Tenebris Renasci: A World of Magic and Gunpowder

Alexander approached Marcus slowly. 

Marcus turned to look at him, fumbling with her hands as she studied him. 

with a reserved expression, she avoided direct eye contact.

Clearing his throat Alexander stopped before Marcus. Reaching a hand behind his neck, he chuckled nervously, "Come with me." Alexander said, unsure of what else to say.

"O-ok." Marcus stammered, she then hesitantly walked around Alexander. Standing behind him.

Alexander looked to his father and mother, who all gave his supporting looks/nods.

With the seal of approval from his parents, Alexander walked out of the main dining room, with Marcus following closely behind. 

The walk towards Alexander's room was a quiet one, filled with only the distant sounds of servants working or chatting. 

Reaching his room Alexander opened the door and held it open for Marcus. 

Marcus smiled softly as she stepped into Alexander's room. She made her way to its center and began looking around nervously, studying the walls and floor.

Alexander closed the door behind himself, and as it clicked he took a deep breath. 

Alright, Alexander all you have to do is apologize, There is no reason to fuck this up.

Alexander then stepped away from the door and looked at Marcus. He smiled softly as he placed his hands together. "I… uhm," he looked down at Marcus' dress. "I like your dress, it's really pretty."

Marcus looked down at her dress, she pinched a piece of its fabric between her fingers and pulled. 

The dress raised, revealing the layers of white fabric underneath. "Thank you." She said softly, before releasing the fabric. "Mrs. Olivia picked it out, she said I should explore my feminine side." 

Marcus then looked up at Alexander and chuckled softly, "I don't know what that means, but it feels good wearing pretty clothes."

Alexander nodded. "So… you're a girl, that's interesting." He said, crossing his arms.

"Are you mad?" Marcus asked, "I didn't want to tell you, but Mrs. Olivia said this would get you out of your room…" she began to trail off, her voice growing softer.

Alexander quickly spoke up, stepping closer towards Marcus. "No, I'm not mad." He said reassuringly. "I'm kinda glad, you know?"

Marcus' face brightened with relief, "really?!" She asked excitedly, taking a step closer to Alexander.

Alexander nodded. "Yeah, I think it's great you're a girl I'm kinda confused about why you lied about being a boy in the first place."

"Oh, that's easy!" Marcus replied with a laugh. "Do you remember the shopkeeper?" She asked.

Alexander nodded.

"He told me to say that." She replied. "He said that it would protect me from weird people because people see poor boys on the streets all the time."

Ahh, that makes sense, but then why did she keep the lie going when I found her?

Almost as if reading his mind, Marcus spoke up. "You're probably wondering why I didn't tell you the truth after so long, right?" 

Alexander nodded. "Yeah."

"Well I thought that you wouldn't want to play or train with a girl," Marcus said with a shake of her head. "I don't know, I guess I just assumed you wanted to play with other boys." she further explained. 

Well… she wouldn't be wrong entirely, when I was a six-year-old in my previous life I definitely found girls icky, but now live and let live I say.

Alexander took a step closer towards Marcus. "Normally that would have been the case, but you're my friend, Marcus, whether you are a boy or a girl doesn't change that." Alexander then took another step forward. "Besides, without you all I'd have is Louise." Alexander joked.

Marcus chuckled softly as she took another step closer to Alexander. "So we are friends?" she asked curiously, tilting her head to the side. "Then can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."  

"Why were you so angry that day?" she asked, taking another step closer to Alexander, the two now standing a few feet apart. "I was so worried about you Alex, and I still am, I have never seen you so sad before, it… it hurts me to see you like that, it felt like my heart was burning." tears began welling in her eyes as she recalled that day. 

Marcus frowned as stared at Alexander, tears streaming down her cheeks as she began gesturing with her hands. "And when you punched me when you said you hated me…" Marcus grabbed at her chest as she tightened her fist, crumpling the cloth of her dress. "It made my heart hurt so much Alex, like it broke into a bunch of pieces." she then grabbed at her cheeks, "and my face burned badly, it was like the whole world… it was like it fell apart." 

Alexander's eyes widened as Marcus began expressing how she felt that day. What she was describing… Was it a heartbreak?

Did I break her heart… how? She's only nine!

Alexander felt a wave of emotions was over him as he tried to process what Marcus was saying.

To him, the only way you could have real heartbreak was to have loved whoever broke it, but for that to be the case Marcus would have to have loved him. 

But that wasn't possible!

Alexander wasn't even sure he felt love in his previous life, he cared for people, but love?

That's some deep stuff, especially for a kid!

Marcus raised her hands to Alexander's shoulders and squeezed them tightly. "Alex, I need to know what made you so mad that day… so… so that I can kill it!" Marcus declared through her ocean of tears. 

Her eyes held a determination that was so furious that Alexander felt himself becoming lost in them, as if she could kill the homesickness he felt that day.

"Tell me, Alex," Marcus said as she held him in her grasp, looking down upon the young boy who gave her so much. "Tell me what it was."

Alexander struggled to find an answer. 

He couldn't just tell her that he was homesick for a world she didn't even know existed, but he couldn't give her an obvious lie either.

Alexander looked up at Marcus and opened his mouth to speak, hoping that whatever he said would be satisfactory. "I guess… I guess I got scared of the Western Empire." Alexander began, averting his eyes from Marcus' intense gaze.  "And… with how poorly I am in fighting, I feel like I'm not strong enough." Alexander sighed deeply. "And with you being so much better than me, I guess I just got jealous and lost my temper." 

With Alexander's confession the room the two children shared; fell silent. 

Marcus continued to study Alexander deeply, her bright blue eyes scanning every inch of him, Alexander waited for her response with bated breath.

Marcus smiled softly after a moment, the tears that welled in her eyes slowly receding. "Alex…" She began softly, her tone soothing to Alexander's racing heart. "You shouldn't be jealous, I train hard every day so that I can become a pathfinder," she explained. 

Alexander nodded, "Yeah I know…"

"But I don't want to be just any pathfinder," she continued. "I want to be your pathfinder, I want to protect you from the Western empire and any other threat. I want to be under your command. I want to serve you because you're my friend."

Alexander felt his cheeks growing hot as his long ear twitched. 

He felt so vulnerable, yet Marcus made everything seem like it would be alright.

He felt so many emotions rushing through his mind that it hurt him.

Marcus moved a hand underneath Alexander's chin and gently turned his head so that he maintained eye contact with her. "Look at me Alex, I don't like it when you stare off, it's irritating, you know?" she said with a soft chuckle.

Her touch was gentle.

Rubbing her thumb against Alexander's chin, she stared deeply into his golden eyes.

Alexander's mind had become mush and his cheeks were hotter than the sun's surface, he was flabbergasted, truly at a loss for words or thoughts.

Marcus smiled warmly at Alexander. "Next time you get sad, I want you to tell me, okay?"

Alexander nodded, feeling a strange emotion swirling within him, a warmth he hadn't felt in either of his lives. Marcus' words, her touch, brought him a sense of reassurance. 

It made him feel safe.

"Okay," he replied softly, his voice barely above a whisper. 

Marcus grinned satisfactorily as she finally released Alexander's chin. "good." she said with a nod, stepping back from Alexander. "Now, we sh-"

Alexander ran and hugged Marcus tightly, cutting her off mid-sentence. He wrapped his arms around her back as he placed his ear to her chest. His breathing was heavy as his eyes began to shimmer with unshed tears. 

Marcus raised her hands in surprise, but as she watched Alexander hold her so tightly, she couldn't help but comfort him. 

Wrapping an arm around his back and placing her free hand on his head, she returned the hug. 

Alexander felt himself melting in Marcus grasp.

Her hand gently navigated through his unkempt hair, sending a shiver down his spine. She gently rubbed his back, her fingers danced along the patterns that she found on his back.

Alexander felt like a dog who received a good owner after surviving in the streets for so, so long.

"Are you okay Alex?" Marcus asked after a short while.

"Can we stay like this?" Alexander asked almost desperately, "please."

Marcus chuckled softly, her voice like an angelic melody to his lost soul. "Absolutely." She replied, holding him even tighter, "I'll do anything for you Alex… anything."

Alexander found solace in her embrace, and with Marcus' final words, the dam that held back his tears broke and Alexander began to sob uncontrollably.