"What's the matter sister?" Cornelius asked to his fuming sister.. "Are you mad because I'm right? Or because I'm wrong?"
Syrah Jewel was livid. Her hand was clenched into a fist within the confines of a gauntlet, ready to launch up and plant itself into the arrogant Dragon Lord's mouth. Her face was red, not out of embarrassment, but in anger. She really wished that someone, anyone, would walk up and save her from her brother's idiocy.
"Seriously Cor, shut your damn mouth!" Syrah spat at her brother before crossing her arms and facing the center of the Great Hall.
The Hall was quickly filling with people: warriors of Corvin's Blades, knights, castle staff, and even the royal families were all in attendance. Blyke and Dester walked up to them just as Syrah had finished replying to her brother, the both of them trying to figure out how to address the situation.
"It's because I'm right." Cornelius settled, chuckling to himself.
Syrah was about to break his jaw when Blyke asked what they were fighting about. The diamond-eyed warrior refused to answer, simply telling them to mind their own business. Cornelius, on the other hand, burst into a fit of laughter, nearly losing his balance as he did so and earning many stares from the surrounding crowd. Syrah was not amused in the slightest.
"I was teasing her at first and then-" Cornelius explained, unable to speak as he cut himself off with laughter, "But then- but then, it turned out to be true!"
Syrah rolled her eyes, commenting about his immaturity under her breath, cursing herself for leaving her scythe behind.
"What's true?" Tara asked, walking up to stand beside Dester.
"Oh nothing..." Cornelius teased, building suspense in his next words. "Just that little Syrah here is pining after Faradeigh!"
Tara covered her mouth with her hands, cheeks blushing with excitement, while Dester just scoffed. Blyke looked as though he had seen a ghost, even asking if he had just heard right.
"It's not like that..." Syrah stated firmly, planting her foot hard into the ground to get her point across..
"Then what is it like?" Cornelius asked.
"It's..." Syrah started. "I can't explain it... It's like, there's this aura about him. I mean, he's already made noteworthy impacts here, and all he's done is try to stay out of people's way and keep to himself. Even now that he's our friend; he still keeps so much about himself quiet. While I find that terribly annoying, imagine if he actually tried to accomplish something major."
"She's impressed." Cornelius deadpanned.
"Yes, I am." Syrah reaffirmed. "But... I think that's all it is..."
"Why does everyone keep talking about him?" Blyke grumbled.
"I know you don't like me, and I'm sorry for that, but can I squeeze past you real quick?" Faradeigh asked as if Blyke's comment was no big deal.
Blyke's eyes went wide as he moved aside without another word. There was no question that the younger warrior was still afraid or jealous of Faradeigh, but it upset Syrah to see one of her friends treat Faradeigh that way, especially since she had misjudged him similarly not too long ago herself.
"Faradeigh, hey, didn't see you walk in here!" Cornelius greeted his friend as Faradeigh walked up.
The two shook hands, and from there Faradeigh had begun greeting everybody, including Blyke. Blyke, however, decided to be rude and simply turned away as Faradeigh tried talking to him. Syrah glared at him, and he responded by turning away from her gaze as well. Dester tried asking what was wrong, but as he stepped away he bumped straight into Raven. There was no worse luck in the world that could possibly befall a scrawny timid kid than what had just happened. Tara, who had only just arrived, tried to step in, but Raven's glare kept her at bay. She squeaked as Dester defensively pushed her behind him, eyes glowering at the masked warrior, yet not making any moves to interfere. Syrah herself froze from the gaze coming from beneath that bird mask of his.
"Watch it kid!" Raven chastised. "I have enough to deal with already without some failure's abilities lashing out at me!!!"
"I-I-I-"Blyke tried speaking.
"You should quit now before you get yourself killed!" Raven sneered, beginning to turn away.
Syrah wanted to speak out so badly, but she could not. Raven never attacked those he deemed weaker than him, but he had no problems haunting their nightmares and killing their hopes. He was a jerk to everybody and would have no qualms about taking her in a duel. The last duel he fought in resulted in a death. That match had only lasted seconds. And while Raven was held responsible, it was brushed off since he was the one that was challenged and also because of his service over the years. Yet...
"Who do you think you are?" Faradeigh spoke out in a calm, yet accusing voice.
"Go home plebian." Was Raven's only response.
But Faradeigh was not done, it seemed, as he ran up to Raven and forcibly grabbed his shoulder. Raven turned towards him, that mask of his hiding any and all emotion from his face. Syrah could only imagine what unknown terrors resided behind that slab of metal.
"Why?" Faradeigh asked angrily, face curled into a sneer. "Because your hurt and pain is so bad, that you have to take it out on anyone and everyone?"
"You know NOTHING of pain..." Raven snorted, standing to face his rival head-on.
"Don't bet on that..." Faradeigh said cryptically, "I tried being lenient, seeing as you were hit with a Decomposition curse, but now I don't care! That does not justify your actions!"
There was a circle of curious people trying to listen in on what was being said. Syrah herself was standing in shock. No one had ever told Raven off in such a manner, at least not without ending up in the infirmary for at least a week. Yet, Raven stood there speechless, his face hidden away behind that weird mask of his. Looking at him now, frozen in front of Faradeigh, she only now realized that she had no idea what Raven actually looked like. A bit of his red eyes showed through the eye holes of the mask, but that was it. She also had no idea what a Decomposition curse was and wondered if it had to do anything with his ashen appearance.
"How do you know about that?" Raven demanded.
"Demonology? Curses?" Faradeigh questioned. "Ever heard of either? But I am curious to know how you survived such a nasty thing."
Raven towered over Faradeigh, putting a hand on his sword's handle, and wing flared threateningly. It was as if he was daring Faradeigh to say another word.
"That feeling, that you're feeling right now..." Faradeigh explained, "That's what everyone you talk to feels like. They feel vulnerable and exposed, the world around them closing in. You WILL stand down, and you WILL apologize to Blyke. If not... well, I can tell by your ashen skin that whoever told you that you were healed was wrong, at least partially. And your path of destruction is not helping you in the slightest. Drop the issue and apologize, and so will I."
As he presented the bargain, he held out his hand for Raven to shake it. Syrah was astounded; even more so when Raven returned the gesture and offered a gruff "sorry" to Blyke before he left, shoulders slightly sagged and wing drooping. Valiant silently congratulated Faradeigh before meeting up with his one-winged friend and their undead teammates. She could not help but relate the situation she just witnessed to Faradeigh's first encounter with Castor's men. Both times, his intentions and actions made little sense until the end, and despite all odds they had worked to Faradeigh's favor.
"You... helped me?" Blyke asked Faradeigh in disbelief.
"No." Faradeigh replied. "I stood up to someone who was abusing his power over others. If I was helping you, I'd be showing you how to handle yourself. And yes, that is an offer for a later time."
He did not give Blyke a chance to reply, however, and went on to discuss just what he was thinking to Cornelius, who had stayed out of the confrontation. Syrah supposed he was simply amused by everything, but it looked more like he was observing. He was looking straight at Faradeigh as this had all happened, his thinking face present. Syrah knew her brother's thinking face well, for his eyes squinted, and the right side of his lip quivered into a slight smirk. All Syrah could determine from the situation was that Faradeigh had made a new enemy, so she wondered what it was that was drawing her brother's attention.
'Maybe he's the one who's in love.' Syrah thought evilly, already planning to tease him about it later.
"Good evening, everyone..." Queen Rosenguard announced, after having silenced everyone in the hall. "We have a couple of gravely important matters to discuss..."
Faradeigh put every ounce of attention into that woman. As far as he was concerned, she had earned every right to be respected and valued. Her whole family as well. While he had not met the heiress to the throne yet, Stella had surprised him by accepting Syckle so easily, and even offering help. In addition, there was everything she had done for him prior to that. The Queen, also, had pardoned Faradeigh for his past transgressions, without so much as requesting the records of the events! Even the King did not argue his pardon and instead turned on King Cardinal.
And while Faradeigh was grateful, he was not daft. He knew that their decision was not out of respect for him, but rather out of respect for what was right. The past was still against him, and he knew they were watching him, perhaps waiting for him to slip up. He wondered what they thought of his constant sneaking away, but he knew it was nothing good. Still, he did his best when it came to his training and even in the duels he kept finding himself in. He took extra care not to use the blood leeching ability of his dagger, even though it cost him his rematch against Castor. Luckily, neither had been too injured in that confrontation, but he had to redeem himself if he wanted to keep his position in the beta team.
"First order of business is the addition of a member to our beta group." The Queen spoke as Stella Rosenguard, dressed in a new black outfit stepped forth.
Unlike her old outfit, which looked like an array of black clothing thrown together, this one mostly consisted of a heavy black coat. Her face-mask was a bit different as well, with straps to secure it in place, and no longer bearing the Rosenguard crest. Her catalysts seemed to be hidden beneath the coat and her blonde hair flowed out the back freely, a look that surprisingly had suited her form.
There were murmurs of uncertainty and disdain in the crowds. Faradeigh, even knowing that this was bound to happen sooner or later, could only stare in shock. He remembered seeing her putting the mask on over her face as she stepped out of her room right before his eyes. While he suspected she would do something this rash, the fact that she had seen her own parents that day, and probably several times after to make this happen, surprised him. It was a severe tactical risk on her part. And even though he did not know her all that well, he felt a sense of worry.
"This is a mercenary that has gone by the name 'The Black Rose.'" Queen Rosenguard stated. "She has proven herself a valuable asset and a trustworthy source. However, due to her abilities, the King and I have allowed her to keep her true identity a secret. I will now allow her to demonstrate her abilities, so that you all may understand. Thank you."
The protesting had already started by the time Stella had stepped forth. So by the time she drew her magical blades, and played around with her blue magic, the protests had grown into roars. The Queen looked displeased, but made no efforts to silence the crowd. Instead, she waited for the worst of it all to get said, before gesturing for everyone to silence themselves.
"Please, please, settle down!" The Queen requested politely. When enough people had begrudgingly silenced, she continued. "For those of you that do not know, this is an ability known as Emanation. It is the ability to control magic directly. Now as we all know, magic originates from the Crevasse, and as such this ability is demonic in nature. Many of you may already have your prejudices, which is the reason that I have agreed to allow the anonymity of her identity, so long as she remains loyal to our cause."
She paused to let this sink in, nobody portraying any signs of being happy about it. Faradeigh, too, was not pleased about this. It was a very large risk, not just to her, but to him for already knowing, and to Syckle, whom she had promised to aide. Sooner or later, the lies would catch up and she would be revealed for who she really was. The Queen probably already suspected, and while Syrah seemed ignorant about it, he doubted she would be truly surprised when she was revealed. But what surprised Faradeigh in that moment was Stella stepping forth with her hand on her mask. In that moment, everyone in the Rosenguard family was an idiot. The King and Queen were at fault for allowing these events to take place at all, and Stella for her rashness.
'Is she...?' Faradeigh thought, too stunned to speak as his posture noticeably tensed up.
"Are you okay?" Cornelius asked.
"I'm fine." Faradeigh replied too quickly.
There was no time for anyone to reply or question him further because the disguised Princess began to speak.
"I came here with the intention of revealing who I am underneath this mask..." She spoke in her all too recognizable voice. "I thought that... I thought that it was the best course of action. But the truth is... you are not ready. I can hear your confusion, and I can feel your hatred... Some day, I WILL reveal myself, just... not today. Thank you."
And with that she stepped down, hand lowered away from her face, and was guided by the Queen's servant to stand with Faradeigh and the rest of the beta team. Others around them had distanced themselves from the now gathered team. Faradeigh felt disgust at this. Despite where the abilities originate from, they do not define a person. However, he also understood their nervousness. While he could not say with perfect accuracy the nature of her abilities, with what he knew of such things he could come up with a very good idea. The very thought made Faradeigh's skin crawl, but seeing as she was the daughter of the Rosenguard family, a family whose bloodline was traced back from during the Age of Blood, then he had to be wrong about it. He had to be.
"Our second order of business is to finally address a long growing problem." The Queen announced, earning complete silence and undivided attention. "The city of Brim, known by many as the city of the dead, has been infested with spiritual influences for centuries. We have discovered that this location is home to the only known naturally occurring rifts. We believe, as a result of our investigations, that it is from these particular rifts that humanity originally learned to open rifts of their own, guided by the knowledge of demons wishing to influence us.
"However, many of these rifts are now becoming corrupted. There has never been a single documented rift becoming corrupted naturally, and so an outside influence must be at play here. With the spirit count so high, the people have been forced to evacuate into the surrounding wilderness as best they can. By the time we arrive, the place should be a ghost town, in every sense of the term. Already we have called for aide from those who are able and willing to help.
"The forefront of fighting this threat, of course, lies with us. With demon sightings becoming more frequent as time passes, I cannot afford to send everyone, nor can I also cannot afford to send under-experienced warriors. However, we will be sending the best we have to offer, which is part of the reason for the division into groups. It is obvious that both the Alpha and Beta teams will be sent on this mission. Both groups have members that have experience in dealing with and closing rifts, as well as other matters relating to demons and the Crevasse. This was how my daughter decided was the best way to sort everyone.
"Brim is larger than most places we have been dispatched to so far, meaning our enemies may be beginning to become bolder in their actions. Personally, I believe Archleon's Hunger is behind this, but alas there is no definite proof. Our teams will begin preparing immediately. Oh, and one last thing... The next person to berate any members of the Cardinal family will be subject to thirty-six hours in the stocks, in a town of King Ernest Cardinal's choosing! Dismissed!!!"
The Queen and the King retreated from the room, despite all of the shouting and questions being thrown at them. Faradeigh's eyes were about to bulge from his head.
'This just keeps getting better and better...' He thought to himself sarcastically.
Not only was he exhausted from a duel with Castor, but Brim was the place he had gone to live after leaving the Arena. From the Arena, it was along the path to the Rosenguard kingdom, but he had not gone any further at the time. It was in that damned place that he realized he had no idea where to go, and that he did not know how to do anything other than fight. It was also there that he met Thayo, the boy who taught him to survive on the streets and that being ruthless was the only way to survive. He had done so many unforgivable things since meeting Thayo, but at the time he was grateful for having the guy as a friend. Then, one day, Thayo tried to kill him. After going their separate ways, Faradeigh left Brim and kept to outskirt towns and villages such as Glenwood. In addition, there was no more mistreating Vaughn... Faradeigh sighed as he counted his many losses.
It was in Brim that he learned of what rifts looked like, and learned how to close them with his weapons. His sword could close the ones that occurred naturally, regardless of color, while his dagger could close the ones that were not. There was no way to tell by sight alone, but he always made the attempt with the sword first. If it was rejected, he knew it was humans that were behind it. Spirits had been formidable foes, but in a place like Brim, there were still a few that simply wanted to exist without causing too much trouble. But if many rifts were becoming corrupted...
'I better coax Syckle into following.' Faradeigh decided, 'His dragon fire could fell hundreds in a single breath if need be. But, who would watch over Rigel...?'
"Ready for your first mission, newbie?" Cornelius teased, "Or can you not handle going to that bad, bad place?"
He was talking down to Faradeigh like a child, obviously responding to the time when he had refused a trip to Brim. Although, it was odd. He found out from Syrah that there was never an initiation, and that Cornelius was probably just looking for a reason to get rid of him. Still, even if that were the case, why would he need to go to Brim? But then again, knowing Cornelius he was likely trying to get rid of him, as Syrah suggested. Brim and its many dangers would pose the perfect opportunity for such a task. They had not exactly gotten along back then. In fact, he found it odd that Cornelius was so accepting of him as he was now. He figured that Syrah must have had something to do with that. All of the coincidences were messing with Faradeigh's head, to the point he was considering taking a belief in fate. He had no idea what was going on, but decided that believing in destiny was not the worst thing in the world.
"If only you knew..." Faradeigh replied mysteriously with a shake of his head, referring to, just Cornelius, but all of his teammates.
Tara and Dester were talking nearby, Faradeigh's curiosity leading to him listening in on them, finding that they were simply exchanging information about how they were doing, their duties, and about how long Dester thought the journey would take. Dester admitted to her that it would be dangerous, and earned a worried gasp from her. Instead of comforting her, touching her in any way, he scratched the back of his head and tried explaining that it was no big deal.
Faradeigh wished he could help Dester out here, but lacked the experience to do so. Still, while he had never been in any sort of relationship, and likely had no hopes of being in one, he still knew that if someone is worried like that, that the other person should reassure them. If what he witnessed from others was anything to go by, taking her by the hand would have been ideal, but again, what did he know? He doubted that he himself would have been brave enough to do it were it him in that position rather than Dester.
"Hey..." Blyke said nervously, approaching Faradeigh from behind.
"What is it?" Faradeigh asked curiously, kneeling down for Blyke.
"Would you... really help me?" Blyke asked, now with a hopeful look in his eyes. "Could you even help me?"
"I'll tell you something that I was told once." Faradeigh responded, kneeling down to meet the kid's gaze. "Help never comes in the way we want it to. At the end of the day, we can only help ourselves. But I will do what I can to help you to help yourself."
"But... why?" Blyke asked, trying to understand Faradeigh's words.
"Because I was like you once." He answered honestly. "I was lost and alone, in a place where I knew I would die. But then... I met someone that was willing to help me. I'm only alive today because of her kindness."
'He's about the same age I was the year Thayo betrayed me...' Faradeigh mused, seeing how different his life could have been were he born into a different situation.
"Her?" Blyke asked in surprise, fixating on that one single detail that Faradeigh let slip.
Faradeigh ignored that question, instead meeting up with his team as they left to get their gear. Castor was with them as well, and he did not look happy about being near Faradeigh. It went without saying that the feeling was mutual. If Castor held any sense of honor, then Faradeigh would have won the duel. However, he could only blame himself for assuming that his opponent would fight fairly.
And while he regretted not fighting with his dagger's ability, it was good that he did not, or he would be out of commission for the quest he was about to embark on. Faradeigh would have, could have failed everybody. He may have lost that battle, but he did not care as long as he won in the long-run. Faradeigh was being given a chance to prove himself, and not just to his fellow warriors and to the royal family, but to himself as well. Perhaps after all of this, he would finally feel a true sense of belonging.