It was a quiet moment, perhaps because the 'leader' was in denial, his mind a turmoil of thoughts as he tried to make sense.
The pervious Lord of Phoenix Drop had disappeared and was taken up by a woman named 'Aphmau' who made it clear that she was truly a person to believe in, to trust in, and rely on.
From his limited knowledge of the subject, the woman he saw as the Lord WAS indeed this Aphmau, but how? How is she still the same when a number of villagers there were so much older, so changed.
His thoughts continued until Nolrag had enough, locking the door as the skull faced back to his host and spoke with a heated voice. "Okay, kid, enough is enough, you have lingered on this one woman for far too long, you need to snap out of it, idiot."
"I think you have no room to talk, fel spawn..." Nolrag huffed as it hovered in front of Phanto and, extending its essence, took the youth's jaw and lifted it up to stare into the growing blue flames.
"I have got plenty of room to talk, you are the one wallowing in self-doubt, just because you saw one woman, you suddenly decide to close everyone else out, then you are no better than when you LEFT your pitiful village..." Yet, the eyes were hollow, silent as the essence released with a sigh and floated over to a chair to continued, seemingly open about itself and its ideas. "...Looks like this is going to take more than a strict talk to whack you out of it."
The skull hummed in thought before deciding to test something else out. "Okay, let's play a game that I have been meaning to test out for a long time." With that, the skull surged forth and rammed straight into Phanto who quickly felt his body dozed out, his eyes closing as well to the darkness...
He stirred in the abyss, his laying body resting on a shallow, water that shined in the darkness as he sat up and soon was joined with a burning skull that spoke without its jaw moving. "Pleased to meet you here, a realm of both mind and soul."
"Nolrag, where did you bring me?"
"We've inside your mind, it reflects your inner state of control and, due to you shutting the world off, it is bleak, filled with shadows and darkness as you wallow in uncertainty." The skull lead the way as Phanto stood up and followed to the demon's explanation. "Though it is rare, I thought it best to get inside your psyche and help bring you out of this stupor, we are not going to do anything if you are snapped out of your basic trust and knowledge."
"And ramming into my body is the way to do it?"
"No, but it was the only way to get to your scape without your consent, it is an open process, not an enclosed line unless we are not cooperative on a level."
Phanto crossed his arms as the memories started to fill the void, both good and bad as he watched his sudden rejection of the Lady Irene, a bold and uncalled move on his part as he turned his back on her, as if she was the reason of pain. "...So... I have need of some mental repair?"
"...Kid." The skull floated back over, the water rippling as if it was walking. "You and I see what is happening, you are suffering in denial and you have shut everyone out, I had to stop you from attacking Melody, the lady." At this, Phanto looked up in shock, his blackened eye missing as the skull had it, perhaps to show that Nolrag is the darker half. "You... look surprised, why is that?"
"I... don't remember trying to attack her, I just wanted to be left alone, but everything in between is... foggy." Phanto ran a hand through his hair as he thought about it, feeling coming back as he opened up, the memories flying by with his mind. "I remember heading back to the base in some form of loss, but upon entrance and my chambers, I just was numb, lost in my own thoughts that I didn't realize what I was even doing, like..."
"You were a different person, someone who was enraged and couldn't hold it back if I didn't intervene." Nolrag floated down before assembling himself as a reflection of Phanto, his canines still the same as the skull, the right eye hollow to the left's black. "I am supposed to be the evil in your heart, but something else has that place and deep down, you realize it..." Phanto wanted to turn, to deny the demon's claims, but he was silent as he thought back to the short dream vision.
"...It is a fragment of my foster father, a part of him that I wish I could remove, but he haunts me through my waking hours, his presence a terror as if he was still alive and kicking... AND had undergone a vile transformation." The youth sighed as his dark half waved a hand and the presence seems to have faded away, lifting his spirits up a bit. "I cannot deny his role before his death, a good man who cared for a child abandoned at a doorstep and had given lessons on what the child knew of religion and combat, but after his time passed, I... couldn't keep going and in spite, denounced the Irene that everyone worshiped, a fool's error at the time from a boy that was hurting too much to carry."
"Then... let us rebuild in his name, his life will not be in vain as long as we stand for him." Phanto nodded as he clasped hands with the dark double with the scape fading away to the youth's clarity...
He awoke with a start, sitting up to see his room before rubbing his temples, the tension easing away as he spoke. "Nolrag, from what little we understand, is it possible that the woman we saw was the same one of Phoenix Drop's past?"
"It would be impossible, but the fire and conviction that brimmed from that woman, there can be no doubt about it, but how has she retained her youth, she should be thirty-five or thirty-six by now." The skull roamed out of Phanto's body and rested on his lap, his hand upon the bony dome that it possessed. "What magics could be in use to keep her as is?"
"Is it magic or is it something else altogether?" Phanto mused over the fact as he released the vampire skull, leaning on his left as he thought. "The truth of the story is much, MUCH more than just a complex magic trick, I feel."
"But first, we need to get you into the searching mood, let's do some requests." Phanto nodded as he readjusted the eyepiece with the skull entering and commenting with the gear up. "From the little info we got, we didn't find out much and that is a problem as Phoenix Drop has been a mystery for a great number of months, even its decay was quickly repaired, but why and who could have done such a difficult task?"
Phanto mused the same as he fixed the rapier on. "An excellent question to be honest, but the requests come first before we start checking out Phoenix Drop." With a motion of a nod, Phanto headed on down to see the board, pausing as he looked over the wooden material before his hand was gripped and he glanced to find that Melody had arrived with a smile and a large lute on her back.
So where to, sir?" Phanto gave a smile which stopped a few in shock before he spoke, roaming across the board.
"We need to build up, but first we need to arrange a few things first and get the right channels so it is best to find such through a few requests." He nodded as he pulled one off before grabbing another one. "A protection detail and a small extermination task that go hand in hand with each other, so shall we, Milady?" Phanto commented as he extended out an elbow as Melody puffed out her cheeks.
"For your INFORMATION, I will not be addressed as such, if I am an equal then don't dare call me 'Milady'!"
"What you say... Milady..." Phanto took off with Melody in hot pursuit as some of the members watched in shock, their 'leader' shouldn't be so casual and he is not playful in any way, but in slow realization, they took into account that he had not smiled when they joined, not once, so what could have happened from his recent investigation...?
"So... why did you take my request?" Phanto shifted his hood to look at the thin man that was driving a carriage that the pair took to fulfill both requests which were to head to O'Khasis for a short resource trade and to stop a hostile den of wolves that has been causing problems for travelers near O'Khasis, even the guards were having a problem trying to terminate them. The man continued as he held the reigns with a firm grip. "I mean, from a mercenary point of view, this is grunt work."
"Don't be too quick to judge, good sir." Phanto said as he sat up from his seat, a tuff of blue hair evident out the hood. "Grunt work this may be, but if the cards are played right, then we have something going down, getting to know the client can also open up a number of possibilities for some agriculture, mining, trade, even some hands in warfare as some mercenaries go solo and others form companies that could mean the difference in a battle." Though it was unlike him, Phanto was finding this new change a welcoming feeling as Melody was testing out her lute, having gotten it to be a conduit for her healing magics, in the covered part. "Also, we didn't just take your request, a man named Tidus wanted us to get rid of some wolves that has been plaguing O'khasis for a time." The man nodded in earnest thanks as the horse continued its pull across the dirt path.
Melody paused for a moment as she spoke to his teacher. "So, you think that O'khasis would allow us through?"
"Sure, they may be sticklers for rules, but we are currently guards for Drogmorr here, so it is best to give them the vibe of it before we can contend with the wolves, is that clear?"
She saluted with glee as they soon came into view of the town O'khasis. As suspected, the guards held them up before letting them pass after a short conversation and they soon met up with the business partner, the chat going slowly south as, from the sound of it, Tu'la was growing more and more dangerous and it was possible that O'khasis may be brought under Tu'lan reign soon, Drogmorr nearly blowing a fuse as he angrily chastised the client for his weakness and even calls him out of being a merchant if he had no spine to give, leaving the meeting with no contract, but that was the point as Drogmorr looked more angered than a standard member before Phanto stopped him short as they attempted to head out. "Peace, friend, you can't expect everyone to just give their wares with the threat of Tu'la over their heads."
The merchant puffed out a groan as he loosened his grip and soon motioned the horse to move, taking a right from the gate and onto a path that was patterned out with wolf and human tracks. "I know this, but that sign of cowardice is NOT okay, trade is trade, no one should stop such transactions unless it is in war time and STILL should be done free of will, not forced!"
"My, and here I thought the only ones with a fire were the fishermen." Melody laughed a bit before clasping her mouth at Phanto's raised eyebrow before he returned to Drogmorr, still hearing as Melody gave a small laugh behind the hand.
"I agree with your point of perspective and reason, but that is no reason to lose your cool over a simple trade agreement, though I am certain that your 'partner' might have soiled himself from your harsh response on weakness." The youth held out a hand and the wagon stopped as Phanto studied the thicket. "...This is the place... Drogmorr, turn your wagon around for departure, we won't be long." The two of them jumped off and headed on a wolf trail as the wagon was managed back around. The rapier came out as he searched through the brush with a edge on his guard. "Stay close, Melody, we don't know what could be affecting the local wolf population."
"Oh, don't worry, I am not leaving your side." The duo kept their silence as they listened for anything, a snarl or a howl, even the snap of branches would give them a bearing, but the wolves were following suit in the quiet, somewhat feeling the vibe given off from Phanto as he soon stopped at one of the dens and investigated to find a recent litter being protected by a wounded female and motioned for Melody to use her training to heal.
As she began to play, the land reacted in kind as plants started to grow around the den as her green magic brimmed across her lute and flowed over to the mother as Phanto quickly reacted as the wolves took the chance to attack, lunging forth and bite and claw the invaders to pieces, but no matter how hard they strike, Phanto knocked them back with minimal effort, using the sheaths as blunt weapons to leave a few marks in the attackers before the pack leader emerged snarling, its eyes blood-shot red like it was possessed and Phanto returned the casings before his rapier came out once more, its steel glistening in the light that pierced through the treetops before both clashed in battle, fangs gripping onto the metals as Phanto guarded and made to slash the feral beast, but it quickly fell back, blood dripping from its jaw before it emitted a loud snarl that was meant to scare Phanto, but he stood resolved as the alpha charged once more, his blade coming down to the alpha's quick dodge and lunged for his neck from the left when he raised a arm and the fangs bit into wrapping and flesh as he tried to hold tight for the beast to think it had won until it made the fatal mistake of biting deeper with some motion that Phanto quickly pulled out the foil and thrusted the weapon into the wolf, the red slowly leaving as the foil stayed in place, the youth nearly groaning in pain as the fangs loosened and the foil was pulled out, the wound was too deep and the only healer close by was Melody and she was tending with the female.
He stared at the creature that now whined in pain before Phanto knelt down and ran a hand over the brown fur of the native beast. "So the Nether is getting worse for something to affect you into a blood-savage rage, poor creature of the forest." The breathing started to slow as Phanto knew its time was coming. "Farewell, brave leader of the pack, you fought with both heart and strength."
The alpha breathed its last as the eyes partly closed as the magic started to cease and Melody came out from the den to see the scene, not scared at all of the fallen alpha as she walked over to her teacher and helped him to his feet as some of the males dragged the dead away while the pups found their father who returned the gesture as the pair of humans headed back to the wagon. "Do you think its last thoughts were peaceful?"
"Not likely, but for even the more dangerous individuals, it is a calming hope to have something to look forth to, even in their last moments that they would be embraced in peace and not in pain." The wagon was turned around as the merchant helped the youth up and headed off with Melody healing the bitten arm. "For now, we have a home to return to and a rest that is most needed."
"Say, is that real magic or some crazy illusion?"
"You could say that, sir." Melody chuckled a bit as Phanto shook his head while Drogmorr was left confused as they headed to Brightport to wait until the next time the duo was call again as they headed back into the mountain tops without any further words, the wound fading away as they returned to the port village.
