Chapter Text
Time is…weird thing…at least for people with a life as long as Verin's. He knew that was a stupid way to refer to it, but he knew no better way to do it, no one escaped the passage of time, not even long-lived people like him.
Surrounded by people with lives as long as his own, he sometimes forgot, but over the years and with visits from Essek and his family, watching Leo and his little sister Una as they grew bigger and bigger and older, watching Caleb's hair turn gray little by little, he realized that it was happening faster than he wanted. And there came a point where his nephew became a man and went out on his own adventures and where Una married her teenage sweetheart.
One day his brother showed up unannounced at Bazzoxan, alone, without Caleb by his side, and looking as if his heart had been ripped out.
That set off all the alarms of the youngest of the Thelyss brothers, who took the eldest to his own room and seeing that Essek hadn't even bothered to speak (although he had arrived in disguise, thanks the Luxon) sat him on his bed and told him made a cup of hot chocolate.
He had a terrible feeling that something had happened, something very bad. What was worse, he was almost sure that he knew what had happened, but he didn't dare think about it or say it out loud.
“He's…he's gone” his brother whispers after a few minutes “Caleb…he's gone…he…he's dead, he…left a couple of weeks ago…Verin…and he will never come back…he will never be at my side again...he can't come back”
And there it is, was what Verin had feared. Caleb had died and the youngest of the brothers felt a pain in his heart similar to what one received when stabbed.
In silence, the Taskhand forgetting the chocolate that he had prepared for his brother on a small table to end up sitting next to him and hugging him in such a way that Essek's head was hidden between his neck and his shoulder. Not even five seconds passed when he noticed that something wet the fabric of his shirt.
His brother was crying.
Verin felt the stabbing sensation worsen as he realized this, it was as if his heart were being ripped out. He didn't remember ever seeing his brother cry, not even when their father died, he had always believed it was because he was strong, because he acted strong and he didn't want them to see him have those kinds of emotions and make him seem weak, he had believed that over and above the idea that he was insensitive.
Quite the contrary, he had been quite emotional and Essek had been forced to comfort him numerous times. This time, it was the other way around and the younger had to collect his emotions, his own pain for the death of Caleb, whom he had considered another brother, to hold Essek in his arms, letting him cry while stroking his back. Let him unburden himself, let him cry as much as he needed, if it was necessary for him to do so until he fell asleep, he would see to it that nobody bothered them, to protect him from anyone who might disturb them.
It didn't seem right to him to say to his brother that everything was gonna be alright bc that was bullshit.
Caleb was dead, he was human, they both knew he was destined to end in tragedy. There were no happy endings in a relationship whose lifespan was so long and as his father, he wasn't coming back. But it never mattered to Essek or Caleb and it wasn't something that he didn't want to meedle. Verin put aside his concerns and decided to be happy for his brother.
To be honest, it wasn't fair. Verin felt, while his brother was crying on his lap, that wasn't fair. His brother had lost his soulmate, the only person who understood him (because he wasn't going to flatter himself, as much as he loved Essek, he didn't understand him and Caleb in a way, had filled a hole in life of his brother that he, despite his best efforts, had failed to fill (for which he would be eternally grateful) and doubted that he would ever recover from it.
He doesn't know how long they spend like this, Essek crying on his lap and Verin calming him down as best he could. There are a couple of occasions where one of his men knocked on the door asking for him, but the Taskhand replied that he was busy and didn't want to be disturbed unless it is a true and imminent emergency.
It's funny how one never gets used to death. Verin, being a soldier and being in the position he was in, had buried more companions than one would have imagined and the belief that it didn't affect him, that it was normal, that these things happened and that was life.
But in truth, Verin always weeped for every dead soldier, just as he knew he'll grieve for Caleb in the privacy of his room when his brother isn't there to see him. It's not that he doesn't want him to see him cry, it's that he wants to focus on Essek and not him ending up comforting him.
"It's... it's a good idea that he's not consecuted, Verin," his brother whispered after what seems like hours.
He sounds quite blunt, although you can see the pain in his eyes and his voice seems flat, as if he is unable to express any emotion.
He had a slight idea that he was trying to tell his brother with that, that it was a good idea that he wasn't consecuted.
And it was painful because Essek wanted to say that then, at some point, he too would die, that his long life would come to an end, and he could be reunited with Caleb wherever his souls went.
Not like they knew something about it…but…he guessed that this was what Essek was thinking.
Which reminded him that his brother was going to die eventually, maybe not in the near future (hopefully) but it was going to happen.
By the light, he couldn't imagine a life without his brother, he had to because Essek was dead for everyone in the Dynasty besides him, but one thing is faking that your brother is dead, and another is knowing that he is.
He also thought about something, something that came with a flash and passes through his mind about him.
Essek saying that it could mean that he had intentions on seeing Caleb again sooner than expected.
“Don't…don't worry about me” she added as if reading his mind “I will see him again, but I won't leave the kids alone and I…he…wanted me to live, to keep living and traveling and being with our family. I just need…time…I need to…I don’t know…right now I don’t know what to do”
“No one is asking you to do something, Essek…” Verin reminded him “everyone should understand that you need to rest, cry, heal…whatever you need, if someone told you to get over it, I will kill them” not really but he would gladly kill their asses “time heal…we know that better than anyone and you always said that time is one of your specialties”,
That caused a soft chuckle to come from his brother's lips.
“How are the children doing?” he asked him.
"They're sad" Verin hummed at his brother's response, that was expected "I've been staying with Leo and his family, but Una has been coming to visit me these days, both have been very attentive to me."
Which wasn't as surprising as someone would have thought, Essek and Caleb raised two loving kids with a heart of gold and curious minds. Even with the lack of affection and love that both brothers had been raised, he knew that his big brother wouldn't make that mistake. So, it was normal that Leo and Una cared for him and wanted his father to be okay after the passing of their dad.
"It's just that I don't want to be a bother to them" he whispered after a few seconds "they have to get on with their lives".
“Again, you're not a bother, Essek” he reminded his younger brother “neither I nor the kids believe that I promise you. You can stay here as long as you need, you know, you have the ring, so you don't have to worry about being recognized"
"I don't want to abuse you either, this place...is complicated and I don't want to bring you problems"
“I don't care about that now, Ess,” he repeated. Besides, he doubted that they were still actively looking for him, from what his mother had informed him the last time they saw each other, they assumed that his brother had fled to the ruins and met his death there “as I said, this is your house, and you can stay as long as you need”
His brother didn't say anything more, Verin again felt a silent pang in his heart coming face to face with reality, the future was approaching little by little and there would come a day when moments like this would not happen between them.
No matter what happened, he would treasure them in his memories and even if he lived a thousand lives, he would never forget Essek.