Jack Russell paused and stretched as he gave a long, loud, audible yawn. He scratched an itchy spot on his back and flicked off a bug that was crawling up his arm. Dawn had just arrived in Radiata City. Its inhabitants were slowly and steadily leaving the comfort of their beds to go about their daily business. Jack wished that he could have had a few more hours of good, blissful sleep, but a day at Theatre Vancoor, Radiata City's warrior guild, began very early. He passed a few people he knew on his way to the guild's headquarters, but was too tired to say a proper good morning, he merely grunted in response to their waves and smiles.
At the main entrance, he drowsily turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. He met the usual, groggy, early-morning scene at the reception area. Thanos was already awake as usual, assigning missions for the various guild's squads to carry out. Jack hoped that there would be good missions that day.
At that moment, the chief of Theatre Vancoor, Elwen, strode into the reception area, clad in her armour as always. She remained silent and waited until everyone stopped their actions and turned their attention towards her before she spoke.
"Members of Theatre Vancoor," she said, looking around at them, "I have received some news from Radiata Castle. The Lord Chamberlain, Lord Jasne, was found dead in his daughter's bedroom. Beside him was a chalice with very suspicious looking liquid. Members of the Vareth Institute have been dispatched to investigate the case. If the investigation shows that Lord Jasne had had the liquid forced down his throat, members of Theatre Vancoor, the Olacion Order, Vareth Institute and the Radiata Knights will be required to work together to find the person responsible, and capture him or her. For now, however, there is a funeral being held at the Castle, and it is mandatory that all of us attend it. Thanos, postpone all tasks and missions until the funeral is over at noon."
A babble of talk began at once, the moment Elwen left the area. Jack was surprised at the news. Who would kill Lord Jasne? It had been a month since Ridley had died, killed by the Silver Dragon, Aphelion, and two months since Ridley had run away from home to join the Non-Human side of the war. Jack knew Lord Jasne's protective nature over his daughter well enough to know that he had been extremely distraught ever since Ridley had left Radiata. He had seen the Lord Chamberlain drowning his sorrows in alcohol the night Ridley had left. He had looked awful, a picture of misery and loss.
A few minutes later, the members of the guild began to file out of the building and head in the direction of Radiata Castle. Many other citizens and members of the other guild were leaving their homes and guild headquarters to attend the funeral of the Lord Chamberlain, who had been adopted into the royal Silverlake family. Jack walked beside Miranda, who had seemed very happy to see him return to Radiata City after being away from it for two weeks. Jack squinted in the light of the morning sun, trying to hold back the feeling in his heart that threatened to overwhelm him – sorrow for Ridley's death. It was on Ridley's wishes to see him happy and continue living life as he should live it that Jack had returned to Radiata City and rejoined Theatre Vancoor.
At Radiata Castle, guardsmen were stationed at the entrances. They admitted everyone in, save for Void Community members who likely only came for a chance to steal riches from the Castle. Jack took a breath – it had been seemed like a long time since he had last been to Radiata Castle – that day when Ridley had died, Jack had carried her back. He had walked with the girl on his back, walked all the way from the Gold Dragon's Castle at the end of the world in the City of White Nights and back to Radiata City. The guardsmen stationed at the gates leading out of the City immediately swarmed him and he was bombarded with questions, but out of fatigue and misery, Jack had passed out, leaving the guardsmen to tend to Ridley's body.
Jack had woken up in the Infirmary of the Castle. Lord Larks had been by his bedside – he had been waiting for Jack to regain consciousness to question him. Jack had immediately left the Castle and Radiata City after he was allowed to leave.
Everything was much the same as it had been, save for the death of two of its royals. As he walked the familiar yet still confusing corridors, Jack felt a sense of nostalgia as he remembered his brief days as a knight-in-training. Miranda saw him look sad and slipped her arm through his to grip his hand tightly. Jack didn't do anything to acknowledge it nor to prevent it, he continued to walk on in silence. Miranda's hand felt warm and friendly and welcoming, and although they were close, Jack did not want to let go of Ridley so soon.
When they reached the Castle Courtyard, Jack could see practically all the Radiata citizens there, milling around a coffin in the centre. Jack didn't want to push his way to the front. He did not have the heart to look at the face of the man who had so limited Ridley's freedom and happiness. He stood in silence, Miranda still holding on to his hand.
The funeral progressed rather quickly. Rachel had come to sing a sorrowful song for the occasion, and there was food and drink. But Jack didn't want to stay for long. As soon as Lord Jasne's coffin was carried away to be buried, Jack got up to leave. He had other things to take care of. Miranda watched him go, wondering if Jack would like it if she chose to pursue him. In the end, she decided to let him go – she felt the vibe that he wanted to be alone at the moment. She would go and speak to him later.
Jack ran quickly out of the Castle, hoping that no one would stop him from leaving. Luckily, everyone was now at the Courtyard. The corridors were deserted, and no one but Miranda had actually noticed him leaving. He blew sigh of relief when he was finally back on the city streets. He wondered if Thanos had come back already, he needed a mission to do to keep his mind off Ridley, or he knew that he would go mad.
He opened the door of the building and gasped as he saw that Elwen was inside, seated at the table in the corner.
"Hello, Chief," Jack said, a bit nervously.
"Ah, hello Jack," Elwen said quietly. "I'd wagered that you would leave the funeral early. I was just thinking of calling you to my room to talk to you, but now would do fine. Please, sit down."
Jack seated himself opposite Elwen, wondering what she wanted with him. He soon found out.
"You and Ridley share a very strong bond, Jack," Elwen began, "and you have become very strong, and very brave because of your desire to protect her. Do you remember your interview here? I said to you that true strength only comes when you want to protect someone you care about, and you, Jack Russell, have learned that valuable lesson, and acquired such strength."
Jack didn't really know what to say, so he just nodded.
"But life goes on, Jack," Elwen continued. "We are sent many challenges and harships, but in the end we will be rewarded, and we will become stronger. You should know that, Jack. True love can never be lost, even when one of you is no longer alive. Ridley will always love you, wherever she is. You will always be a part of her in her heart, and she yours. I, too, have lost a loved one, and it is because of that that I fight. You have become a very fine member, Jack, and I would like to promote you to the position of General."
"W-what?" Jack gasped, surprised. It was quite unexpected.
"You heard me," Elwen affirmed, and Jack thought he heard a hint of a chuckle in her words. "Your squad shall remain the same, but you are now a General, Jack Russell. You will have more responsibilities and tougher missions, but I am quite sure you can handle them."
"Wow, thanks, Chief," Jack said. A General...Jack knew that he was indeed very young, probably the youngest General Theatre Vancoor ever had. He was proud of himself. He couldn't wait to write to his older sister Adele and tell her the news. He was unsure of what to do now. Thanos was not at his desk yet. Elwen seemed to have read his mind, for she got up and said to him,
"I have something to show you, Jack. Will you come with me? We'll go down to the Path of the Spiders."
Jack knew where Elwen wanted to take him – the Altar, the small room in a secluded part of the sewers. In his days at Theatre Vancoor, he had become quite well acquainted with the sewers and knew it to be a confusing, dark and smelly place filled with unsightly, unpleasant creatures and the strange man Tony who lived there. He had stumbled upon Alicia and Elwen in a small, red carpeted room with a broken wall as a doorway. The two women came in at different times and would stand, saying silent prayers and sorting out their thoughts.
Jack nodded and got up to follow Elwen. Elwen knew the Path of the Spiders extremely well and led him to the Altar rather quickly. Jack entered the familiar red-carpeted room again. A blurry, framed photograph of a man that Jack knew was named Alfred stood on a rectangular block of stone opposite the doorway. There were lit candles, apparently Alicia had been there not too long ago or the candles would have been snuffed out by then. For some reason, none of the sewer's stenches permeated the Altar.
Elwen turned to face Jack. She was silent for a minute, her arms folded across her chest. Then, she spoke.
"Both of us know what it's like to lose a loved one, and both of us fight well because of it. My sword, the Avcoor, is a very special sword. I have not told anyone why, and it shall remain so. But I have a gift for you, Jack Russell."
She turned around and opened a locked chest in a corner of the room. Jack had never noticed the chest before. He wondered what Elwen was going to give him. He soon found out, for when Elwen turned around, she bore a sword, beautifully made and quite new. The blade was a fine silver hue, and the hilt and handle of the sword was made of gold, beautifully carved and engraved, with a few precious stones. Jack could see a crest with an eagle engraved on the hilt, and beneath it he could just make out the name "Ridley Silverlake".
Jack was stunned. Did that sword belong to Ridley? Jack had never seen her use it before. Elwen handed it to him, and Jack took it in his hands, looking at it in wonder.
"This," Elwen explained, "is Ridley's sword – the Silverlake Blade. It was specially made for her on her birthday. I was told that when Ridley left to join the Non Humans, she chose to leave this sword behind and instead took a Glory Axe with her. I was given this sword for safekeeping until Ridley returned, but since she will not, it should belong to you. I'm sure she would have wanted you to have it. Use this sword, Jack Russell, and fight – fight for Ridley Silverlake."
Jack was speechless. He merely stared at the blade, running a thumb over the flat of the blade. The Silverlake Blade felt light but strong and sharp and unyielding, much as Ridley herself had been. Holding the Blade, he felt closer to Ridley.
"Thank you, Chief," Jack finally said.
"You're welcome, Jack," Elwen replied. "I can hear some people returning to the guild. Let's go back now. Thanos will have returned."
Again, Elwen led the way, and Jack followed closely, for although he had been to the sewers quite a few times already, it was still very easy to get lost. As he and Elwen ascended the ladder that led up to the empty cell in the basement of Theatre Vancoor, Jack felt relieved to be back on the surface, to inhale the clean air and see the natural light of the sun. Indeed, he could hear voices from the reception area - the funeral was still in procession, but perhaps some people, like him, had decided to leave early.
Back at the reception area, Jack saw Miranda, Thanos, Gerald, Flora and Natalie and Leonard. Jack waved at them.
"What're you doing here, Pops?" Jack said cheerily, directing his comment at Leonard. Leonard frowned.
"I'm only twenty-one, I told you," Leonard said exasperatedly. "Don't call me 'Pops'. Anyway, Lord Jasne has been buried, and we thought we'd come and deliver the news of the investigation ourselves."
"That's right," Natalie went on crisply. Her eyes were red and wet with tears – she had been most devoted and admiring of Lord Jasne, and it was real sadness that had made her cry that morning. "The lovely late Lord Jasne was poisoned, and experts from the Vareth Magic Institute were dispatched and have already investigated and came up with the conlusion – Lord Jasne himself drank the poison. He was too miserable and could not stand to be miserable any longer, and so he himself prepared the poison and drank it to be reunited with his daughter, Lady Ridley, once more." Natalie gave a sob. Leonard went up and put his arm around her, and Natalie allowed him, leaning her head on his shoulder and letting the tears fall.
"So old red-nose did suicide, huh?" Jack remarked. You could always count on him to make the most uncalled-for remarks at the most inopportune moments.
"It was a noble notion of his," Natalie defended.
"Shows weakness, more like," Jack countered.
"Jack!" Miranda gasped. "Please you two, don't fight. Today isn't the day. We're in the same squad, we can't squabble or we won't work together."
Jack turned to look Miranda in the eye. Miranda avoided his brown eyes and looked anywhere but directly at Jack, her cheeks turning crimson.
"If you're all done," Thanos said pointedly, "I have missions available. What'll it be today, Jack?"
"Actually, Thanos," Elwen said, "Jack has been promoted to 'General'. He will be taking on tougher missions now."
"General already, eh Jack?" Gerald chuckled. "You're young, but you've got plenty of guts and strength for it. I know you'll do great. Well, good luck. I'm off, everyone, got a score to settle with old Nocturne."
"Gerald," Elwen said clearly, as Gerald turned to leave, "for our sake, stay out of trouble. Friendly competitions are nice, but not if they turn out into a full-scale fight."
"I can't give any promises," Gerald called as he shut the door behind him.