Chapter 53: Proposal

Norrix:

I use the shovel, to get more trash out of the ground. Then, I dump the trash in the bucket. No one asked me to help with the cleaning of the river, but I still do it.

Yes, the work is hard. But the slight breeze that plays with the birches is like a balm on my skin. There are still many elves, who keep on cleaning. For them, the nighttime is not a problem.

It was hard, for them to accept me in their midst. Not that the elves are very violent towards vampires. They have this live and let live approach to life. Now, though, as I prove myself to them, I can sense that they are warming up to me.

My bucket gets filled after only two more shovels worth of trash. I wipe my forehead with my gloved hand. After which, I take the bucket, and make my way towards the waste wagon.

As I walk, I see Elias walk in the same direction. I wave at him, and he waves back. Yet, I can see that there is no enthusiasm in his wave. I reach the wagon first, and dump the content of my bucket inside.

As I pretend to rest by the wagon, Elias finally makes it to me.

"How are you, Eli?" I ask him, as he dumps his waste in the wagon.

"Instead of bagging the necromancer, I have to clean after the mayor's bad decision. What do you think I feel like?" his tone of voice is too confrontational for me. Yet, I give him a smile.

"Sorix is helping with the cleaning of the old dumping site. The last I heard about their efforts, Giv was donating some blood for a new rune, which will incinerate the trash without causing forest fires," I tell Elias, wanting to see him with a different expression than disapproval.

"You are awfully accepting of the Dread Lord," Elias snaps at me. I quirk an eyebrow.

"I really would like to see how you handle someone like Sorix in an honor duel," maybe, my patience is at an end. For, my voice rises at the end.

"I would have defeated him," Elias says. I manage to stop myself from snorting at the last second. Still, my eye roll doesn't escape the elf. "You doubt me?"

"Look, you might be the best fire mage out there. But Sorix is a Dread Lord. It took dragon fire to take him down. How would you have done anything against him, without Giv's help?" I ask the elf. He places his bucket down on the ground, and stares me down.

"I won't forgive the desecration of the graves," Elias's eyes are hard. Even as dark as it is now, I can see the blind hate in them. I stand up, and move closer to him.

"It is better to have allies, than enemies. Tell me, who died because of Sorix? I dare say that more people died because of this polluted river, than of the necromancer," Elias seems to waver at my words.

"Just because no one died, doesn't mean that he was not aiming for people to die," which is true, I suppose. Still, I have a counterargument of my own.

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"I think Sorix resisted the call of the Dread for as long as he could. Otherwise, his army would have overrun us all," I can see that Elias's hands ball into fists. I take off my gloves, and place a hand on his shoulder. "Look, you have to pick your battles much better than that. Ajax is the real threat."

"Is he?" He asks, his face red. "When was the last time Ajax killed someone?"

I gulp. Well, I hadn't expected this.

"He burns something down every day," I hear Nathaniel say, as he carries his own bucket. "You were not hurt by Sorix, Elias. I was. If I can look pass that, and acknowledge that Sorix was under foreign influence, why can't you?"

"It is not that easy," Elias says. I place a hand on his back, and give him a couple of pats.

"Your parent's corpses were returned, were they not?" I ask. He nods, but his lips are set in a stubborn line.

"That doesn't make it any better," Elias says.

"Well, if you want to tell me something, or attack me, then quit mopping and do it," Sorix comes with his own bucket. He dumps it in the wagon, and then turns towards Elias. "I am not proud of what I did. Nor will I repeat it, as long as my honor duel vow stands."

"What if it is no longer active?" Elias counters. "Will you even tell us, that you hear the Dread? That you want to take over the world, and fill it with undead?"

"Probably no," Sorix says, and I shake my head at him. He winks at me, and continues. "But I am invested in this party. I know I will never get the dragon to separate from his mate. I have come to terms that they are a packaged deal, that comes with a child."

I blink at that. Sorix wants to join in on Nathaniel and Givontair's relationship? Just when did he make this decision? And, has he told either of them anything about that?

"But let us go back to the topic on hand," Sorix continues, as if he hadn't just dropped this on us. "You want me dead? I can understand that. Many want me dead. You are not strong enough to get me to that point. I offer you peace, seeing as Norrix is dancing in circles around you. I can also sweeten the deal. How long has it been, since you spoke with your mother? I can arrange it. A quick conversation, and then she goes back to being at peace."

I can see that Elias is entertaining the proposal.

"I will never forgive you, not even after you have done me such a favor," Sorix grins at that.

"I don't want for you to forgive me. I want for you to drop off all the anger you are carrying. Something tells me, that it was there long before I dug out your mother from the grave," Sorix then turns around, and goes back towards the dirty river.

"Just think about it, ok?" I clap Elias on the back once more, and then turn, to go towards the river myself.   

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