8. Freedom

eight

By the time Adrian trudged into camp, the early light of dawn had broken above the treetops. He deposited Seymour gently near the firepit before collapsing on a log beside him. His back ached and his forearms burned, but at least they were still alive. Souleater didn't appear to have given chase. Perhaps it preferred to remain near its drained territory.

Heartrender's thoughts pressed against his, and he groaned, forcing himself to his feet. "All right, all right. No need to be so bossy." He kneeled by Seymour, checking the unconscious man over. No visible wounds, but he looked far too pale, his skin cold and clammy.

Hoping the warmth would combat Seymour's chill, Adrian got a fire going and fetched a makeshift blanket from his shelter. When he returned, he found Seymour watching him.

"You're awake," Adrian said with a faint smile.

Seymour shifted, closing his eyes. At first, Adrian thought he'd drifted back asleep. Then, the watcher spoke, his voice hesitant. "I wanted to…thank you. For not leaving me behind."

"Of course. Anyone would have done the same."

The watcher gave a soft snort. "Not anyone." A beat, quiet save for the crackling flames. An expression passed over Seymour's face too quickly for Adrian to parse. "Your parents would have been proud," he said, his voice gruff and almost begrudging.

Adrian swallowed hard. Before he could muster a response, Seymour turned away, clearly signaling an end to the conversation. Adrian left the blanket and crawled into his lean-to, his exhaustion suddenly overpowering. With Heartrender's presence a comforting pulse within him and memories of his parents filling his head, he closed his eyes and let sleep claim him.

Over the next few days, Seymour drifted in and out of consciousness. Adrian did what he could to keep the fire going and ensure the watcher ate and drank from their dwindling supplies.

There'd been no sign of Souleater. Hopefully, they'd be okay so long as they avoided that section of forest. Still, Adrian didn't dare venture too far from camp, sticking to foraging nearby. The rest of his time, he spent training. Though proud of his progress thus far, he needed to remain dedicated if he wanted a fighting chance should Kali ever track them down.

Three days after their ordeal in the dead zone, Adrian returned from his afternoon regimen to find Seymour propped against a log waiting for him. "We're running low on supplies," he said as Adrian approached. "I'll need to return to hunting soon."

Adrian frowned as he sat beside the watcher. "Your body needs more time to recover."

"My body is doing just fine, thank you." Seymour shakily gained his feet, favoring his right leg. He tried to hide a grimace while gesturing broadly with his arms. "See?"

Adrian had to admit Seymour looked better than he had. Much of the paleness had retreated from his features, and his aether had mostly returned to normal. Still, better safe than sorry. "This isn't the same as a broken arm. Souleater consumed most of your lifeforce. You need—"

"What I need is for you to leave me alone," Seymour said, his face contorting with sudden fury. "Since when do you get to tell me what to do?"

A few weeks ago, Adrian might've cowered before the watcher's rage. Now, he stepped forward and jabbed a finger into Seymour's chest. "How about since I dragged your sorry backside for hours through the forest after rescuing you from a soul-sucking monster? Pardon me if I don't want my hard work to go to waste!"

Seymour flushed and turned away, fixing his gaze on the sky above. Afternoon light filtered through the trees' rustling branches, casting dancing shadows over the camp.

"I…well, I suppose you're not entirely useless after all," Seymour eventually grumbled.

"Gee, thanks for the high praise." Adrian turned to walk away.

"So, you've been practicing with that daemon of yours?" Seymour called after him.

He paused. "Yup."

"Hmph. It shows."

Hiding a grin, Adrian continued on into the trees.

Though Seymour didn't miraculously swap personalities after that, he at least started acknowledging Adrian's presence around camp. Occasionally, he'd even mutter a word of greeting—a welcome change from the previous pervasive silence between them.

"We should go after it," the watcher said one morning around the fire.

Adrian blinked away the mock battle he'd been reviewing in his head. Heartrender perked up where she lay curled in his lap. "Um, okay." A pause. "What, exactly, is it you want to go after?"

Seymour rolled his eyes. "I see all that meditation has done little to bolster your intellect. I'm talking about Souleater. Now that I'm recovered—"

"Mostly recovered," Adrian interjected, eying the watcher's right leg.

Seymour continued as if he hadn't spoken. "—it's time we finally vanquish that monster."

Unease prickled Adrian's skin as he recalled Souleater's angular form, its toothless maw guzzling the air. "That thing almost devoured your entire lifeforce before doing the same to me."

"All the more reason to slay it!" Seymour leaned in, his fervent stare cutting across their campfire's crackling flames. "Think about what will happen if that creature finds its way to one of the local villages—how many people it might kill before the Watcher Division puts it down."

Adrian pictured the fields around Hillvale withering amid the echo of distant screams and shuddered. Most people in the League weren't accustomed to fighting with their daemons against anything more than a pest. The watchers would eventually rally and defeat it…but before then?

"What makes you think we can do anything about it?"

"You bested that Serenity Corp operative. Fighting Souleater should be easy by comparison."

"That was mostly luck!" He stood abruptly, forcing Heartrender to bound from his lap. She shot him a disgruntled look as he began to pace. "Kali was overconfident, which allowed me to catch her off guard with Heartrender's boost."

Seymour's expression grew thoughtful. "Yes, that true bond of yours… Well, if you did it once, you can do it again. We'll devise a plan to ambush the creature, and—"

"No!" Adrian took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "It's too risky. Besides, we're days away from civilization, so Souleater shouldn't be a threat anytime soon. Best we give it a wide berth."

"Fine." Seymour's emerald gaze flashed with annoyance. "We'll do things your way. But if we see the slightest hint of that beast venturing from its lair, we act."

Adrian gave a curt nod. "Deal…even if fleeing the opposite direction seems a better option."

Seymour grimaced. "You'd have made a terrible watcher."

The words tugged at old wounds, but Adrian could tell there was no real malice behind them. Not like there'd been back in Hillvale.

Seymour left to hunt, and Adrian settled into his usual routine. Throughout the day, however, the watcher kept sneaking furtive glances at him. Seymour had never taken such an interest in him before—not since they were kids—and the attention made Adrian nervous. The watcher clearly had something on his mind.

That night at dinner, Seymour—unusually quiet even by his standards—startled him by asking, "Remember when I told you that spirit-cursed daemon got the drop on me?"

Adrian nodded. "You said Souleater drained half your aether before you could react."

Seymour poked at the fire's embers with a broken branch. His face creased into a frown. "Well, that's not the whole story. I'd known something was off about that section of forest for a while, and when a hunt led me out that way, my curiosity got the better of me. The clearing stood empty when I reached it, so I ordered Tremorfist to wait while I explored."

Adrian leaned in, visualizing the circle of stripped trees. "Did you find anything?"

"Only the obvious signs of drained aether. I went to leave…and that's when I saw Souleater." Seymour clenched his hands into fists. "It had been siphoning my daemon's aether for spirits' know how long, and I hadn't even noticed. But that's not the worst part. Tremorfist just stood there and let it happen. It didn't even try to fight back."

"Those were its orders," Adrian said in dawning horror. "You told it to wait, so it did."

Seymour jerked a nod. "Oh, it waited all right. Even as another daemon ate it alive." He barked a humorless laugh. "I suppose it's my fault for not being more specific."

Adrian didn't know what to say. All he could think of in that moment was Trailseeker's vacant stare as it awaited new instructions. A thought came to him then, unbidden.

No wonder the daemons hate us.

Seymour continued. "I ordered Tremorfist to fight, but by then, it was too late. When I recalled the daemon, Souleater lunged for me instead, and, well…you saw the result."

Swallowing, Adrian said, "At least we got away. Both you and Tremorfist are fine."

"Perhaps. But I've never felt so helpless. I thought my daemons and I made a formidable fighting force, ready to take on any threat we might face. I was wrong."

The normally impassive watcher's vulnerability made Adrian shift uncomfortably. Once, he'd have known the right words to cheer Seymour up. Not anymore. "It sounds like there's not much you could've done. We all have to contend with a foe more powerful than us eventually."

"But that's just it!" Seymour tightened his jaw as his bright green eyes blazed, the intensity in them striking. "We didn't even get the chance to fight. My daemon lacked the initiative to defend itself, let alone me. But your daemon…"

Adrian rubbed Heartrender's head. She purred sleepily from her usual perch in his lap. "What about her?"

"It—she—can think and act for herself. I've seen you accomplish impossible feats not once, but twice now. Perhaps it's time I explore this ‘true bond' for myself."

The admission caught Adrian off-guard. Since entering the forest, Seymour had made it clear he intended to lie low for a few months before striking out on his own. Adrian had half-expected him to change his mind long before now, honor or no, and turn Heartrender and him over to Kali in exchange for a pardon. But this…

"You want to forge a true bond?"

"Why not?" The watcher straightened his shoulders. "You think I'm not up to the task?"

Adrian wilted beneath his glare. "No. I just thought you didn't particularly, you know, like daemons. You realize the true bond requires a partnership, right?"

"If sharpening my weapon requires certain accommodations, then so be it."

"There are risks involved, too. The true bond requires choice. You'll need to free your daemons from their bondstones first, and there's no guarantee they'll accept. They could flee or even turn hostile."

"I realize the risks, and I accept them. Better no blade at all than one I cannot trust to do its job." Seymour narrowed his eyes. "After how you've gone on about Serenity Corp's betrayal, I'd think you'd be more supportive. Are you concerned you won't be special anymore?"

Adrian tensed, his fingers tightening on Heartrender's back enough to elicit a disapproving yip. "Don't be ridiculous! I'd love to see the entire League discard their bondstones for good. But once you cross this line, there's no going back. You'll be a traitor forever."

Turning to stare into the fire, Seymour grinned mirthlessly. Shadows outlined the sharp planes of his face. "I already am. For better or worse, I made my choice the night I helped you escape." Aether flared around his balled fist. "The Serenity Corp I devoted my life to is a lie. I've wasted enough time these past months on doubt and hesitation. So, what do you say? Will you help me?"

Adrian hesitated, thinking of Trailseeker and its recent sacrifice to Icetusk. A familiar guilt curled in his belly. He'd delayed far too long already. "I'm in. Let's go free our daemons."

"I still say we should stagger it out," Adrian said as he followed Seymour through the trees toward the clearing they'd selected. "What if our daemons turn on us?"

Seymour snapped a hanging branch Tremorfist had missed and tossed it aside. "Then we'll handle it. Better to have it over and done with." He glanced at Adrian, raising an eyebrow. "Unless you're getting cold feet?"

Adrian scowled. "Nope."

"Good," Seymour said as Tremorfist parted the trees before him. "Because we're here."

Adrian's heart pounded with nervous anticipation as he surveyed the small field of grass and wildflowers they'd chosen. Somewhere nearby, a creek burbled over stone. He stretched out his aethersense, searching for any signs of daemons. As far as he could tell, they were alone.

"Looks clear to me," he said.

Seymour's own gaze swept over the area. "Agreed. Stay on your guard, though. You never know when a shrouded daemon might lurk nearby."

Adrian nodded. Now that they were here, the full weight of what they were about to do settled on him. He cleared his suddenly dry throat. "Should we, um, say a few words?"

"We're freeing our daemons, not killing them. Besides, what did you have in mind? ‘Sorry for imprisoning you all these years. No hard feelings?'"

Adrian's cheeks reddened. "Forget it. Let's just get on with this."

Closing his eyes, he sensed both Heartrender and Trailseeker's aether coiled inside him. Heartrender noticed his attention and greeted him sleepily. He gave her the equivalent of a mental pat on the head in return.

Trailseeker's presence remained silent. Adrian's stomach roiled. The daemon had been his constant companion for years, protecting him when no one else would. As much as he feared what happened next, it was time to return the favor.

Hoping it wouldn't be for the last time, he channeled his aether to manifest Trailseeker's familiar sleek form. "Sorry this took me so long, buddy," he whispered, placing a hand on the impassive daemon's head. "But better late than never, right?"

Trailseeker, of course, didn't respond.

Adrian closed his eyes and reached out to the bondstone resting within the daemon's core. Shaped like a triangle with rounded corners, the smooth black stone had remained there ever since Adrian first chose Trailseeker as his companion at sixteen. It was what had bound them together, allowing them to function as a team…while enslaving Trailseeker against its will.

Shoving aside the last of his doubts, he sent a pulse of aether to the relic. Trailseeker's aura flared, and the daemon howled, its legs buckling as it collapsed to its side, panting in deep breaths. The inert bondstone clattered to the forest floor.

Just like that, Trailseeker was free.

"I expected more somehow," Seymour said. Adrian turned to find him rising from Willowrush's trembling body. He fingered the bondstone in his hand, frowning thoughtfully at it.

"What do you mean?" Adrian asked.

"I thought I'd feel the bond's lack more keenly…but I don't."

Adrian quested within his own aether and realized it was the same for him. While there was a definite hole where his connection to Trailseeker had been, he could hardly sense it. The loss paled even further compared to the depth of his remaining bond with Heartrender.

"It means we're doing the right thing," he said, projecting more confidence than he felt. "We're restoring things to their natural order."

Seymour grunted and raised a hand. Tremorfist manifested a moment later.

Adrian eyed the daemon. "You're certain you don't want to wait?"

Seymour shook his head. "If I'm doing this, I want to do it. No half measures, no excuses."

Shame tore at Adrian as he remembered his own hesitation to free Trailseeker. Seymour was right—better to rip the bandage off than leave the wound to fester. Muffling his protests, he watched as Seymour freed his second daemon.

Tremorfist collapsed beside the others. Together, Adrian and Seymour retreated to the trees nearby and set up watch. They didn't want a wild daemon to stumble upon their charges while they were helpless. A little over an hour passed before their daemons began to stir.

"How long do you think their bondsickness will last?" Seymour asked, studying the fallen daemons.

"The worst of it fades in a couple hours, but I'd wager it'll be a day or two before they're completely themselves. We shouldn't linger in case they become aggressive when they wake."

A frown tugged at Seymour's lips. "Perhaps we should ensure they don't wander off."

"No." Adrian gave a firm shake of his head. "That would defeat the entire point. The true bond requires free will. It has to be their choice to stay."

Seymour crossed his arms and scowled. The gesture proved far less intimidating without his golden armor. Or maybe Adrian had simply grown to recognize his former friend beneath his gruff exterior. With the golden sunlight glimmering in his dark hair and accentuating the sculpted line of his jaw, Seymour appeared every bit the stern yet handsome warrior.

"Fine," the watcher said, snapping Adrian out of his reverie. "We'll give them two days to be sure the bondsickness has faded. Then, we'll return and see what this day has cost us."

With one last backward glance at Trailseeker, Adrian nodded and followed Seymour into the trees. Two days, he thought silently at his freed daemon. I'll come back for you in two days.

The next forty-eight hours passed in a painful crawl. All Adrian could think about while he trained was Trailseeker lying alone in the woods. When at last it was time for Seymour and him to return, he vibrated with anxious energy. Trailseeker's bondsickness should've faded by now, but how would his daemon react to its freedom? Would it welcome Adrian's return…or rue it?

At least, he wouldn't need to wait long for an answer. Seymour called a halt as they neared the clearing. They both quested out with their aethersense.

Adrian spoke first, his stomach sinking. "I only sense one daemon."

"Tremorfist," Seymour said. "I recognize the aura." He hesitated, glancing at Adrian. "No sign of Trailseeker or Willowrush."

Adrian nodded mutely, staring at the ground as he kicked at a pile of leaves. He'd known the risks of releasing his daemon. Yet, he'd still hoped Trailseeker wouldn't abandon him.

"They could be shrouded," Seymour suggested half-heartedly.

"Yeah. Maybe." He was so wrapped up in his morose thoughts he almost missed Seymour stepping into the clearing. "Wait! Tremorfist might attack you on sight."

"Nonsense," Seymour said as he vanished through the trees. "Let me handle this."

Adrian stood there a moment, staring at the spot where the watcher had been. Then, cursing softly under his breath, he hastily summoned Heartrender and dashed after him.

Sure enough, the first thing he saw when he entered the clearing was Tremorfist towering over Seymour. The daemon pounded its chest and roared. Adrian's muscles froze as the Stunning Howl washed over him. He could only watch helplessly as Tremorfist raised its massive fists above Seymour's head.

The watcher struggled to throw off his own paralysis, and his muscles twitched back to wakefulness. Rather than retreat, however, he craned his neck up to meet Tremorfist's eyes. Then, to Adrian's utter astonishment, he pounded his unarmored chest and screamed right back. Time seemed to slow as the watcher and daemon stared one another down.

Tremorfist jerked into action right as Adrian finally broke free from the Stunning Howl. He ordered Heartrender forward, but even as he did, Tremorfist brought its hands down and—

Adrian blinked, certain he must be misinterpreting the scene. But no. The daemon had prostrated itself before the watcher.

Seymour chuckled, placing a hand on Tremorfist's muscular back. "Stop that, you big brute. We're equal partners now, remember? Or, at least, we will be." He turned to Adrian, still grinning. "I could use some help from someone who understands how this spirit-cursed true bond business works."

"Sure," Adrian said dazedly. "Of course."

Tremorfist eyed him as he approached, but to his relief, made no move to attack. Heartrender yipped encouragingly from beside him. Tremorfist growled in response.

Can they understand one another?

Shoving the errant thought aside, he showed Seymour how to properly sculpt his aether. Soon enough, the watcher held out his hand, a runic circle cupped in his palm. As Heartrender's had for Adrian, Tremorfist's aether resonated in sync with Seymour's. The accepted bond sank into its azure flesh, and the daemon shuddered, aether cascading wildly around it.

Seymour made as if to step forward, but Adrian motioned him back. "Don't worry, this is normal. I think."

"Not comforting," Seymour muttered.

A moment later, the storm around Tremorfist calmed. Seymour let out an astonished breath. "I can sense his thoughts! You've talked before about how different the true bond feels, but I never expected…" The watcher trailed off, his eyes widening. Then, he chuckled and shook his head. "Spirits above, this is going to take some getting used to. I think Tremorfist just chided me on my rusty battle stances."

Adrian mustered a faint smile as he tried to tamp down his own disappointment. "Yeah, it's weird at first having another voice in your head. I can only imagine how it would feel having two true-bonded daemons both jockeying for attention."

Heartrender sent a pulse of disapproval, and he reached down to rub behind her ears. "Worth it, though," he added hastily. "I wouldn't trade our companionship for anything." His thoughts returned to Trailseeker, and he suppressed a sigh.

"Adrian," Seymour said.

Catching the tension in the watcher's voice, Adrian turned to see a rustling patch of nearby brush. An instant later, a sleek shape padded into the clearing. "Trailseeker?" he gasped.

As if conjured from his memories, his former daemon crept forward. Ignoring Seymour and Tremorfist, it focused all its attention on Adrian. For the first time, he saw keen intelligence reflected in its cerulean eyes rather than a blank stare.

Trailseeker paused a dozen paces away. Adrian stretched out a hand. "It's okay, buddy. It's me. You don't have to be afraid."

Trailseeker examined him for a long moment. Then, it bared its fangs in a low growl. Aether flared around its legs as it lunged forward. Adrian stared at Trailseeker's charging form, struggling to process the sight. The daemon had been his stalwart companion for years. It couldn't actually mean to hurt him…could it?

"Adrian!"

Seymour's warning pierced his haze of confusion, and he braced himself as Trailseeker crashed into him, its weight driving him to the dirt. Dried leaves crackled beneath him as he tried in vain to buck the creature off. Trailseeker's eyes blazed, more alive than he'd ever seen them.

With a quick snap of its neck, the daemon clamped its jaws around his right forearm. Adrian flashed back to Trailseeker rescuing him from that rickety bridge near Crastley's cabin. This time, the daemon was far less gentle. Its fangs tore into his flesh, and he howled in pain.

"Please," he whimpered, staring up at Trailseeker. "Don't do this."

The daemon gave him a disdainful look, aether igniting around its jaws. Panic squeezed Adrian's chest. Enhanced by its Bolster Body, Trailseeker could rip his arm clean off.

A small blue blur suddenly launched itself onto Trailseeker's back, accompanied by a surge of resolve in the back of his mind. Heartrender. Though she was less than half Trailseeker's size, that didn't stop her from burying her own fangs into the larger daemon's neck.

Trailseeker released his arm to snap at Heartrender. Adrian took advantage of the distraction to shove at the daemon's legs while bucking to the side. A few months ago, he probably would've lacked the required strength. As it was, his honed muscles and enhanced aether proved just enough to twist himself free. Trailseeker's paws thumped to the ground.

Still prone, Adrian tried to scramble to his feet, only for Trailseeker to slam into his legs and topple him back over. In the same motion, the daemon shook its body from side to side and sent Heartrender flying.

"I'm sorry!" Adrian cried as his former daemon loomed over him. He raised his arms to shield his neck and face, cringing in anticipation of a killing strike.

Trailseeker hesitated, fixing him with an unreadable stare. Hope stirred in his chest. Perhaps he could still salvage this disaster after all.

Then, Tremorfist crashed into Trailseeker, tossing the daemon aside. Trailseeker hit the ground hard, rolling and springing spryly to its feet. Falling into a crouch, its eyes flicked between Heartrender, Adrian, and Tremorfist as it let out a low growl.

Adrian stretched an imploring hand toward Seymour. "Don't hurt it!"

The watcher's brows rose. "You must be joking. That beast wouldn't hesitate to hurt you!"

"It's not Trailseeker's fault! It doesn't know what it—"

He cut off as Trailseeker sprang forward, weaving between the other two daemons directly toward him. His breath caught. Did his former ally despise him that much?

Before Trailseeker could reach him, Tremorfist released a Stunning Howl. Adrian winced and covered his ears, but the technique hadn't been directed against him. Trailseeker's muscles seized, halting its charge a few paces ahead.

Seymour jogged to Adrian's side, eying Trailseeker as the paralyzed daemon struggled to regain control of its body. "You know what must be done."

Adrian shook his head. "He just reclaimed his freedom. I won't take it away from him again."

He. Even in his agitation, Adrian realized this was the first time he'd allowed himself to think of Trailseeker in those terms.

"What if it tracks us back to camp and attacks while you're asleep or training? The risk is too great."

"Spirits take the risk! I will not let you kill him!"

The watcher growled, balling his hands into fists. "Fine! If you're too weak to do what's necessary, then we need to leave before it—"

He cut off as Trailseeker trembled, flexing one front paw and then the other. The daemon tossed his head from side to side as if to shake off the remaining paralysis like irritating water, then prowled forward in a low crouch.

Adrian sensed Heartrender channeling her aether. A moment later, an illusory duplicate of him appeared to his left. Trailseeker paused long enough to glance at it before turning back to the real Adrian. Apparently, the daemon knew enough to avoid Heartrender's tricks. Spirits above, there had to be something he could do to defuse the situation before it got any more out of hand.

As he stood frozen by indecision, Tremorfist barreled past him toward Trailseeker. Trailseeker flared aether to his legs and dodged nimbly to the side, leaping once more for Adrian. Before the enraged daemon reached him, a sudden surge of aether coursed through his flesh. Sending a silent thanks to Heartrender, he seized control of her gifted aether and hurled himself forward to meet Trailseeker head-on.

His shoulder slammed into Trailseeker's belly, knocking the creature out of midair. He landed atop the fallen daemon and pounded at him with his fists. But even with Heartrender's boost, his blows had little effect. If only he had a spirit-cursed idea how to throw a punch.

Trailseeker quickly recovered, raking claws over Adrian's aether-hardened flesh while snapping at him with his fangs. Despite her lost aether, Heartrender tried to come to his aid, only for Trailseeker to snatch her out of midair and shake her like a rag doll. Thankfully, Trailseeker didn't seem inclined to finish her. He tossed her to the side, where she fell limp in the dirt.

Pain exploded through their bond, making Adrian wince. Whoever had told him daemons didn't experience pain had clearly been full of it. It might not be as sharp or long-lasting, but it was definitely there. Clenching his jaw, he strained with everything he had left to hold his own, but Heartrender's gifted aether was already fading before the force of his former daemon's fury.

Then, Seymour was there, pummeling his fists against Trailseeker's skull. His blows landed with far more precision than Adrian's, sending the daemon reeling back. "Bring it on, you spirit-cursed beast!" Seymour said, bobbing lightly on the balls of his feet.

Trailseeker growled and channeled more aether to his Bolster Body. He appeared ready to meet Seymour's challenge when Tremorfist hurtled at him from behind with a bellowing roar. Trailseeker tried to turn, but Tremorfist's Stunning Howl, while less effective so soon after the last, still caused his muscles to momentarily seize. Rather than knocking the paralyzed daemon aside, Tremorfist wrapped his massive forearms around him and squeezed. Trailseeker yelped and wriggled, struggling ineffectively to break free.

Adrian heard something in his old daemon's body crack. Trailseeker yowled in pain, falling limp. Only then did Tremorfist toss the daemon to the ground at his feet.

Shoving past Adrian, Seymour motioned to Tremorfist, his expression hard. "Finish it."

Without stopping to think about what he was doing, Adrian threw himself between the two daemons, draping his body protectively over Trailseeker's. "No! Let him go."

"Your emotions are clouding your judgment," Seymour said. "Let us do what you lack the stomach for."

Adrian shook his head, his body trembling. Beneath him, Trailseeker shifted, flaring aether. Adrian scurried back, watching the daemon stagger weakly to his feet. He fixed Adrian with one last baleful glare. Then, he turned and fled into the forest.

Silence descended on the clearing.

Adrian collapsed to his knees and bowed his head. Heartrender nuzzled against his side. He drew her into a tight embrace, burying his face in the nape of her neck.

Seymour watched, his face impassive. For once, he had the decency to remain quiet.

"I should have freed him weeks ago," Adrian whispered. "Right after we entered Overlin Forest. I…I should've treated him better."

"You treated him better than most daemon masters would have," Seymour replied gruffly.

"But not well enough! I was always so willing to sacrifice him. I told myself it was necessary, that he'd understand. But now…"

Seymour startled Adrian by resting a hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly. Was the watcher actually trying to comfort him? The notion sent a warm flutter through his chest.

Then, Seymour's grip tightened, and he hauled Adrian to his feet. "You can't change the past, only how you act in the future. Learn from this experience. Remember the price of hesitation. If you know what's right, you must act. If you don't…"

"If you don't, you're left to live with your regret," Adrian said softly.

He thought of his parents' sacrifice beyond the Bulwark. They'd been willing to give their lives in defense of their fellow watchers and the League. Even if he now doubted the League deserving of their sacrifice, that didn't make the gesture any less meaningful.

Then, there was Seymour. He'd risked his life and thrown away a promising career in the Watcher Division, all to protect someone he'd done nothing but ridicule for years. Perhaps more of his old friend remained than Adrian had thought. At the very least, Seymour lived by his convictions. That was more than Adrian could say.

He stared into the forest at the spot where Trailseeker had vanished. "So long, buddy," he whispered. Blinking back tears, he turned to Seymour and gestured in the vague direction of their camp. "Let's get out of here."

The return trip passed in silence. Adrian recalled Heartrender to rest while Seymour kept Tremorfist summoned. Though the watcher didn't say a word, Adrian guessed it was in case Trailseeker returned. The knowledge that they might need to protect against his own former daemon filled him with fresh remorse.

Back at camp, he started a small fire and slumped beside it.

"I should go hunting," Seymour said. "We need to keep our supplies up."

They had nearly a month's worth of rations stockpiled, but Adrian didn't call Seymour on his blatant excuse to get away. He just nodded mutely.

Seymour turned to leave, then hesitated. "Tomorrow, we'll begin your training."

Adrian blinked, momentarily surprised out of his melancholy. "Training?"

"Sure. Now that you've got a better grasp on your aether, it's time you learned to handle yourself properly in a fight. If you're up for it, that is."

Thinking again of his parents, Adrian jerked a nod. He might've failed Trailseeker, but he'd do everything he could to ensure that he learned from his mistake…and that, when Kali or other Serenity Corp agents inevitably found them, he'd be ready.