2. Colt

Colt

The realm was quiet as Colt brought up a spear. He was already exhausted from fighting, but after having rested long enough to make a weapon, he was ready to continue trudging through the wood. He hoped his spear was sharp enough to pierce any monsters. It had taken him at least an hour to shape the rock into a pointy arrowhead that he had affixed on the end of the piece of wood. Colt had shaved down the spear with this pocket knife, the only other weapon he had. His bow and quiver were gone, as well as his bag, having left them all behind at the Gate. At least he still had his waterskin, which hung around his shoulder and chest by its long strap.

He wasn't sure how he'd managed to fight the strange creatures he'd encountered so far. He'd used everything to his advantage—rocks, sticks, even throwing dirt in their eyes. One impish creature with horns had followed him for a long time through the field until he reached the trees, and that's when it finally backed off.

Now, sitting within crumbling stone ruins, he realized there were few beasts in the wood. They seemed to only run amok in the fields. But in the wood, he'd seen plenty of wandering spirits. Some looked at him curiously, but none ever approached.

Colt felt for the emberstone charm hanging on the leather cord around his neck and brought it up. The small chunk of dark crystal held a translucent sheen to it. It glowed a dim yellow-orange when it was near Owen, as the element reacted to Astran power. At the moment, there was no glow. But Owen was here somewhere. Colt wasn't sure how long he'd be able to last on his own, but he had more faith in Owen than in himself. If he met with monsters, it would be easier for him to fight them with his Essence.

Colt got to his feet and looked around. The sky was getting darker, but the forest held an ethereal green glow from the fungi growing all over the trees and the peculiar bright orbs of light floating in the air. The orbs drifted around like fireflies in fog, some of them dancing quickly but others moving slowly. Some of them seemed to attach to others, and a strand of them would swirl around Colt's legs.

What a strange place this is.

He turned around as he walked, making sure nothing was following him. Despite wanting to call out to Owen, he resisted the urge, as doing so would attract the wrong attention. He found that out early, when he'd screamed for him in the field until his voice was hoarse and only monsters had responded.

The smell of blood perforated his nostrils. He'd rubbed it on his face and neck when he'd killed a beast hours ago, hoping the smell and sight of him would ward off any other creatures. So far, it seemed to be helping.

He reached for the crystal charm and looked at it again, and his shoulders fell when he saw it was still black. He wasn't sure how close Owen had to be for it to start glowing, as it had before when Owen had gifted him the necklace for Winter's Solstice.

That was the last time Colt and his companions had shared good company with each other. Now, Brom was on the other side of the Gate, and Gilda was gone. He winced as he recalled them all exchanging gifts, and his fingers curled tightly around the crystal. He closed his eyes against the visions of Brom being shot and Gilda being brutally murdered by Rem.

I'll fucking kill him. I swear it.

He opened his eyes and trudged on, pulling his coat tight around his neck. He had to find Owen.

After a while, Colt came into a clearing among the trees and looked down a hill where a wide, shallow stream flowed. There were several four-legged beasts roaming through the water. They looked identical to the creatures he'd seen in the graveyard outside the Gate, but these were bigger, like massive wolves. Some of them had solid white fur, others black or gray. A white film covered their eyes, and Colt wondered if they were blind.

His heart raced, and he held his breath as he slowly retreated back. But then his foot pushed on a rock and sent it tumbling down the side of the hill, where it plopped into the stream with a loud splash.

The beasts nearest him whipped around.

Colt scrambled back up the hill and through the treeline. The beasts followed behind him, their snarls close on his heels. He reached flat ground, but there were too many to try and counter with his spear. He spotted a tree with low branches and climbed out of range of the beasts below.

The beasts jumped and snapped at him as he tried to find a place to sit. When one leaped up at the trunk of the tree, coming within inches of Colt's foot, he pierced it with his spear. It yelped and fell to the ground. Colt held on to the spear and pulled it free from the animal. Then one of his feet slipped off a branch, and another beast grabbed hold of his boot.

Colt growled and stabbed his spear into its back, but this time he was unable to tug his weapon out, and the beast took it down to the ground. When another creature came at him, Colt kicked its face hard.

"Die, you sack of shit!" he spat. If he had to kick them all from this tree as many times as it took to get him down and searching for Owen again, he'd kick all night. But then one of them caught his boot, and Colt wiggled free of it. Now bootless, he clamored halfway up the tree until his foot came to rest on a thin branch. It creaked and then snapped. Colt plummeted, hitting branch after branch on the way down before finally landing on the ground with a gasp.

This was it for him. The beasts would be on him in no time. They would take him down and reduce him to nothing more than a bloody carcass. Colt curled into himself and wrapped his hands around his head, waiting for the first slash.

But the beasts didn't ambush him. Instead, he sensed a flash of light, and a wave of heat passed over him. Colt looked up and blinked, stunned when he saw the burning remains of one of the creatures a few feet from him. Another beast took one last step towards him before something cracked in its body and it fell to the dirt. The fire's heat was intense as it scorched the area. Colt scrambled up to his feet and stumbled backwards as the fire consumed the remaining beasts. The creatures wailed and writhed until finally they all stilled, their bodies burning purple.

Panting, Colt looked up to see Owen standing still at a distance. When he raised his head, their eyes met, and Colt's heart squeezed with both pain and joy. He let out a ragged breath as he blundered towards Owen, reaching him just as he began to sink to his knees.

"Owen—" Colt caught him in his arms and helped ease him to the ground, where they both embraced. Then Colt framed Owen's face in his dirty hands and looked into those deep brown eyes he knew better than anyone else's in this world. "You alright?" he asked.

When Owen shook his head, unable to speak, a dreadful feeling splintered Colt's heart.

"What's wrong? You hurt?"

"I'm not hurt." Owen's voice was shaky. "But I am weak." He gripped Colt's arms in his hands. "I thought I lost you."

"Not yet." Colt smiled faintly before he planted a kiss against Owen's temple, tasting sweat and warmth there. "It's going to take more than these beasts to keep us apart."

When Owen met his gaze, Colt looked him over. The glow in his cheeks was gone, and there were dark circles beneath his eyes and a shadow of a beard on his face. One glance into his eyes confirmed a deep sorrow.

"If I had been one second late…" Owen suddenly embraced Colt and pressed his lips against his neck, and Colt closed his eyes against the gentle brush. He let out a breath as Owen's hand cupped the back of his head. This was the comfort Colt needed.

"But you weren't. You found me just in time. Now we're together." He helped Owen to his feet, then grabbed his missing boot and pulled it on. He took Owen's hand and said, "Let's get moving."

When something white glowed from his left, Colt tensed. A woman floated before them, her body see-through. He grabbed his spear and pointed it at her, but Owen stopped him.

"It's okay," Owen told him, his voice tired. "Her name is Meg. She helped me find you. She can lead us back to the hut I slept in last night."

Colt narrowed his eyes as he looked from Owen to the spirit. She floated in place, staring at them with no eyes. Only hollow blackness. Her translucent dress flowed down until wispy swirls of smoke curled out at the ends, disappearing and reappearing again.

"Follow me," she told them and turned to leave the burning beasts behind.

As they moved forward, Colt looked around cautiously. He glanced at Owen, whose eyes were red and tired. He wanted to talk to him, but from the way Owen held Colt's hand so tightly, he wasn't sure it was the right moment. He would wait.

After a long while, Meg brought them to a hut. Then she disappeared, and Colt looked around, wondering where she went. Inside the hut was nothing but overgrown shrubs and fungus, but Colt was grateful for the shelter.

"Here." Colt unhooked the small pouch full of nuts from his belt and handed it to Owen, but Owen only stared at it for a moment before he gave it back. Colt's brow creased. He knew Owen didn't eat when he was upset, but judging by his appearance, he knew Owen needed it. Still, he put the pouch away for now.

"There's a well outside." Owen scraped off some of the crusted blood on Colt's cheek. "You can wash your face."

Colt went with him outside, where he found a well with a rope tied to a tin bucket. When he felt Owen's hand slip into his, he glanced over. Owen's face was hardened, his eyes distant, but the way he clung to his arm showed Colt he was carrying something heavy on his mind.

Keeping his hand in Owen's, Colt picked up the tin bucket and asked, "Whose is this?"

Owen closed his eyes. "I don't know."

After dropping the bucket down, Colt was relieved to hear a splash, and when he brought it back up, he offered Owen the bucket first. After he drank his fill, Colt took the pail and gulped the water. He panted, then pulled off his shirt and splashed the water on his face, cleaning the dried blood and grime off. He leaned forward and dumped the rest of the water over his head. It cooled him down, made him feel more refreshed and alert now.

When Owen made a painful noise, Colt craned his head over to look at him, the water dripping from his hair and down his neck. He saw Owen holding his right arm and asked, "What's wrong? Is it the wound from the Horgg?"

"No," Owen whispered, avoiding Colt's eyes. A moment passed by them before Owen finally said, "I mean… yes. I'm in pain, but…" He trailed off, staring down at the well.

Owen tried to move his right arm where his stitched wound was. He hadn't had a lot of time to heal from the Horgg attack before Rem had caught up with them and dragged them through the graveyard to the Gate.

"Is it still stitched?" Colt asked.

"Yes. It hurts so much." He shivered.

"It hurt you to attack those beasts, didn't it?" When Owen said nothing, Colt clenched his teeth and sighed.

"They had you cornered. If I hadn't come at the right time, you'd be mauled to pieces right now." Owen's voice was stiff and impatient. "If it means being in pain later, I'll endure it."

"You've been through a lot. I'm not asking you to fight for me."

"I already have." Owen finally turned to him, eyes wide. "I fought for you when Rhielle caught up to us in Milarc. I fought for you when those men in Gilda's clan tried to kill us, and again when I turned myself over to Elian to make sure you got out of the Legion's prison alive." Owen's throat bobbed as he swallowed, and his eyes glossed over. Colt could only search his dirty face, feeling both guilty and flattered .

"I fought for you again when we left Pitchvale, to get you away from Elian so you wouldn't be tried for murder. I fought for you when Quinnby had you, and I've fought for you the entire way here, all the way to that damn Gate. I opened that Gate for you, Colt. So don't you dare… tell me not to fight for you. Because at this point, I would kill myself just to make sure you stay alive. Understand?"

Colt's mouth dropped open. He considered saying something light-hearted back, but he could see in Owen's eyes how serious he was. Opening the Gate had impacted him enough that he blamed himself for everything that had happened.

"I know…" Colt finally said. He intertwined their fingers. "You know I would do the same for you. I only meant that I don't like seeing you get hurt. That's all. I was the one who was supposed to protect you all the way from Emberton, yeah?" He craned his head to catch Owen's eyes as he looked away.

"We protect…"

"Each other, I know. But lately it seems like you're the one doing it all. For us, for me." Colt raised his hand and gently caressed Owen's cheek. "Hey." When Owen finally met his eyes, he said, "Talk to me?" He knew there was more to be said.

Owen took a deep, shaky breath and curled his fingers around Colt's hand. Then he blinked, and tears flowed down his cheeks as he whispered, "I'm so sorry… I killed her." When Owen hung his head and backed away, Colt blinked at him in shock.

This was what had Owen looking so solemn and defeated… He thought he had killed their friend.

Swallowing hard, Colt said, "Owen, come here." When Owen stepped closer to him, Colt pulled him into an embrace and let him sob against his chest. It was the only thing he could do at the moment, as he knew no words would get through to him until his cries quieted.

Finally, he said, "You didn't kill her, Owen. Rem did. He lied to us, he betrayed our trust."

"But I still opened the Gate," Owen croaked.

Colt pulled away and looked down at him. "And it's still open, so we're going to find it and get the hell out of here, because we still have a friend out there who needs us." He held Owen's shoulders in his hands, grounding him. "We can't let Brom down, alright?"

Owen nodded, but he still looked so broken, it made Colt's heart ache.

When Colt saw how dark the sky had become, he pulled on his shirt and drew up another bucket of water, then he took Owen's hand and led him back to the hut. As they came inside, Owen put a hand to his head and winced.

"Here." Colt removed his coat and laid it on the floor. "How do you want to sleep?"

Owen blinked at him, looking dazed, and then shook his head. "Just… however you want to."

Colt scratched his chin, thinking, then he sat on his coat and beckoned Owen down beside him. Owen removed his scarf and bunched it up so they had something to lay their heads on as they faced one another. Colt stared at Owen in the growing darkness, tracing the outline of his sharp jaw and button nose.

"Colt," Owen whispered.

"Hm?" Colt grabbed Owen's waist and pulled him close.

"I'm sorry you're stuck here." His eyes drifted away.

"Don't be. I came in after you. That was my choice. And I'm glad I did. There's nowhere else I'd rather be." When Owen moved in and embraced him, Colt held him tightly, afraid to let him go. After a few minutes, he heard Owen snoring softly, and he blew out a breath of relief, glad his lover was finally able to get some rest.