The voice broke through the welling anxiety that had stopped Khivol in his tracks. He had been reading at the park, avoiding his sister’s investigation of his book shop, when the incoming storm pushed him from reading in the solitude of the park, just a short walk away from both his shop and his apartment. Still unable to return to his shop, Khivol had entertained the idea of going to one of the bars he used to frequent, however as he grew closer to it’s doors, Khivol found himself unable to go any further, still a good few meters from the bar when the anxiety of running into people he used to know, and more so them calling his sister, started to cause him to panic. And that was when the voice broke through the cyclone of fear that had frozen him in his tracks.
Khivol recognized the bitter-caramel of the man’s voice, it belonged to one of the many people he had tried to leave behind along with his old life, however unlike the rest of them, Khivol was actually relieved that he was there, standing behind him. As he turned to face him, Khivol watched the man’s expression change from uncertainty to relief.
“ Raf… It’s… been a while..”
Rafkyl raised a brow, before managing a smile, shaking his head in disbelief. “ Yeah you Idiot, you’re the one who stopped returning my calls.., I thought you were dead.., It’s good to see you…” The sea dweller’s words stung, not because they were harsh or made Khivol feel guilty, but because he knew how hard it was for Raf to admit such things.., but here he was, saying them without hesitation. Khivol was about to speak, when the presence of Dhy’Yhvn’s voice filled his head and he began to feel panic once more.
“ H-hey, let’s.. Uhm.. got to my place maybe?” Khivol’s words stammered and shook, as he began to nervously look around. Raf looked up at him, a curious expression on his face as his eyes glanced down to the pendant that hung from khivol’s neck. It didn’t take long for him to realize what it was he sensed around his old friend, and nodded. Taking Khivol by the cuff of his sleeve, Raf wordlessly began to lead him down the street, making the turn towards the apartment building Khivol lived in, slipping his arm around his back once the two of them were away from the bar. Trying to soothe him by rubbing his back, Raf glanced up to Khivol’s face once more.
“ So that’s where you went…” Raf sighed, glancing behind him trying to see who it might be that Khivol was running from, however no one passed by the crossroad they just left. As they reached the apartment building, Khivol quickly approached the keypad, putting in his code to enter the building, holding the door for Raf to enter, before closing the distance between the entrance and the elevator, wanting to be out of public eyes as quickly as he could.
Once the elevator ride was behind them and the two had entered Khivol’s hive, where he anxiously locked the door behind them before finally relaxing, leaning on the door to catch his breath, Rafkyl finally looked up at Khivol with furrowed brows.
“ An old god? Really? Didn’t I tell you they were dangerous?” Raf asked, however his tone gave it away that he wasn’t disappointed in Khivol what so ever, instead it showed just how curious he was about where his had been the past two sweeps.
“ He’s not like the ones you’ve seen…, He’s benevolent..” Khivol manages to speak, as he pushes himself off of the door and steps into his apartment, heading to the living room to plop down onto the couch. “ You sense it, don’t you?”
Raf follows him behind, leaning on the back of the couch, looking down at Khivol as he lays across it, looking like he just ran a marathon and was trying to catch his breath. His smile only grew as he sighed, reaching down and flicking his chin lightly. “ I’d love to say you’re an idiot for thinking that but.., You’re right.., What’s his name?” Raf goes around the couch, motioning for Khivol to sit up, sitting down where he had previously been laying his head, letting Khivol rest his head on his lap.
“Dhy’Yhvn, He relies on his devoted to be happy..,and he helps us find what being happy means for us.. Have you heard of him before?” As Khivol talks, Raf runs a hand along one of his blackened horns, surprised that none of the soot comes off. Once he asks him the question, Raf tilts his head back in thought.
“I haven’t.., although it’d make sense why he chose you.., although he’s got his work cut out for him if he wants to make you happy…” His smile softens as Khivol nervously laughs. “ So you’re avoiding your sister because of this I take it? She didn’t like you hanging’ with me, I can only imagine how upset she’d be knowing you’re full on devoted to an old god..”
“ Oh, please, your run-ins with old gods is hardly the only reason she didn’t like you around- besides…” Khivol sighs deeply, clearly stressed over his sister’s persistence in finding him. “ she knows.., She didn’t start hunting me down until she knew…, I don’t know how she found out about him but she does and that’s what makes me nervous… That’s why I was glad it was you and not anyone else..It's.., good to finally talk to someone from back then..”
Raf smiled down at Khivol, gently running his thumb along his cheek. “ You know I’d never tell her anything you wanted me to.., Just don’t go disappearing on me again..,”
“Yeah… sorry about that..” Khivol smiled, his eyes seemingly to change colour slightly as he caught Rafkyl up with where he had been the past two sweeps.
