Birthday Plans [North of Moscow]

[Nox]

Jacob helped Nox bury the body. In that he watched as Nox dug a hole in the ground with the power, then he poured accelerant and cast a match into the hole with the Atharim body. As the body burned Nox watched it carefully. When it was dust he'd bury the rest and make it look like nothing had happened here.

Sleep was fitful. It always was after a kill -- specially one that was human, and one that he saw so clearly. One that he had enjoyed just a little too much. The horde had liked it very much.

He'd admitted out loud to Oriena that he was a monster -- this was the first time he truly believed it -- he felt it.

It didn't help that he'd agreed to hunt humans -- channelers like him -- there as still a caveat, but still, he had agreed. He was no better than the man he was before Moscow -- only now he had a moral compass -- as gray as it was -- it still was a compass.

Daylight came and Nox packed his things. "Going to Aurora's grave. You coming?" Nox looked around making sure there was nothing amiss with the camp.

Jacob packed his own bags. "Like old times."

"Not exactly."

Nox lead the way through the woods towards the lake where Aurora was killed. Jacob followed without any words.

[Nox]

The lake house drew into view. The lake was in their path, but it wouldn't be long before they would be on the other side.

The air was cold on the lake. It wasn't even a pretty lake. It was gray with slag and algae.

Jacob whistled. "This is where he brought her?"

"Yeah. I hadn't noticed at the time"

"Don't beat yourself over it. She always was a bit of romantic."

"It didn't help that neither of us really remembered who we were."

Nox headed towards the tree that they had found Aurora's body. He'd felt her corpse there. Felt the lost connection. He could reach out into the earth and feel her bones now. What was left of her.

Sadness permeated his body. Even the horde shrank back at the dark pit inside. Jacob stayed quiet, he felt the air, he understood loss.

[Nox]

The tree was barren despite being just the beginning of autumn. Maybe the cold weather knocked them all down, but Nox was pretty sure it wasn't the weather. The whole place felt wrong. The man had been human. He wasn't a monster. At least not that kinda monster -- but he was one.

Nox sat down against the tree and pushed his power down into the earth below. "Hey sis!" He pulled out three beers and handed one to Jacob.

Nox cracked the top off of one and started pouring it on the ground. "Happy Birthday! I don't know how many more I've got left."

Jacob opened his mouth to say something but thought better of it. He sat down and started a fire off to the side. He made an assumption of where Aurora was buried. He patted the ground. "Happy Birthday, girl. Miss you."

They sat at the base of the tree well into the night and the following day. At dawn Nox packed up and headed down the long drive and to the highway. He assumed Jacob had a vehicle, but he didn't ask. And Jacob didn't say as they walked away from Aurora another year older.