Eliad breathed heavily as he stopped running as soon as he got to the Brandywine Bridge, catching his breath. The people of Archet had told him that the large man that Eliad was seeking was gone so Eliad’s thoughts were to go west towards the Shire. He went to talk on the bridge but stopped as he saw a familiar large figure.
“Alei!” exclaimed Eliad.
Aleixo jumped as he heard a shout and sighed.
“How Eliad get here..?” muttered Aleixo.
“What happened, Alei…?” asked Eliad, walking over towards him slowly but cautiously.
“Alei…,” said Aleixo, looking down at this hand and clenching it into a fist. “He do bad… he couldn’t control… He hurt Ardynn…”
“It wasn’t your fault, Alei…,” said Eliad. “Surely something had angered you or something.”
“No!” argued Aleixo, shaking his head. “Alei not angry! He watched hurt Ardynn… Couldn’t stop bad…”
“Ardynn is safe,” said Eliad. “And she wanted to come with me. She’s that concerned about you. Same as I am.”
“Ardynn try stop Alei leaving…,” said Aleixo, starting to tear up. “Alei said had leave… Can’t control self…”
“She doesn’t blame you at all, Alei,” frowned Eliad in concern, taking a step forward. “Nor do I. I promise that I’ll do whatever that I can to help you should the event such as that happen again. You’re a good man, Alei. Not a bad man. You’re a good man who likes to make friends and give hugs.
Aleixo held his head and started to stumble around.
“Happen again…,” said Aleixo. “Must leave… Alei… Can’t control…”
He dropped to his knee and fell off the bridge.
“Alei!” shouted Eliad.
He climbed to the side of the bridge before looking in the water, seeing nothing of Aleixo’s body. He cursed under his breath.
“ALEI!” shouted Eliad.
Aleixo walked quietly on the bridge, soaking wet. He stared at Eliad with red glowing eyes before grinning.
“How many friends must get hurt?!” demanded Eliad, casting his gaze up at the sky. “Damn you!”
“More than you can count,” chuckled Aleixo.
Eliad jolted at the sudden voice before turning around to see Aleixo.
“Alei..?” asked Eliad, moving to get down.
“Hello, Eliad,” grinned Aleixo, glaring at Eliad with a creepy look.
Eliad glanced at Alei’s eyes with his grey eyes.
“What truly happened with you?” asked Eliad clearly, not being scared.
Aleixo walked closer, not saying a word, keeping the same expression. Eliad did his best to step back but could not. He cursed under his breath once again. He unbuckled his great sword before holding it into his hand, still sheathed.
“I ask again,” said Eliad. “What happened with you, Alei? Did you get cursed or..?”
Aleixo wrapped a hand around Eliad’s throat and picked him up off the ground.
“Kill your friend if you must,” said Aleixo. “I will just find another.”
Eliad winced as his neck was grabbed but showed no resistance, not wanting to fight against what was left of his friend.
“So possessed then..?” asked Eliad. “Let me guess. Some fell spirit from the Barrows..?”
“I am touched, Eliad,” laughed Aleixo sinisterly. “You think me a fell spirit. No, no, no… I am…” He stopped grinning as he continued, “Something much worse.”
He then head-butted Eliad’s nose. Eliad let out a short yell, his nose being hit by the head-butt, his nose starting to bleed.
“I’m not…going to lose Alei completely…,” said Eliad, opening an eye to look at Aleixo. “He is my friend… Just…take me instead… Leave my friends out of it…”
“I am not here just for you, boy…,” laughed Aleixo. “I am here for all of them, and I will get my due…” He stopped and dropped Eliad before holding his head, grunting in pain. “Stop fighting! You will not save them!”
His eyes started to flicker. Eliad dropped down on his knee before glancing at Aleixo. He gritted his teeth before running in order to tackle him down.
“I order you to release him now and take me instead!” said Eliad harshly.
Aleixo got tackled to the ground, his eyes stopped glowing and shut, placing him unconscious. Eliad breathed heavily as he looked down at Alei. He moved to get up, only speaking of what he could to free his friend.
“[BS] Whatever you are, I command you to free yourself from his body,” said Eliad, speaking in his native language. “Take my body as your own. I hereby accept whatever fate that lies in store. So, leave him now!”
Aleixo stayed silent, not awake, his body motionless.
“Damn it,” muttered Eliad. “Of course, that couldn’t work…”
He saw the settlement in front of him before looking down at Alei. He buckled his great sword on his back again before slinging one of Aleixo’s arms around his shoulder. He gritted his teeth as he did his best to have Aleixo on his legs so Eliad could drag him easier.
“Come on, Alei…,” said Eliad. “Let’s get you to somewhere safe…”
Aleixo grunted slightly trying to help Eliad pick himself up. Eliad looked forward as he carried Aleixo as much as he could, though his mind was troubled. Aleixo tried to stay conscious as they had walked through Buckland.
“…I gave Cassie the bird…,” said Eliad. “Though… She…was only a friend. We weren’t really together and now, she’s with someone else but…happier. But she did like the bird though…”
Aleixo started to breathe heavy and dropped his weight more on Eliad. Eliad grunted as Aleixo’s weight had been put more on him.
“Alright, alright…,” chuckled Eliad. “We’re stopping. Don’t worry…”
They arrived at a tree that had overlooked the lake from a hill. Eliad knelt down so he could help set Aleixo down. Aleixo’s tears dropped down from his face as he was set down. Eliad unbuckled his great sword and set it to the side before sitting down next to Aleixo.
“When you’ve come to completely, we’ll talk, alright?” asked Eliad.
“Alei…here…,” said Aleixo. “Just…pain…”
“What happened to you, Alei?” asked Eliad, looking at the sunset. “Did you go somewhere fell?”
“Alei…not…,” answered Alei, shaking his head slowly. He let out a deep breath and tried to move his arm to his head where the scar was. “Alei…have for…long time… It hurts Alei… Makes him bad… Alei young cub….explore to bad…cave.”
“And this…is the reason why you couldn’t control yourself from Ardynn and me?” asked Eliad, moving to touch the scar lightly.
“It…control Alei…,” replied Aleixo. “Bad in it… It speak to…Alei…”
“It said that it was worse than a fell spirit,” said Eliad. “What is worse than that? What evilness did your tribe believe in?”
“It evil…,” growled Aleixo. “Kill…Alei…Family…”
He started to cry afterwards. Eliad moved to give a friendly side-hug to Aleixo.
“We’ll get through this, Alei,” said Eliad. “We’ll find a way to free you from it.”
“Alei…,” began Aleixo. “Alei…need to die… It go away then…”
“No,” argued Eliad. “You’re not going to die. I’m not going to lose another friend.”
“You…must take…Alei life…,” said Aleixo. “You promise Alei… If he danger friends…you kill…”
Eliad looked at Alei, rather surprised. His gaze then softened.
“We will try to find another way,” said Eliad. “Then we’ll think of that when the time comes. Promise me, though, that you won’t lose hope, Alei…”
“Promise Alei!” cried Aleixo, grabbing Eliad’s hand and squeezing it. “If…Alei near hurt friend…you kill Alei…”
Eliad watched him do so before closing his eyes, doing his best not to cry himself.
“Very well…,” said Eliad, choking up a bit. “I promise… But…I’ll do my best to prevent that from happening…”
Aleixo sighed and let go of Eliad’s hand before falling asleep. Eliad glanced at him before letting out a soft sigh, casting his gaze towards the night sky.
“Alei…,” muttered Eliad. “I promise… We will make things alright again…”
*************************************************************************
Eliad, having to bind Aleixo with rope on his hands and legs and unarmed him, used a cart in order to carry Aleixo easily to his camp. After he had taken him to his camp and set him down, he made his way to Bree in order to get food for them. It had taken some time but he sighed softly as he carried a large bag to his camp. Aleixo lied motionless on the ground. Eliad unbuckled his great sword with his free hand before sitting down next to him.
“Got some food when you get hungry,” said Eliad. “Figured you’d be after a while.”
“Alei…hungry, yes…,” said Aleixo, keeping his eyes closed and sighing softly.
Eliad scooted closer to him before moving to undo the rope on Aleixo’s hands so he could eat properly. Aleixo sat up after being untied, his eyes still closed. He then started to chuckle.
“Not a smart move, Eliad,” said Aleixo. “Maybe keep your weapon on your back next time you untie me, if there is a next time.”
He then leapt at Eliad, grabbing his neck again. He finally opened his eyes where Eliad could see them. They were bright red and glowing. Eliad landed on his back again, looking up. He smirked at him before moving his hand quickly to withdraw the dagger from his robe in order to nick Alei’s hand.
“You think I feel the pain?” asked Aleixo, laughing as the dagger nicked him. “It’s your friend Alei who does, you fool! Keep on slicing!”
He then started to land punches on Eliad’s face. Eliad dropped the dagger before doing his best to grab Alei’s hand, gritting his teeth.
“I will not…let you have him, damn it…,” said Eliad. “Begone!”
Aleixo moved his fist from Eliad and kneed him in the gut.
“He is mine!” exclaimed Aleixo. “Your friend will never be the same!”
Eliad gasped sharply as he felt the knee towards the gut. Though, he refused to give in to the pain that he was feeling.
“He will…be the same…,” said Eliad. “He will be free from you…and will be with us…giving hugs and making friends and carvings out of wood…”
Aleixo laughed and started throwing punches and knees to try and make Eliad tired, pressing a lot of weight on him as well to try and weaken his strength.
“You will die!” exclaimed Aleixo.
Eliad coughed up blood from the punches and knees, his body feeling sore. Despite of his body screaming out to him, his face slowly grew a smirk.
“[BS] I said…begone, damn it…,” ordered Eliad, using his native tongue again. “At least for now…”
Aleixo’s eyes started to flicker. He then started to growl.
“Leave Eli—,” began Aleixo. His eyes turned red again, hopping off of Eliad and standing, clutching his head. “You stop fighting. You will die all the same in time!” His eyes then turned quickly to normal. “Leave Alei family alone!” He then started marching to the water, struggling as he did. “Fool! What are you doing?!”
Eliad struggled to get onto his feet before slowly moving towards Aleixo. He used his arms to grab both of Alei’s from underneath.
“Let Alei go!” exclaimed Aleixo, bursting into tears. He growled and used all the strength he could muster to throw Eliad off. “Eliad… Please!” He struggled then snarled, “You want your friend to die?! Save him! Or he will be lost!”
Eliad tightened his grip on Aleixo, tears streaming down his cheek.
“Alei…,” said Eliad. “I don’t want to lose another friend…”
“Alei don’t want hurt family…,” said Aleixo, stopping and standing still before holding his head. “Can’t control…”
“Do you trust me..?” asked Eliad.
“Yes…,” answered Aleixo, nodding slowly.
“We’ll get through this together,” said Eliad. “We’ll free you from this curse.”
“Alei…try hold back for long as can,” said Aleixo.
Eliad loosened his grip on Aleixo now but moved to bring him back. Aleixo, tired of fighting, moved back to the shore with Eliad.
“What do now..?” asked Aleixo.
“Well, we should have you eat, alright?” replied Eliad, releasing him slowly. “When was the last time you ate?”
“Alei no need food,” answered Aleixo. “He eat before Eliad found him…”
“Oh…,” said Eliad.
“Alei need for pain…,” said Aleixo, holding his head. “Alei…in much pain…”
“I know, Alei…,” said Eliad, moving to place his hand on Alei’s back gently. “I will do everything in power to get that thing out.”
“Alei…think it evil…,” said Aleixo, shaking his head. “Very evil…”
“It’s evil but it’s using you, a good person,” said Eliad. “Here… Sit down with me, alright..?”
Eliad sat down slowly, hoping that the danger was over for now. He watched as Aleixo took a seat next to him. He then looked out at the lake and beyond. Aleixo was not only just a friend to him, but to Eliad, he was becoming a brother figure to him. A sibling-figure he longed to have.
