The Hero

Chapter 23

When the door opened, the Champion couldn't help but startle in complete nervousness. He wasn't sure of how to act toward the one that practically spat in his face.

"You won't regret it, I swear!" a male voice promised, belonging to Radean.

The first to enter was Nightstrider, who had her arms crossed and eyes narrowed. She immediately took her position against the wall right beside the door, leaning against it with one leg bent backward. Her brother followed, scanned her, then sighed. He soon faced the Champion with a sparkle in his eyes, though there was apparent weariness beneath the surface.

"It was very hard getting her to come, but I managed to persuade her," Radean declared, his sister rolling her eyes and snorting.

The Champion rested his gaze upon the girl, neither of them speaking a word. She wouldn't look back at him, even despite the long, awkward silence she was accustomed to filling in the past.

"Hello, big guy?"

"Use your foolish tongue no more," the Champion requested, as he pounded his fist on the table. Nightstrider finally peered at him in irritation, but her arms remained crossed to hide whatever she was feeling. "I want to hear from her, not you."

"I don't think she'll speak; she's quite pissed—" Radean began, though Nightstrider finally pushed herself off the wall.

"I really, really didn't want to come here," she plainly stated. Her new position had her hands gripping the table's edge and leaning forward. Her eyes stared into the Champion in an assertive manner. "But it seems my mind can be changed. It just takes a lot of work." She looked over her shoulder at her idle brother and scoffed. "Like... a lot."

"It took hours to get her to even acknowledge my words!" Radean complained. He was always a background noise, really. In all the encounters, he was just there. He existed. It was almost as if he was a leech that tried to steal his sister's spotlight.

"You can get on my nerves so easily sometimes," Nightstrider murmured, and shifted her gaze onto the Champion again. Irritation in her brown eyes immediately turned into frustration. "I hope you remember what I told you last night. I seriously do—that your thick skull can handle such jarring news."

The Champion was uneasy at her foul language, but showed nothing of it. Instead, he fumbled with his gauntlets in a calm, poised state. As per usual; the king never showed any signs of hesitation or nervousness. Or at least they hid it well.

"I had a meeting earlier with the council—"

"That despises your entire existence?" Nightstrider remarked, amused, shaking her head. "They hate you to the point of sending assassins. And it's not like you don't hate them either, so what's the point? Why even bother confronting enemies that only wish for your downfall?" She leaned further in, her red stroke of hair falling down upon her face. "Hm? Are you that desperate? Has it come this far so soon?"

"I am not desperate nor will I ever be," the Champion answered as boldly as possible, his visor rigid in providing a cold stare. Usually those that met it would cower and look away. Nightstrider did no such thing.

"Really now?" She laughed and let her gaze slide onto the table beneath her. Black hair was already pouring out of the hood, nearly touching the surface. "Using pawns to do your dirty work. Killing supposed traitors to appease your insecure state." She moved her head back up to reveal bored eyes. "You are desperate. Very much in fact. Don't even try to deny it."

"I. Am. Not. Desperate," the Champion spelled out, as he was forced to slide his right gauntlet out of sight to suppress its thirst to rip her tongue out in an instance.