought. No, he hadn’t. Because nothing else had really mattered. But now he did see something else; to keep that insane bastard Alden from seizing too much power. The thought was absolutely terrifying. So in the end, it really didn’t take much to convince Skye of what he needed to do.

Kris rushed to the side of the fallen man, shaking him violently, hoping that some part of him was still conscious, was still alive. But the kill had been clean, and Kris had to avert his eyes and recoiled his hand, using it to bury his face in.

“I honestly have no idea how you intend to do this,” Skye sighed, “but I’m’ willing to do my part.” Devis’ shoulders relaxed, dropping the sword on the ground in disbelief at himself. Skye cringed as he moved, slowly moving forward and extending the dagger out to him. “You may need this.” Turning to the boy on his knees, shaking, Skye felt the first twinge of guilt that he had in a very long time. “I hope you can accept my apology, but I cannot undo what has already been done. But at the very least I can offer him a proper burial.”
Face hidden, Kris nodded wordlessly.
“And as for you,” Skye continued, examining the wound left on the servant boy.
“It’s not too deep,” Devis replied, though obviously in pain as they rush of adrenaline wore off. Setting aside his own injury, Skye threw off his cloak, using it to wipe up the blood and began to clean the wound as the boy looked up at him. How very trusting.