Journey of the Son of Ares

The carriage ride never stopped. Aurelius liked it that way. The steady shaking of the carriage as it moved through rough forest paths provided comfort as it continued to infinity. The occasional drizzle made the nights pass in perceived peace under the faint shine through the blurry windows.

However, he still found often his mind wandering to the days he and Cade maneuvered through the expansive forests of the Thropes with absolute freedom of movement. With his mind's eye, he could see how Cade's body zipped in between trees, pushing Aurelius to his limits. He could hear himself howling like an idiot as she threw her bag into the sky and jumped to swing off a branch to survey the area before coming back down like an angel with her bag back on her shoulder like it never left.

Those days provided an unlimited warmth in him. To him, they were happiness incarnate. The irony was how that warmth was tucked far away out of what he called necessity only so that he could suffer the void inside on a daily basis. A void he could only avoid with a pen and paper or blood and blade.

But as the journey towards the capital continued, no blood was spilled. Somewhere deep inside, Aurelius hoped for bandits. He would tell himself it was so that others would never have to deal with those bandits again. But the other part of him—the part that liked the structured feel of the crimson gloves and the taste of black blood—knew the truth.

Aurelius didn't want to talk about it. Not to others. Not to himself. Thankfully, it was silent in the carriage. Aurelius had feared Amadeus' seemingly extroverted nature, but he truly was a perfect mimic. He took one look at Damian and knew to keep his mouth shut. His eyes still wandered to Aurelius on occasion. Aurelius chose to ignore it for a time, but then he started eyeing the kid back, at which point, he got rid of the problem. But Amadeus' whole aura disturbed him. He could feel the reverence that filled Amadeus, and it made him sick.

So when they stopped on a path near a town to get supplies and some air and Amadeus asked Aurelius to accompany him to town, he answered bluntly.

"No."

Amadeus didn't seem discouraged in the least. "It would be good for us to discuss the details of my operation."

"Talk to Damian."

"I already did. I want your input and it is good for you to be up to date," Amadeus said in a business-like manner. Despite his youth, it seemed authentic.

Aurelius turned with a sigh and walked away looking at the light blue sky under a layer of smoky white clouds. "Then later."

Amadeus took a few running steps to catch up with him. "I insist."

"You can't insist," Aurelius said without looking at him.

"I would also like to talk about my mother."

Aurelius stopped. "Damian has told me. I'm sorry."

"I don't need your sorry. I need you to listen. So won't you listen?"

Aurelius looked at him with contemplative eyes and nodded. "I'll go get a hat."

Amadeus thanked him and he went to go tie his hair before putting on a hat. When he got out, Amadeus was waiting for him and they got moving through a dark green plain towards a town in the distance.

It was awkward. Amadeus didn't seem to know how to begin. Their gazes were both fixated on the distance.

Then Amadeus asked, "What are you doing this for?"

Aurelius gave him a wary glance. "I thought you wanted to talk to me about your mother."

"I also want to talk about this."

Aurelius snorted at his shameless ploy. "My motivation? What is it to you?"

"I know that you're a great man, but I don't think that's enough for someone to face the entirety of Nexus alone."

Aurelius shut his eyes, repressing a scoff. "Great man? Is that what you see when you look at me?"

"Handsome man is what I see." Amadeus laughed lightly, nudging Aurelius with a shoulder with a wink.

Aurelius didn't take it in the spirit in which it was given.

"Sorry," Amadeus apologized quickly. He cleared his throat. "Don't worry. I don't think about you like that. You should be more careful with Damian."

Aurelius furrowed his brows at Amadeus. "What?"

Amadeus' eyes grew a little and he backed off. "Oh, wait, you don't know? Damian's a homosexual. At least I'm pretty sure," he said with a shrug.

Aurelius blinked. "Huh? How do you figure?"

"Takes one to know one," Amadeus said with a playful click of his tongue. "I'm the best of both worlds."

Aurelius processed for a while. "So you like women... and men?"

"Yeah," Amadeus replied, tucking his hands in his pockets. "Are you... opposed to that?"

Aurelius leaned his head back with furrowed brows. "What? Why would I be?"

"Uhh, no reason." Amadeus coughed. "Sorry, I got a little sidetracked. Bad habit."

Aurelius gave a light laugh, as he was reminded of all the senseless conversations he entertained with Balgair once upon a time much to Cade's exasperation. Then he looked back to the clouds and his face went straight. "Orpheus threatened my family."

Amadeus was quiet for a while. "He threatened your father?"

"You don't know?" Aurelius eyed him. "My father is dead."

Amadeus' mouth went open. "Ah, sorry, it's just... I've heard a lot of different things."

"Ah, right." Aurelius gave Amadeus an apologetic look. "In any case, Orpheus threatened those close to me, and he is a bane to all that is good in this world."

"I see. But even though you're his death, you don't think yourself great?" Aurelius didn't answer. Amadeus had the sense to not push it. Unfortunately, he didn't have the sense to stay quiet. "Can I ask, who is Cade?"

"What?" Aurelius stopped, turning to Amadeus. "Who did you hear that name from? Damian?"

'Did I mention her to him?' he asked himself.

Amadeus seemed in a panic as he put his hands up in defense. "Y— you."

"What are you talking about? I haven't spoken to you since we first met?" Aurelius snapped only to slowly realize it. "I said it in my sleep."

"Yes, you did," Amadeus confirmed, a little unnerved.

Aurelius licked his dry lips before continuing toward the town. Amadeus caught up but left the matter there.

They stayed silent the rest of the way. Aurelius forgot why he even came in the first place. When they made it into the town, they wandered around for a while as Amadeus mapped it out.

Once they made it to the center of the town, Aurelius felt a freezing shiver run down his spine. His eyes shook as he looked up at the flagpole that stood in the middle of the square. He gulped down the acid in the back of his throat and shook the memories out of his head.

He looked for Amadeus again only to find him looking at Aurelius with a complicated expression.

Aurelius walked past him. "Not a word," he snarled in Amadeus' ear.

After shuddering, Amadeus took the lead again and Aurelius followed him around, carrying the mountain of supplies with ease.

Their last stop was a café that seemed about to close. Aurelius wasn't sure what they were headed there for, but after Amadeus looked inside and beamed at Aurelius, he could guess. Suddenly, it occurred to Aurelius why Amadeus wanted him to come along so badly.

The owner came to usher Amadeus away, but Amadeus said something that made the owner let them in.

Aurelius stepped into the warm café and looked to his right. There, there was a wooden platform, and on top of it, a simple wooden instrument—the piano if Aurelius wasn't mistaken. Amadeus stepped onto the platform in a triumphant manner that Aurelius had never recognized anywhere before.

"May I play you something?" he asked with a noble bow.

Aurelius sat down on one of the many wooden chairs next to a round table solemnly and gestured for Amadeus to go ahead.

Amadeus smiled and went to sit down. First, he adjusted the chair. Next, he lifted the lid off the keys. Then he put his back straight and set his foot over some kind of small platform that hung from the bottom of the piano. Lastly, he raised his hands and flicked his wrists into a set position.

Aurelius watched with growing interest as Amadeus' eyes seemed to link with the white and black of the piano. His gaze seemed intimately focused like a hunter skinning his prey, but more delicate. A thing of beauty.

Then his fingers pressed down. Aurelius' mouth grew wide as the sound echoed. He had heard music before. Sounds ringing and repeating. But never anything like what Amadeus demonstrated. The sound overlapped in its echoes and as it faded a new, more refined sound came to replace it.

The sound slid up and down seamlessly as did Amadeus' fingers. The movement of Amadeus' fingers was perfect. The kind of perfect that reminded him of Cade.

The way her body flowed as she fought. The way her shoulders bounced as she laughed at Aurelius' stupidity. The way her delicate fingers touched his body. The way her thin lips curved up when it was peaceful. The way her hard eyes turned gentle as she looked at flowers. The way her soft brown hair fluttered in the wind...

Back in his own body. Only a few minutes passed. Aurelius found himself with his face leaning on his palm as he watched with a mind purged of the ugliness of the world as Amadeus swayed with his eyes closed and chin pointed to the roof. It was unconscious for him. To tap into that beauty whenever.

Even as he didn't even look, his fingers pressed all the right keys, with the right amount of force. Aurelius had never even heard music comparable to what he heard then, but he knew it was all as right as could be. The dynamics. How some sounds popped out while others stayed in the background. The absolute mastery over what came to the surface ruled Aurelius' mind as he fell into his mind once again.

And for what seemed like an hour, he could see something he had never been able to before. He saw his mother and Cade sitting at a table before him. Back home. And even though he could not see them, he could feel his father and Balgair there with them. And something more. He slowly turned his head and looked at Cade. But not at her eyes. At her stomach. It was round. Aurelius put a hand over his trembling lips and looked up. Cade was looking at him with a pure smile. Pure love.

Aurelius' lips tightened as he swallowed back the tears before waking in the moment. Amadeus' hands slowed, every press deliberately designated for its correct spot. All up until it was ended. He let the last of it echo out before slowly taking his hands off the instrument. He slowly exhaled, leaning his head back with closed eyes.

Aurelius wiped his eyes as Amadeus turned to look at him.

"It's called the Love Dream," Amadeus said, his voice seeming completely different as he sat in front of the piano.

Aurelius found himself in envy. What it must have felt like to possess such an ability to evoke beauty in the mind. At that moment, he would've abandoned all his cursed abilities for it.

When Aurelius had wiped his eyes, he found himself to be smiling. His expression cleared quickly, but all that he wanted was to experience it once more.

"Could you play it again?" Aurelius requested.

Amadeus lit up and nodded, turning back to what seemed to be his other half. Once he began, Aurelius hoped he would never stop.