The Cycles of Revelation Series
Artifact of the Dawn: Flight (A Queer Sci-Fi Adventure)
Episode 10: Ardyn helps Jevan escape his confinement and they flee, heading toward Jevan’s village, hoping to take refuge among the Medellan people.
Ardyn raised a finger to his lips, to let Jevan know to be quiet. He handed the Medellan a waterskin and gave him a moment to drink his fill. Then he grasped the hand of the athla’maakh once more, and he continued to move swiftly away from Maala’naa. Despite the dark moonless night, he guided Jevan effortlessly through the dense forest.
The next time Jevan tugged on his hand, slowing their pace, Ardyn stopped and looked around. He heard no sounds of pursuit, so he led them to a nearby log where they could sit and rest. Their panted breaths came out in thick clouds in the chill night air.
After taking a long drink from the waterskin, Jevan asked in a hoarse whisper. “Why?”
“Besides myself, you are the only one who knows the truth of what we found in the Aria’una,” Ardyn responded in a whisper. “Also, you saved my life and you… you’re a friend. I couldn’t let them kill you.”
“Well, I think now we’re even,” Jevan whispered back teasingly. “What happens now?”
“Which way leads to your village?” Ardyn asked.
“It lies east of Maala’naa,” Jevan replied. “I’d need to see the sky from a clearing to have a better idea.”
Ardyn nodded. “I know these lands well, so we’ll keep moving east for now. We’ll stop again when we come upon a clearing. They will discover our escape by sunrise, and I want to be out of Athla’naa territory by then.”
Jevan nodded, and they continued until they found a clearing. They stopped long enough for him to get his bearings. Then Jevan took the lead, guiding them toward his village. When they came across a creek, they also stopped long enough to fill their water skins.
“The water is shallow, so let’s move upstream for a while, to help cover our tracks,” Ardyn suggested. It would mean they would have cold, wet feet, but it beat the alternative of being caught and possibly executed on sight.
“Good idea,” Jevan agreed.
They finally crossed out of Athla’naa territory as the sky brightened at the dawn of a new day, and they could slow their pace. As they walked, Ardyn reflected on his actions over the past several hours. After hearing the pronouncement from Elder Aelrynd, his heart clenched at the thought of Jevan losing his life. While it didn’t surprise him, it was neither just nor fair, regardless of the laws. Especially considering the centuries-old lies that he and Jevan had uncovered.
Based on the elders’ reactions, there was much more going on than either of them had realized. That key, and the buildings it unlocked, was only part of a larger mystery. The lack of surprise regarding their discoveries confirmed the elders knew about everything and were hiding some dark secret.
Helping Jevan escape and fleeing his own punishment also weighed on Ardyn, as he realized he may never return home after this. In fact, he wouldn’t be safe in any Athla’naa settlement once the word spread.
“How close are we to your village?” Ardyn asked.
“Another half-day’s journey from here,” Jevan replied.
“Will they welcome me? I doubt I’ll ever be able to return home after what I’ve done, so I hope to seek shelter among your people,” Ardyn admitted.
“We tolerate elves well enough,” Jevan replied with a smile. “Besides, you’ll have me to protect you, in case anyone picks a fight.”
Ardyn looked up at Jevan. “I am stronger than I look, Medellan,” he teased, nudging Jevan with his elbow playfully. “But in all seriousness, would they allow me to stay?”
Looking down at him with obvious sincerity, Jevan replied. “I would insist upon it. You could stay with me. I have a small house. With how much I travel, you’d often have the place to yourself. It would be nice to have someone there to come home to.”
“You would have me become your mate, keeping your house for you?” Ardyn asked, raising an eyebrow at the man.
Laughing at the idea, Jevan shook his head. “You may be the most beautiful elf I’ve ever laid my eyes on, but that wasn’t what I was suggesting. It would be less of a wasted resource if the home was actually being used.”
“If you’re home so rarely, why do you have your own house?” Ardyn asked. “Wouldn’t it be easier to just share a space for the brief periods when you are there? My parents and I shared the hut I used when I was back in Maala’naa.”
“It belonged to the last trader in our village,” Jevan explained. “After he passed, Mathias offered the position to me, which included the house. It’s small but suits my needs when I am back in the village.”
“What happened to his family?” Ardyn asked.
“His wife moved back to her village after he passed, and their children were all grown and living with their bondmates,” Jevan explained. “So, the home is mine as long as I remain a trader in Yanen.”
Ardyn contemplated the idea for a moment before responding. “I appreciate the offer, but I am trained as a ranger,” he said. “I would be restless remaining in one place overlong. Is your village in need of a ranger?”
“That would be a question for the ard. Part of his job is to allocate resources and services both within our village and between other villages in our area,” Jevan explained. “So, if someone in our village shows an aptitude toward a profession that we don’t require, he will enquire if another village is seeking an apprentice in that profession.”
“Hopefully your ard will have some use for my ranging skills then,” Ardyn said before lapsing back into silence. He felt no remorse for having exiled himself from his people. He had always felt different and therefore kept to himself, even as a child. Jevan was one of the first people he’d met that he felt completely at ease with.
“Once we arrive, the first thing we should do is speak with Ard Mathias,” Jevan declared.
“Are you sure I’ll be safe? Your people don’t have any laws for executing Athla’naa, do they?” Ardyn asked, still unsure of living among Medellans. “Also, after the villagers in Ahren turned against Soren for befriending me, I don’t want that happening to you.”
“I’m sure,” Jevan replied amiably. “Besides, we have no secret forbidden zones and you haven’t broken any laws.”
I hope you are right. Taking a deep breath, Ardyn nodded. “Okay then. I’ll go with you to meet your ard.”
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