Chapter 10
And Then There Was One
When Niki-Haru went to see them after school the next day, Valkron and Emeth were missing. The rest were lounging around in the tavern looking as if nothing had happened the previous day.
"You guys set a nice image," she remarked.
"What, because we're taking a break?" said Nocturne. "Well, why not? We had a fight yesterday."
Niki-Haru gaped at him.
"Here we go," said Samaroh, still smiling. He very carefully stuck his fingers in his ears.
"You guys barely lifted a finger when you defeated those men and you need to take a break? How lazy can you get?"
"Now, now, Niki," said Khan, getting to his feet. "No need to bring a gale on Nocturne like that, poor kid. We're not taking a break because we're tired as per se. These are our orders. The world will spread the news of the Transcendence in the next few days, and then we'll see what happens next. We don't need to do anything till then. That's all."
Niki-Haru glared at him, but it was clear she could not say anything further on that topic. She huffed.
"Coast is clear?" said Samaroh calmly. Khan gave him a thumbs-up; the man took his fingers out of his ears.
"So where's Valkron and Emeth?" she asked. "Aren't they usually here?"
"They're having a little duel to keep their reflexes honed," replied Iruna, looking up from her conversation with Kushana. "Not here, though - they're in the mountains."
"How did they get there?"
"I sent them there," said Samaroh. "Easy."
Niki-Haru eyed him. "What are you? A warper now?"
"I am a high priest," came the reply. "A priest who has seen the world for what it is and maintains a true heart to heal and care. A priest who, with the power of God, will unleash the complete power of holy magic to full use."
"It's going to take me some time to get used to you, I see," said Niki-Haru. She looked at the others. "What about you?"
"I'm a paladin," said Iruna, when no one else replied for a few minutes. "So is Zwei. We're built to defend and protect even more than we used to, and we can take on anything that comes our way - and still be standing. Pain doesn't matter to use any longer."
"Nocturne and I are snipers," explained Kushana. "We can shoot at great distances, and we're stronger than hunters. We can also use bows that are far too unwieldy for normal hunters to use."
"Champions," said Silas, nodding at Arlena. "With our strength and speed we can be more of a threat to anyone else now."
"That's all he really has to say," remarked Arlena, shrugging.
"I'm a professor," said Oripheus, looking up from his book. "Although I don't share the immense power Emeth now has, I find my own way to fight using spells I can invent easily. Same with Nalini."
"Haha, I'm the only stalker here!" said Zak triumphantly, while Silas sighed. "I get to sneak up on people undetected and remove their armour. And I can use someone else's techniques, too!"
"He's been 'borrowing' Valkron for that ever since day one," said Silas, who had a 'I'm really not associated with this fellow' expression on his face. "I guess it's what keeps him excited and happy, really."
"Kumahar and I are just...well, the same," said Kala shyly.
"What do you mean, the same?" said her sister hotly. "You drained my energy using your tarot cards!"
"I didn't mean to, honestly," said Kala, waving her hands at her sister apologetically.
"You're not a dancer?" asked Niki-Haru.
"She's a gypsy now," replied Nalini. "Don't listen to her 'I'm so harmless' speech. I swear it's a ruse. One of her tarot cards sends you into a coma, curses you and poisons you as well. It's like an insult, that poisoning."
"You had that?" asked Niki-Haru.
"No, a monster did," answered Kumahar. "Tarot cards are random. You never know what will turn out next. As for me, I just...do the same as her. Except I'm less risky."
"Yeah, he is," remarked Silas.
"Ara and I just have the ability to create," said Eni, leaning against her husband. "Well, it really is hard to explain what we can do."
"Yeah, that's the thing about being a Transcendent," said Nocturne, as everyone else nodded. "You never know what you can do - you have to do it to find out. I mean, take a look at Khan. He's an assassin cross. He only realised his poisoning skills were much better when he started poisoning things left and right."
"I did not poison things left and right," said Khan in outrage. "Don't exaggerate, Noc."
"So what about Valkron and Emeth, seeing as they're not here?" asked Niki-Haru, looking around as if she expected to see Valkron and Emeth coming in as she mentioned their names.
"Valkron's a lord knight," said Iruna. "He's more vicious now, with his strength and his speed. Plus he can cause serious injuries if he wants to. Emeth is a high wizard, with the added bonus of having telekinesis and the power to create force shields in front and behind him. I think...it's best for you to see what he can do, seeing that Emeth is just too unpredictable for words."
Niki-Haru nodded. "Yeah, I guess it's just best to see you in action, huh?"
"I would send you to the mountains to let you watch the duel between Valkron and Emeth, but then you wouldn't be able to come back." Samaroh shrugged. "I'd rather not leave someone there."
Niki-Haru covered her face in exasperation. "Samaroh, you're too odd."
The howling winds and the flurry of snow up in the mountains of Mjolnir were not enough to deter the two duellers as they fought furiously across the snow-layered plateau.
Snow sprayed across the ground as Valkron skidded out of range of Emeth's staff. The high wizard swept his arm in a wide arc; stalactites of ice rained down from the sky. Valkron smirked and zigzagged through them, blurring as he ran.
Emeth summoned a fireball and hurled it down at Valkron's feet, just as the knight reached him. In an instant fire roared into a wall in front of him. Valkron leapt through the fire and brought his sword down. Sparks flew as staff and sword met.
Emeth threw him off and leapt back. Valkron followed him, and then swiftly jumped back as something invisible cleared the snow in front of him. The high wizard held up his staff and slammed the tip down into the snow.
Rock erupted from the ground into a rushing wall of stone spikes. Valkron passed his hand over the blade of his sword; the blade was ablaze. In an instant he had forced his sword into the wall of rock.
The wall turned red and exploded. Valkron looked up to see Emeth pointing his staff at him.
Fire burst forth from his hand and streamed towards Valkron. A dragon's head roared itself into existence. Emeth aimed his other hand; another fire dragon exploded and flew towards Valkron, jaws open and snarling.
The knight swiped out. One dragon exploded into nothing; the other dodged his sword and shot towards the back of his head. Valkron looked backwards for a second; he suddenly ducked and let the fire dragon shoot over his head.
Emeth caught the dragon and smiled at Valkron. In the silence only broke by the sound of the wind howling over their heads, he absorbed it.
And then the earth behind Valkron exploded upwards.
The knight threw himself forward and looked up. A massive dragon of rock reared above him, jagged teeth like crevices and with a tongue of fire. It slammed its head down onto where he was--
--where he used to be.
Valkron got to his feet and set his sword aflame. He looked back at Emeth, who was leaning casually on his staff, and gave him a brief look of admiration before turning back to the adversary at hand.
The rock dragon roared and appeared to take a deep breath. Valkron threw himself forward and thrust his sword at the thick body of the dragon. The blade rebounded, vibrating horribly.
Valkron looked up at the thick body. Suddenly the dragon had reared; he was exposed. It screamed at him and brought its tail down on him.
Sword met rock; the tail was sheared off. Valkron skidded backwards and sheathed his sword. Close range was not an option here.
He pulled out the trident strapped to his back. As the dragon brought its head down he pulled back his arm and aimed.
Emeth watched as Valkron shattered half the dragon's head. As the dragon screeched the knight focused, and then drove the spear into the dragon's neck. There was another screech, before the dragon swung wildly.
"Valkron! Look out!" Emeth slammed his staff into the snow.
Seconds later pieces of rock the size of Valkron's head fell onto an invisible shield and shattered. The knight looked up and watched the rock continue fall and slide off as if he was protected by a glass dome.
When it was over he looked at Emeth, who nodded. They both very quickly retreated into a nearby cave, where a fire was burning.
"Man, that was freezing," said the wizard, sitting down on the snow with a flump. "And you are too fast these days."
"Oh yeah? That rock dragon is probably one of those last resort methods," snorted Valkron.
"Nah, I was being nice."
"Being nice? Being nice? You call that being nice?"
"Hey, go easy on me. You know I'm capable of more."
"Then why didn't you do it?"
"Because I don't want to injure you."
Valkron raised an eyebrow. "Either this is friendship or just a plain insult."
Emeth looked taken aback. "Why would I want to insult you?"
"Obviously because I'm a Transcendence, and I can take on what you give me since we're pretty much on the same level."
"No, Valkron. Just...no."
"You soft-hearted wizard," said Valkron, but his tone was gentle.
"I'll be soft-hearted all I want, thanks."
They sat around the fire in silence for a while. Then Valkron said, "Emeth, if I ever said I was holding you back, would you hold anything against me?"
"What do you mean, holding me back?"
"I meant it as in...like just now. You could have unleashed your full power on me, but you didn't want to because I'm your friend and you don't want to injure me."
"Valkron, for the last time. I don't release my full power without good reason." Emeth gave him a look. "A duel is not a reason to do that."
"So that means given a good reason you'd truly be the person you are?"
"Yes, of course. Valkron, is this one of your pondering moods again? You're always so serious when it comes to matters like this."
"I just wanted to know." Valkron shrugged.
Emeth sighed. "Let's just get warm and then wait for Samaroh to yank us back in time for the exploration tonight, 'kay? And no more of this from you. You make me depressed."
There was silence. Both men looked at each other.
The tension broke. Emeth and Valkron roared with laughter.
"I don't know why, but this sort of conversation always ends up with us laughing," said Valkron, eventually. "I know you're serious, but somehow it just doesn't cut it. You? Serious? No one can get the connection."
"Oh, I can be serious when I want to be," said Emeth, wiping tears from his eyes. "It's just that people like you never quit."
"We should be going back before it gets late," said Valkron, still grinning. He picked up his trident. "Let's go."
Emeth got to his feet, although with some difficulty - the cave ceiling was not high and could not fit his full six feet. The two of them vanished into the blizzard outside, talking and laughing.
Valkron and Emeth warped back still laughing. The others gave them looks as they appeared, making fun of each other.
"When will you two ever grow up?" asked Iruna, her hands on her hips.
"Don't blame me, he started it," said Emeth, pointing to Valkron.
"Why can't we have our fun? It's not like people are going to wonder what the hell we're doing?" said Valkron. At this point he slipped slightly to his right and nearly fell onto Emeth.
"See? I swear he's drunk. Anyone got a bucket of ice cold water?"
"I am not drunk." Valkron got off Emeth. "Anyone can tell that, you wizardly fool."
"What-- what did you just call me?"
"Both of you need a bucket of cold water!" said Iruna, but she was trying not to laugh. "Every day you two come home like madmen on a roll! I'm surprised people don't drag you off the streets for being crazy old men!"
"Umm..."
Everyone stopped and looked at Niki-Haru.
"Hi," she said.
Valkron cleared his throat and straightened up. So did Emeth, even more conspicuously than Valkron because of his height.
"Sorry, you were saying?" he said to Niki-Haru.
"Well, I was waiting for both of you to stop, but since you didn't want to I just said hi," said the knight, shrugging.
"That just about sobered everything up," said Khan, grinning.
"Sorry."
"No need to say sorry, Niki, you've got a point." Valkron coughed, trying to avoid Iruna's eye. "Anyway, we need to be off."
"Whatever for?" asked Niki-Haru. "No one here would tell me."
"Did you give her the 'wait for Valkron to come back and he'll tell you everything' answer?" asked Valkron flatly, turning to the others. They grinned apologetically at his blank face.
"Well, yes, since technically you call the shots on this," said Nocturne.
"Why do I even put up with you?" Valkron turned back to Niki-Haru. "We're just having a look over Repherion - or Britoniah, rather. We want to see how much it's changed since we left it. I wonder if Hlin's still there."
"Kafras stay assigned to an agit once they are, so I don't think she'll have changed her agit," said Niki-Haru.
"That's nice. I never managed to reward her. She was a good Kafra for us." Valkron rubbed his chin. "Oh well. All right then, we'll go. Niki, are you going to wait for us here?"
"Is this going to take long?" asked Niki-Haru.
"No, not really. It's just a quick look-see, after all."
"Then I'll stay here. If you don't come back before half past ten I'll go." Niki-Haru sighed. "Stupid curfew."
"Just be a good knight, Niki," said Valkron, as the others got to their feet and began to group near the screen. "And remember - I'll be around if you need me. You may not see me, but I'll be there."
Niki-Haru opened her mouth to ask why, but Valkron had already turned away to join the others. She was sure, however, that he had smiled at her before he had walked away.
When they reached Britoniah it was night. All that could be heard of were crickets singing in the bushes, and the sound of running water from the great river nearby.
"Aah, it's been such a long time since we've been here," said Nocturne, taking a deep breath. "It feels so good. Smell that fresh forest?"
"This proves how much you need to get out of the city, Noc," remarked Kushana, giving him a look.
"I did say before."
They walked through the grass for a short while, before Merseitzdeitz came into view. As the little group gazed up at the great walls of the castle, there was laughter as people ran around outside, while lights were switched on in the castle.
"Don't you miss the guild life, Valkron?" said Emeth, looking down at the knight.
"Yeah, I do," he replied. "But I don't intend to start another guild, I'm sick and tired of the politics."
"You handled them well the last time."
"Give me a break, I can only take so much of guild life." Valkron walked off.
They continued walking until they saw Repherion. There was silence as they stared up at the castle that was once their home, the place where the Raulus had congregated long before.
"I remember so many things before," said Emeth dreamily. "How we used to joke around and muck about in the castle. How we hid from the Dark. Remember that time in Geffen? And how we threw the marriage dinner here."
No one said a thing, but it was clear they were remembering what Emeth had spoken of, and even more. Iruna leaned on Valkron as she looked up at it; Emeth put his arm around Kushana. Eni and Aramithar snuggled closer together.
The castle that had housed the Guild of the Phoenix.
Valkron broke the silence by moving forward. "I'm going to take a look at Eyorbriggar, Yesnelph and Bergel. This must be Genesis Cross, from the flags atop the agits. I'd like to see what they've turned Britoniah into."
"I'll come with you," offered Emeth.
Valkron looked at him for a while, and then nodded. "All right, then. Anyone else coming along?"
"We're fine staying around Repherion," said Iruna. "Besides, I don't think some of the others have finished reminiscing yet."
Valkron laughed. "All right, I'll go with Emeth then."
The two men disappeared into the night.
It did not take them long to reach Eyorbriggar. Valkron sighed as he looked at it.
"I wonder where Albrecht is now," he said. "The alchemist was sure one of the best flag commanders I'd ever have in my life."
"If I'm not wrong he's now being a post-graduate in the Institute of Alchemy," said Emeth. "Well, if he is he's got a good life ahead of him. They're so well paid, unlike us wizzies."
Valkron chuckled. "How was your visit to the Academy? And let's go on to Yesnelph and Bergel."
"It was fine, though Blitz nearly threw a fit when he saw it was me," said Emeth, as they resumed walking. "Kyo laughed his head off in there. And Devrion nearly had a panic attack."
"Why did Devrion--"
"Because one of his predictions came true. Shortly after we disappeared he started telling the entire staffroom I'd be back - well, we'd all be back. However, he didn't bargain for me to walk right into the staffroom and throw off my cloak. Literally." Emeth chuckled.
"Trust you to make a big entrance, Emeth," remarked Valkron, giving him a sideways look.
"Oh hell yeah, I enjoyed that. I didn't tell the other wizards anything about the rest of us, though - I'd rather not alert the world further."
"I agree with you." Valkron sighed. "Our little rendezvous would probably stir up some trouble in this kingdom if we went and added fuel to the flame."
"Though it was fun."
"I can't agree with you more."
They reached Bergel and Yesnelph. Valkron had given them the name of the Giants of Britoniah, since these were the two biggest agits in the entire area. They gazed up at the two looming structures that seemed to have grown at night.
"Remember how you fought for Yesnelph, Valkron?" asked Emeth.
"I'll never forget it," the lord knight murmured.
They stood there for a long time. Finally Valkron said, "We should be getting back."
"Yeah, it'll get late and you don't want to keep Niki waiting, huh?" asked Emeth, turning around.
There was a rustle in the bushes. All of a sudden Valkron skidded back.
"Emeth, on your guard."
"What's up?" asked the wizard.
"Things."
In the silence Valkron drew his sword. Emeth stood back to back to him and summoned his staff. In the silence of a night that seemed as innocent as any other night in Rune-Midgard, everything could be deceiving...
Something leapt out from the bushes, claws outstretched. Valkron swore and sliced it into half.
"The other one's sent her servants!" he said.
"For all we know, this could be a test," replied Emeth. "Her plans don't extend this far, that's what I know - and what she's planned won't be happening in a long while-- damn!"
The wizard whacked something off him. There was demented giggling, before spindly goblin-things emerged from the bushes and darted for Valkron. The lord knight drove his sword into the ground. A ring of fire burned them to death.
"I don't know what her intentions are, but we'd better defend ourselves before it's too late!" he said.
At this point, creatures started flying in. Valkron took a deep breath. Emeth activated his aura, which nearly blew off a few of the monsters.
The creatures pounced.
Valkron slashed and lunged as fast as possible, giving the creatures no time to think. Emeth used his telekinesis to flick creatures off, while he cast fire and ice. The creatures screeched and tried to stop them, but in vain.
Eventually there was silence. The few that had not managed to get injured had flown off. Valkron stepped on the tiny head of a spindly goblin and smashed it with his iron-clad foot.
"Are we done?" he growled. "Sneaky of her to send her servants when we were just trying to have a normal night."
"I think we are," said Emeth breathlessly. "Come on, Valkron, she's not a nice person. She'd do all sorts of underhand tactics. You know that."
Valkron muttered something under his breath and sheathed his sword. "Let's just go back before she takes it in her mind to send dragons or something."
"Yeah, I agree with you." Emeth turned away towards Eyorbriggar. "This just spoils a night like this. I was hoping for some peace..."
As Emeth continued talking, Valkron looked over his shoulder at the dark bushes behind him. He did not say anything. He just looked.
Then he resumed walking.
"...of all the times she comes and has a go. Completely unfair." Emeth turned around to face Valkron. "Don't you think so--"
His eyes widened.
"VALKRON!'"
The lord knight looked up at Emeth, and then turned. The wizard lunged forward, his hand reaching out for Valkron, his mouth forming a silent "No!"--
--and blood splattered everywhere.
There was silence. Valkron's eyes were so wide the whites could be seen all around. His pupils had contracted, his hands trembling.
Emeth was frozen. In front of him was the stark white of the crude metal sword the thing had used. It was covered in blood.
Valkron's blood.
He could not move. The smell of iron was reaching his nostrils. No. That creature had not just drove a sword into his best friend.
No.
No!
With a wrench Emeth freed himself and darted out, grabbing the creature's throat. The thing, surprised by the sudden reaction, loosened its grip on the sword and tried to free itself from Emeth's iron grip. The wizard snarled; fire burst from his hand and began to scorch the creature's throat. It began screaming.
As red-hot rage began to burn in Emeth's mind, something reminded him of Valkron, still behind him. The wizard snapped out of his trance and let the creature go, but it was still on fire. It screamed and writhed in pain on the ground as he turned around in time to see Valkron pull out the crude sword and fall.
"Valkron, no!" Emeth skidded forward and managed to catch Valkron before he hit the ground.
The lord knight was still staring wide eyed at the sky, as if he had not seen Emeth. Emeth looked down to see the blood flowing from the wound in Valkron's torso, and the man's shaking hands as he feebly tried to stem the flow.
"Come on, Valkron, I'll get you to Samaroh," said the wizard, and tried to get up. But he had not accounted for the weight of the armour Valkron was wearing, and certainly not for the fact that Valkron grabbed him by the collar with his bloodstained hands.
"No...Emeth..."
Emeth looked back down at him. "What are you talking about? We need to go!"
"No."
Valkron's voice was hoarse. Emeth stared at him. "What do you mean?"
Valkron's lips moved. Emeth's eyes widened as he heard the words. He opened his mouth slightly as if to answer, but he never answered what Valkron said to him.
In the silence, the leaf green eyes of Valkron closed and his bloodstained hand fell from Emeth's collar. Emeth felt the body sag in his arms. He could not tear his eyes away from Valkron. Something had dropped from his heart. He felt numb, frozen. He felt the darkness closing in around him.
He whispered, "Valkron." But there was the growing realisation that the person, the friend, who owned the name would no longer respond to it. He would no longer exist.
Valkron was dead.
Am suspending writing until February, due to exams and the need to study. Inspired by Rihanna's Disturbia.