💎A Collision of Fates💎 (Straight to Gay) (MxM) (18+)

82 - Nick

Nighttime in The Spread came upon them like a switch. In an instant, the forest was dark and teeming with life. The air was alive, buzzing with the sounds of insects. The forest around them was alive, creatures scurrying just out of sight, hidden in the shadows. The canopy above was alive, bright, blue moonlight shifting through the gaps in the leaves.

Sitting in front of their dimming campfire, though, Nick was struggling to stay awake. He didn't feel alive. In fact, he felt dead.

The journey had not been that tough. For the most part, the pathway they had been following was firm, level, and easy to traverse. They had taken a few breaks, most of them were taken so they could have some time to jump in a river or pond that had beckoned to them enticingly.

But, still, Nick was exhausted. It was the heat. The temperature had sucked all of the life out of him, and now all he wanted to do was fall asleep.

"How much further?" Henrov asked. The firelight danced on his face, casting his dour expression in a red glow.

Nick forced his eyes to stay open. He rubbed his face with tired hands, and looked at the hrew.

Trllai looked up from the piece of thin, dry meat that he was eating. He swallowed. "To Yvvi?"

"Yes."

Trllai turned around and stared into the distance, as if he could see into the darkness of the forest around them. The canopy above them only provided a slight, general wash of light. So, it wasn't pitch-black, but Nick could not see more than a few paces into the distance.

"End of tomorrow." He turned back to the group, nodding. "We will be in Yvvi, end of tomorrow."

"And you will take us to Riiu?" Geer added the question while blowing out a puff of smoke from his mouth.

Trllai nodded. "He is expecting you."

Nick turned to Breck. They shared a look and a wordless exchanged.

After what had happened in the streets of Garresz, Nick wasn't willing to trust anybody completely. The reality was that they could be walking into a trap. What if the hrew had aligned themselves with The Golden Spire, and this meeting with Riiu was a ploy to kill some Sesstrian defenders?

It was a possibility. But Nick couldn't raise that with Henrov. No doubt, the man had already considered that. And, besides, they had explosives, they had bramblaws. If the hrew decided to be violent, they had the tools to fight back.

After a quiet, quick dinner, Warlan forced some water from a nearby stream onto the fire. He spun it into the shape of tube, using careful whisks of his hand, and forced it onto the remaining, dim flames. They sizzled and sputtered out, and the small ring of light that had been keeping back the darkness disappeared.

Henrov instructed them to begin setting up their tents. They pulled out the pieces of fabric, and the wooden rods that propped them up, and got to work. But they were not able to get very far before Trllai stopped them.

The hrew held out his hands. "No. You must not." He pointed to the tents. "These are like blankets. They will trap heat. You will surely die of the heat sickness."

Nick could barely see Henrov in the darkness, but he could hear the disdain in his voice. "Where are we supposed to sleep?"

"The ground."

Silence. The night insects buzzed in the distance. Something clicked. A few prescenias cawed above, followed by the gentle flutter of their wings.

Yeah, the forest was alive.

"It is hot out here, Henrov," Geer rasped. "Trllai is our guide."

"I know."

"So, a night under the stars?" Warlan was obviously excited by the idea. "Honestly, that sounds like fun."