Fable: Tales of the New Kingdom Part III

Introduction

The first day of travel back from Westcliff was a quiet one. Though Shunt was incredibly curious as to the nature of Michael's powers, Michael was in no sort of mood to discuss it. Shunt continued to prod Michael for answers as to how he achieved such amazing abilities that allowed him alone to defeat the Hollow Troll, but still Michael remained silent and appeared rather irritated by his lines of questions. He's rather have Speer mock him with his condescending tone, but even he seemed to be in less of a speaking mood. Speer remained at the back of the ground, sulking and glaring at Michael silently. His jealousy consumed him, but more hurt was his pride. He knew his life had just been saved by the one person he hated most in this world, and what was worse is that it never would have gotten into that dire situation were it not for Speer's own plan to grab glory for himself.

"I vow," Speer said to himself, quiet enough so the other three could not hear, "that I will become more powerful than that wretched rat. And when I do…" Speer clenched his fist and sparks erupted from his hand violently, but he ceased it before his fellow Heroes could catch wind of it.

"What are you doing back there Speer," Oh no, too late! Perhaps, "nothing, just bored. This walk is tedious, you know, comparatively," Speer said with a nod behind him, gesturing to Westcliff and its not fallen Arena. Willow hesitated a moment, noticing the odd look on his face before dismissing it and returning her attention to Michael, wrapping her arms around him as they walked.

"I know it must be hard to leave your mother, but I know you'll see her again," Willow said, trying to sooth his conflicted soul.

"I'm not sure it's that simple," he remarked, breaking his hours long silence, "things are so clouded right now. Not only is the future veiled in a mist of uncertainty, but the past is foreign to me now as well." Willow sighed , she wanted desperately to help Michael but she didn't know what she could do.

"What are you going to do when we get back?" she inquired. And after a long pause, Michael gave her another cryptic answer.

"What I should have done before." He said simply.

The rest of the trip Michael didn't speak to anyone. When they made camp, Michael laid awake next to Willow, gazing up at the stars. After two sleepless nights and days of having to listen to the renewed arrogance in Speer coming alive in his selfish and exaggeratory tails of how he 'saved' everyone and how without him, they would have all died in round three. It was exhausting, and all three of the Heroes let out a collective sigh when they finally reached the Guild. The only problem now was to how they would explain their nearly week-long absence to the Guildmaster. When they got to the gate they needn't even knock, as the doors swung open when they stepped forth. Their fears were realized, as standing in the doorway was Guildmaster James, arms crossed and glaring a hole through each one of them.

"With me," James said simply, turning and walking towards his chambers. The four Heroes stood there in shock, all foreseeing the inevitable punishment in their future. "WITH ME!" James shouted his orders again and this time they immediately obeyed, walking behind him with their heads hung in shame. They walked through the courtyard and could feel the eyes of the Guild upon them, judging them, shaming them for worrying the Guild about their disappearance. It was a relief to reach the inner walls where the population was smaller, but when they entered Guildmaster James' private chambers and the doors slammed shut, a whole new feeling of dread overcame them.

A silence fell over the room and the Heroes fidgeted awkwardly as James continued to glare at them. Each one wanted to speak up and explain why they had to leave, but none had the courage. They knew nothing they could say would ease James' mind. This silence seemed to last forever, and each of them wished he would just let them have it and get it over with. The silence was deafening.

"Five…days…" James began, "Five days you've been gone, and no one knew where you were! Do you realize how worried we were? We thought you had been kidnapped! Killed even! We searched every nearby town in search of you four! The entire Guild was out in force combing the landscape for you, searching for any kind of clue to your whereabouts! Do you not realize how important you are? How much you matter? Where could you have possibly gone? What could possibly be so important that you couldn't even tell me where you were going?"

All four stood there in silence, ashamed of themselves for worrying the Guild so much. When they looked back, it all seemed silly.

"Westcliff…" Michael spoke up gently.

"What was that?" James asked for clarity.

"Westcliff…We went to Westcliff," Michael repeated.

"Whatever was in Westcliff that demanded you go there in secrecy?" James asked angrily. Michael hesitated, but he knew he could not keep anything from the Guildmaster.

"My family," Michael began, "and the man who took them from me." He explained further. James' look of anger and disappointment changed to that of pained sadness.

"Your family…how did you find them?" James inquired.

"Actually, it was by mistake. The real reason I went to Westcliff was because Dalga, the demon inside of me, showed me visions. Visions of my past that told me everything: where I was from, what happened to my mother and father, and what brought us here to the Guild. He told me that the Mayor of Westcliff, Mayor Wilson chased my father away, that he was responsible for all the pain and suffering my father endured to save my life. He told me that Wilson was a tyrant, evil, and had to be destroyed. I…I couldn't help myself. I became so angry that nothing could stop me from going," Michael trailed off and looked to his comrades, "they had nothing to do with it. They only came along because they felt they had to protect me, I didn't ever want them to come, it wasn't their fault. It was all mine I swear," Willow stepped forward to object, but Michael gestured to her to stay silent. He wasn't about to let her needlessly put her neck out for him when it was his responsibility alone.

"And so you went to Westcliff to kill this Mayor Wilson? Michael these are not our ways and you know it," James advised.

"I know they are not Guildmaster, and I am sorry, but I was not in control," Michael responded pleadingly, "My rage and fury made it impossible to think clearly. We snuck out of the Guild and headed to Westcliff, and when we got there we found the place in utter poverty and despair. They feared for their lives every day, for if they spoke up against Wilson they were forced to compete in the Arena! We decided to compete together, and Wilson said we could name our prize we would fight for, so we made Wilson promise that if we won that he'd step down from his place of power and donate his wealth to the city. He tried everything he could to cheat us out of our victory, providing us with faulty weaponry and explosive vials of health potions, and when we finally got to the final round he unleashed this…monster, comprised of the bones of everything that had died in the Arena before. It began to tear us apart and…" Michael had to pause to quell his anger that was beginning to rise reliving the experience.

"I lost control again. Dalga took over, he tricked me into giving him full control and with his power I easily defeated the troll. But when I did, my first instinct was to go check on the others, but my body wouldn't respond. Dalga was refusing to give up control, and he…he forced me to kill Mayor Wilson infront of everyone," Michael trailed off once again, gripping the hilt of his father's sword, the one that killed Wilson, "thankfully after Wilson was killed I was able to regain control, and everyone was okay. I thought I'd finally gotten revenge for my entire family…but before we could leave a man named Gregory stopped us and told me that I was mistaken. He brought me up to a tower, and up there was a beautiful woman…and that woman was my mother Joanne Collins. She told me she had been locked away for fifteen years for refusing to obey Wilson, who had forced her to marry him only months after my father and I were chased out of our home. However during that time…they had a daughter together, my half-sister Guinevere, and she had been brought up by Wilson to despise my…our mother, and after she found out about what I did to Wilson she'd surely hate me as well, and lord only knows what she'd do to my mother if she found out I was her son. I had to leave Westcliff, only knowing my mother for all of ten minutes and never to meet my sister." Michael paused once again after summing up the entire story, whipping a tear from his eyes and calming his nerves so he not lose his cool.

"Michael…you tell me this as if you mean more than to tell me why you were gone," James inquired. Michael stared at his feet for a long while before quickly looking back up and meeting the gaze of the Guildmaster.

"I lost control...and because of that I lost another piece of my family. I never want to feel that helplessness again," Michael became quiet again as if he was coming to a gravely important decision, "I want the exorcism."