Chapter 9

                                    

                                          



     The crowds began to die down quickly after Taron and Lyra's talk. Parents ushered their exhausted children to bed while others help carry or drag their inebriated friends to their homes to sleep off their drinks. A few even commandeered a cart and piled a few others  onto it to help them get home. 
     Lyra held up Salzen, while Taron had to practically drag Ken back to the palace barracks. Katsu was nowhere to be found and Hiroki was still off with his father, the two Lyra was trying to avoid at the moment. 
     "I don't recall him being this heavy." Taron complained when Ken dropped almost all of his weight onto him, the man silently laughing in his half-delirious state. 
     Lyra grunted when Salzen seemed to try and shake her off. "I'd say to just leave Salzen to wake himself up, but after having to snap his neck the other night, I feel a little guilty. Otherwise, I'd be helping you carry big guy over there. He's gotten a little fuller since the last time I saw him, I guess having the cushy life really does make one pack on a few pounds." Lyra dropped Salzen off at his room, literally dropping him on his bedroll, and helped Taron drop Ken off at his. Ken giggled and started to try and undress himself, they took that as their cue to leave
     Dusting himself off, he offered to walk Lyra to her room, but she opted to follow him to his instead. "Thank you for your help, Lyra. With everything, not just helping me get those two back but with all that you have ever done for me." He truly meant it, with everything seeming to be falling apart, at least he had his friends here with him to help pick up the pieces.
      Lyra smiled at him. "I've enjoyed being your friend Taron, thank you for listening to me and dealing with everything that comes with being me." They quickly found themselves at Taron's home.
      The two were silent as they starred at each other, both unable to say anymore but each knowing what was to come.
     He had noticed that whenever she was very quiet, that something had been bothering her. Especially about their conversation the last time the both of them were at his home. "Something is going to happen isn't? That is the real reason that you came back." Taron stated, he felt a tremor rock through his body when Lyra's smile fell.
     Lyra had been dreading this night. "Yes, I'm afraid that is why I came back here. I'm very sorry Taron, I hate this part of my life and I wish nothing more than to be able to change what will happen, but I have already altered this course as much as I can. Anymore and things will only get worse." She had been hoping that he hadn't caught on, but also knew that it was foolish to think that he wouldn't ask her anything.
     Taron nodded. "Will my people be alright?" He didn't care what happened to him. He always had an idea in the back of his mind that he would not be always be around, but his peoples welfare always came first. They had enough thrown at them the past few years.
      "...some of them, yes. Many will move on but keep the stories of their young lord alive, I'm afraid a few lives will be lost forever though. I have already done what I can. I truly hate this." Lyra looked away from him, struggling to keep her emotions grounded. This was why she tried to avoid these talks, it never went over easy for her.
     Taron cleared his throat as his emotions began to overwhelm him. "When?"
     "I can't tell you that."
      "Will you be there?"
     Lyra smiled at him. "Just call my name, I'll be there. Get some sleep Lord Taron."
     He stared at her, wide-eyed.  "That's not ominous at all, you've never called me that before."
     Chuckling, she walked off. Heading off for her own room, leaving behind a friend to fret over his own mortality and how things would end for him. He did come to one conclusion, he wasn't going down without a fight.