Rebirth

Chapter 19: The King and His Jest

Beowulf's efforts never cease to amaze me. After we came to our hotel, he told us he managed to get us an audience with the king. I expected it to take days, yet he did it in a few hours. He must have some strong connections. Either that, or we're going in without anyone's knowledge, and that would cause a lot more problems than needed. However, I choked that thought down when we stepped into the king's front garden.

The massive hall of the castle seemingly stretched on for decades. I adjusted my clothes, making sure they were pressed neatly. Beowulf wore a suit, which was very unlike him, and he kept biting at the cuffs. We laughed each time he did, so it was difficult to keep a straight face as he continued his onslaught while we waited. Coming down the stairs, four men were carrying a fairly large litter, with red curtains draped down over the doors. I could see the shadow of the king inside, and part of me grew excited. I couldn't help but quickly think about the kind of guy he would be, and my mind always ended up reaching the point that he was an absolute jerk. It was pretty funny thinking about beating him into the dirt and taking his authority.

As the men placed the litter down, I watched closely, expecting a large, burly man with intense facial hair to step out. I was right about the facial hair, but it wasn't as intense. However, gazing at his face, Zhaniah, Cynthia, and my jaw dropped to the floor in surprise, and when he spoke, we knew for sure who it was.

"It is my belief, Beowulf, that these are the ones you... Speak of..." He stopped, watching us closely.

"RICHARD?!" Cynthia and I yelled. He approached Cynthia, patting her shoulders. "Well look at that! I've been worrying about you guys!" He faced Zhaniah. "Long time no see, Niah."

"L-Likewise..." She said through her stunned response.

Finally, he faced me, and I was partly expecting him to say something about my hair or eyes. Instead, he gave me a blank face and asked, "Who the Hell are you?"

"W-what! You don't recognize me?!" I touched my head. "Well, I did go through a bit of a change."

"Vic." Zhaniah said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "This is Justin. You can't tell from his voice?"

He seemed slightly shocked, pacing around me and touching my face, examining my face closely. "Yeah.. That's him alright.. No mistaking that... Well, what the Hell happened to you? You've changed the most. Zhaniah has a color change, and Cynthia's hair is slightly longer. You, you look like.. Well, just different."

"No idea why," I shrugged. "I'm better looking though, so that's a bonus." He smiled at me, then called up the stairs. "Jester! Come down here!"

"If you call me Jester one more time..." Down the stairs, a slightly bigger male followed the voice. I could tell for sure that it was Michael. He was a bit more muscular, yet he still wore glasses and virtually wasn't that different, aside from his hair. It was a brighter green now, and much shorter cut.

He spotted us, nearly pouncing on us in a tight hug. "Everyone!!"

"Michael..." I said, trying to breath in air. He was much stronger too. After a minute, he released his grip and smiled brightly. "I thought we'd never see you again."

"You know us." I said, rubbing my arms. He leaned closer to me. "You look different... What happened?"

"Don't worry about it," I said. "It's just an appearance change. Nothing serious."

"We'll see about that. So, what brings you all here? Are you here for the official marking?" He asked. Everyone looked at one another. "What official marking?" Zhaniah questioned.

"Every guild has to go through a series of trials before they become official. If not, they're branded as an illegal guild, since we can't find records of them anywhere. Aren't you here for that?" Richard said, stepping next to Michael. We all shook our heads. "I guess we have to get you signed up. Today was the last day for registrations."

"Guess we got lucky for that, huh," I said, nudging Zhaniah. She glanced at me, and we both nodded.

The registration was a basic sign up and testing. We were all tested for our special skills- Me for my magic, Zhaniah for her combat, Cynthia for her instinct, and Beowulf for his intelligence. G got a different test, but he wouldn't tell us what it was - and then placed in certain trails for our guild. We relayed a message to the pack, and they would be here within the next few days. Plenty of time for all of us to adjust and work on our weaknesses before the trials. Since we registered so late, the trials were put on hold until our guild gets here. The following night, Richard let us dine in the castle with him and Michael. It was nice, everyone catching up with one another, but I couldn't help but feel a piece missing. Everyone else came together, but Jocelynn was still missing, and it felt like a part of me was gone with her. Slowly, I felt myself sadden as the dinner went on, to the point I didn't feel like eating anymore. Telling everyone I'd see them at the hotel, and nodding my respects to Richard and Michael, I left the castle and just wondered around the city.

Quiet as it was, there were still a few stores and bars having the time of their life. People drunk to no end, without a care in the world. Wish I could live like that, it must be nice. Before I realized it, I was sitting on the sidewalk, watching the drunken people make their way out into the street and dance like it was their last day alive. Among them, my eyes couldn't help but notice the person pushing past the crowd, suitcase in her grip and saddened look on her face. Her hair was a deep midnight violet, her bangs covering her eyes. Something about her demeanor made me think she was upset, and I instinctively stood to follow her.

Call me a stalker, but seeing someone upset never went well with me. If I felt I could help them, I would try. True, I failed a lot in that regard, and almost gave up that part of my humanity because of that, but occasionally, I found myself doing the same thing all over again. Now was no different.

"Um, excuse me," I said loud enough for her to hear me. She stopped, turning and looking directly at me. Her eyes were a very light blue. I was slightly taken aback and shocked though. Why? Her right eye had been burned and scarred, and it looked very recent too. "What.. What happened to your eye?"

"That's rude of you to just ask something like that," She snapped. "Why would I tell a stranger like... Wait a minute, you look familiar..."

"I couldn't see how. We haven't met before now."

"And you came up to me? Why? Do you want something from me? Are you a pervert?" She questioned. Mentally, I closed my eyes. groaned and shook my head. As I reopened my eyes, I noticed the marking on her arm. It was also burned, but there were faint traces of a guild mark remaining. It looked extremely similar to the ones Jarimu and Dai had on them. "Do you know anyone who can control ice by any chance?"

She paused at me, looking at her scarred shoulder. "I take it you know who Jarimu is... Meaning, for you to ask, you must know I'm a part of Silent God guild... Or, was."

"What happened?"

She faced me, her eyes hard. When I looked deeper, I could see hurt lurking within them, and there was plenty of it. As she spoke, her voice cracked some. "I... It doesn't matter what.." She took a deep breath, "The Silent God is cruel.. They view themselves as the best among the guilds.. Hence, why they call themselves gods. They take what they want, do what they want, and no one can fight against them. No one was ever strong enough. If anyone did manage to get past the fodder fighters, they have to eventually fight Jarimu and his brother. If by SOME chance anyone did, then.. The Master would step in, and she's more powerful beyond what anyone imagined.. She considers herself the Goddess of the Gods."

"Sounds like a stuck up bitch." I said, crossing my arms.

"She is... and She found out recently I didn't fully agree with their ways... That's where these injuries came from."

My voice caught in my throat. I knew she must've had it bad, but to be attacked by her own people? I could feel the flames boiling in my gut, wanting to burst free... And I'd get the chance. "What's your name..."
".... Crystal." She answered honestly. Before she could ask why, I turned around, my eyes scanning the capital for her former guild, my soon to be enemies, Silent God. Locking on the magic visual, I hauled ass to their location, ready to give them a taste of their medicine and knock down false gods.