Chapter 11

Leadership

After the guild war was over Adiemus went to the hospice in Prontera and stood in the corner. By rule all crusaders, monks and priests who were not injured were to help in administering to the wounded.

However, when the leader of Apocalypse Ultima was helping, there wasn't any need for almost half of the healers available. He could do a mass heal that covered half the room, and it was almost always fully effective.

The crusader watched the scene from his corner. He had seen this a dozen times before, and he felt nothing towards it. The stench of blood was incredible and the stink of the injured was strong, but Adiemus would be damned if he couldn't stand the smell. He'd been in dozens of battles before; this was nothing compared to what he had seen.

He frowned. Every time he thought of battles he had a nagging suspicion that he had missed something out. There was a gap in his memory - a gap he just couldn't fill no matter what he did. He knew he battled on the day of the Ten Guilds Raid. He just didn't know what had happened.

Maybe Valkron would know, he thought. After all, didn't the knight go through something of that sort? He might be here, too. The Raulus guild has had its Official Guild Approval stamp from the office, and surely they would not have missed out on the action in the Valkyrie Realms.

Wait a minute.

Adiemus straightened up and looked around. He could see nothing of a guild with a red phoenix as its symbol. There were plenty, oh yes - the Gilters, the Guardians of Geffen, some other small guilds - but he could not see the Raulus anywhere.

Raven came up to him just then. "Hey, how's it going? You're not healing."

"When he's here no one has to do anything," replied the crusader, trying to see over people's heads.

"Yes, well, but you're a crusader. Isn't it your job?"

Adiemus turned back to Raven. "He just took it, didn't he? Now, stop asking me those questions and answer this. Is there a guild called the Raulus around?"

"The what?"

"The Raulus guild! The one led by Valkron! Don't tell me you don't know him or I'll spread the word you've been living in the Prontera Underground for too long."

"Hey, that's insulting."

"Just answer the question."

"No."

Adiemus eyed the rogue. "Are you sure?"

"You're talking about a small guild with ten people in it led by a white-haired knight and has a red phoenix as its emblem? Yes? Well, it's not here."

Adiemus stared at Raven, but he could see the rogue was serious.

"I've got to go and find Valkron," he said, getting off the wall he was leaning against. "He's got some questions to answer as well. But what the heck is he doing? I thought he'd join us in the Valkyrie Realms."

Raven shrugged. "I thought he told you."

"What do you mean?"

The rogue was turning to go, but he stopped and looked over his shoulder. "The Raulus has conquered Repherion. It's theirs now."

Valkron winced as Samaroh dealt with the bruises the knight had received during the fight with the monsters.

"Go easy on the rubbing, will you?" he said. He was naked from the waist up, and the priest was applying copious amounts of what looked like a grainy, thick, yellow-green paste that smelt faintly of feet to his back.

"If I didn't this stuff is never going to get under your skin and fix this large bruise here," replied Samaroh. "Do you know how big it is? It's taking up half your back."

"Just don't put too much pressure on i-- Ow!"

"Sorry."

Valkron rolled his eyes and tried to relax. He wasn't the only one who was injured. Amaru had acquired a large cut to his forehead that he did not notice until after the battle, and Khan had cuts to his forearms. Even Iruna was nursing a sprained wrist, but she was healing herself.

"Good work, Emeth," said the knight, nodding to the wizard. The man was sitting not far away and drinking a white potion. He was still too tired to give a proper answer; he simply nodded and raised the bottle he was drinking from slightly.

"I admire him," said Kushana, looking at the wizard. "Even though it was about to end he didn't stop fighting. It didn't matter to him that he was tiring out; all he wanted to do was keep the other guild out."

Valkron risked a glance at Emeth. The wizard had inclined his head until his red hair was hiding his face from view, but it was easy to tell that his face was turning red. He grinned a little to himself, which vanished a few seconds later.

"Samaroh!"

"What?" said the priest, looking up from his work.

"Be careful, will you? That hurt like hell!"

"Sorry. I'm almost done, anyway. Bear with me."

Valkron groaned, but he waited until the priest had finished. Samaroh leaned back in his chair.

"Right. Don't put your shirt on or take a bath until it's dried," he said, getting up and picking up his pack. "I mean it. Just don't."

The knight watched as Samaroh moved on to Amaru and began working on the bleeding cut. Just then Nocturne came running in, leaping over Emeth's long legs and Amaru's cart.

"Valkron, Adiemus is outside," he said breathlessly. "He wants to see you."

Valkron sat up. "What, now?"

"Yeah."

The knight tried to view his options, and then gave up. "All right, I'm coming."

It was not easy to recognise the knight the way he was dressed when he stepped out of Repherion. The Odyssey, which was taking the time to get its members unfrozen and cleaned up of whatever Emeth had done to them, did not even give him a first glance. It was only when Adiemus, still chuckling quietly at the sight of them, looked up and said, "Valkron!"

Valkron wished he had not shouted. Everyone was staring. He suddenly felt very self-conscious of the fact that he was still half-naked as it was.

"Yes, what is it?" he said, coming face to face with the crusader. "Don't give me a slap on the back. I'm without a shirt for a reason. And why did you have to come here at this time?"

"You sound like I owe you," said the crusader. "Why can't I come and congratulate my friend? You've worked well for what you got."

"Like this?" said Valkron in despair.

Adiemus looked him up and down. "You seem fine to me. Just like any man."

Valkron turned around. There were gasps, and they weren't just from Adiemus.

"How in the world did you get that?" said the crusader, when valkron had turned to face him again.

"Garm threw me off my peco," answered the knight. "My ribs got broken as well, but Iruna healed me. It's not funny having a great big wolf on you."

"I can see that," said the crusader. "Well, congratulations for conquering Repherion. You'd better make sure you keep it, of course."

"I will," said Valkron. "Oh yes, I will."

Adiemus laughed. "Just like you, Valkron."

"Where were you during the war, Adiemus?"

"Say WoE just like the rest of us, Valkron. It won't hurt. I was in the Valkyie Realms, just like everyone else."

"What?"

"You didn't know?" said Adiemus. When Valkron shook his head he continued, "There was a campaign to clear the Black Cross out of at least one of Prontera's castles."

"Was it successful?"

"One guild nearly succeeded, but the Black Cross regained control in the last minute. I think Vineis is a bit angry, to be frank."

"Why do you say that?"

Adiemus lowered his voice, because the members of the Odyssey were watching them with interest. "Membership with the Black Cross is strictly by invitation only, and then again it's by personal invitation from Vineis. Somehow they've got hold of another member who seems to have a lot more...power...than we thought."

"I know membership is by invitation," said Valkron. "Vineis came along personally to see me."

"WHAT? And you never told me?"

"Err...no, why? Anyway, I turned him down. There is no way I'd make my guild an extension of his."

Adiemus gaped at him for a minute or two before he remembered himself. "So that was why Vineis was so mad. Maybe he got the new member as revenge."

"New member? What new member?"

"Some priest wearing black robes, with grey hair. I've never seen his spells before. He poisoned Horus of the Eye of Odin with some kind of weird spell."

"A priest? Poison?"

"Exactly."

Valkron tried to take this in. Had Vineis been so desperate to get someone powerful until he found someone who could go beyond the limit? He shook his head.

"When did he get this new member?"

"No idea. I think the priest joined some time before Vineis came to see you."

"Then that's not revenge, that's just overconfidence," said Valkron disgustedly. "He probably thinks that just because he's got some overpowered new guy means he can get [ime[/i."

"I know. Look, we'd better go in and talk. People are staring at us, and one or two women are fancying you already."

Valkron looked over his shoulder. The crusader was right - there were girls whispering among themselves, pointing excitedly at Valkron. They stopped when he looked at them, but it was clear enough.

"Sorry, girls, I'm already taken," called out the knight. He grinned at Adiemus' expression. "Just having a little fun, why can't I? Okay, we'll go in, and maybe my guild members can help out with this discussion, because I haven't a clue what you're talking about."

"A priest wearing black robes?" said Samaroh, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"You know him?" said Adiemus.

The priest washed his hands in the basin of water next to him and dried them on a rag. "All I know is that he's a bit of an oddball. I never had classes with him, but other people said he was a bit of a loner and didn't like mixing around."

"Isn't everybody these days?" groaned Valkron.

"Well, he did seem a bit odd to me." Samaroh began to clear up the many tools of his trade. "I only ever saw him in the library in the Church, and in the courtyard. He always seems to be researching something when he's in the library, and when I see him in the courtyard he's writing in this large brown book."

"He was carrying that at Fadhgrindh!" said Adiemus, sitting up in his chair. "He opened it and summoned two large serpents with it!"

Samaroh turned around and stared at him so hard then that Valkron coughed. "Is there anything significant about this brown book, then?"

"Well...considering what's been going on at our classes recently, I don't think so," replied the priest, still staring at Adiemus. "After all, we've been using all sorts of books."

"So do you know him, Samaroh?" said Valkron, trying to get him to stop staring at the crusader.

"Not that I do." Samaroh went back to his packing, much to Valkron's relief. "The other thing I know about him is that his name is Sedir."

"And that's it? No reason for the black robes?"

Samaroh shrugged. "People can dye their clothes with any colour they want, Valkron," he said, closing his pack and strapping it. "It's up to him, though it makes him look a bit like an old man with his grey hair."

"How old is he?"

The priest screwed up his face as he recalled. "Uh...I'd say about late twenties. Adiemus, don't touch that jar."

"Do what he says, he's serious," added Valkron. Adiemus took his hand away from the jar full of what appeared to be a blue jelly with glowing yellow spots in it.

"What kind of priest are you?" asked the crusader. "I've never seen such strange concoctions before, except those made by alchemists - but that's not surprising."

"I'm the kind that doesn't always use magic, in the long run." Samaroh picked up the jar and pushed into a separate pouch. "I believe in herbal therapy and practical medicine. A lot of things can be explained in words, and a lot of things are easy to work out."

"In short, someone who doesn't like relying on magic to explain things?" asked Adiemus shrewdly.

"Yes."

"My guild is like that," said Valkron. "But I don't mind. For all I know they've probably got something that might become a find of the century or something like that. And besides, the theories they come up with are--"

"Good to laugh at," said Samaroh sourly.

"Let me finish. The theories they come up with are fairly interesting." Valkron shot a particularly dagger look at the priest, who deliberately ignored him. "I do enjoy a bit of cogitation now and then."

"If you want interesting theories, Valkron, get yourself a sage," said Adiemus. "Which reminds me - you'll need a lot more than just these ten people in your guild if you want to keep this up."

"What do you mean?"

"See here," said the crusader. "You've got a wizard. They're good for defending gateways and wiping out forces. But if your opponent has a sage that's it for Emeth. Sages can break spells in mid-cast. They can nullify area spells. They can disable practically almost anyone. Monks can either attack or defend, considering they have tremendous physical strength and the power to heal as well. A bard and a dancer will boost up your chances of keeping a gate well defended. And I know you dislike this, but get a rogue or two."

"Whatever for? And no, even though I seem to show some dislike towards rogues I don't necessarily hate them."

"Rogues strip people of their armour." Adiemus grinned at Valkron's expression. Samaroh was trying not to laugh behind them. "And weapons. You're not going to be the only people using cards, Valkron, so if you can get rid of the armour and the cards you're going to find yourself practically knocking people out in one blow. On this subject of stripping, make sure your alchemists are available, because it's only them who can protect you from like-minded rogues."

"Ah," said Valkron. "Adiemus?"

"Yes?"

"Go easy on me, will you? I may be an efficient knight, but I don't deny I'm getting older."

Adiemus chuckled. "Modest as usual, are you?"

valkron shrugged. "It's me."

"For a sarcastic, foolish, stubborn old geezer like him, that's quite surprising," said Samaroh, passing them. Valkron looked annoyed as Adiemus laughed.

"Your friends are good people," said the crusader. "I've never seen more loyal warriors before. You've changed them, I can see that."

Yeah, I know, thought Valkron. But they've changed me more than I have for them.

In Fadhgrindh the Black Cross were celebrating over their success in keeping their five castles. It was not very surprising for anyone else, but to them they enjoyed it, since their main base was in Luina and not the Valkyrie Realms.

Vineis wound in and out of the crowd, thanking the members responsible for holding off forces. He felt elated at this. The highest ranking guild in the kingdom, with the ability to keep castles for more than three weeks! The pride in him was indescribable whenever someone came over to him from nowhere and congratulated him on his success.

They had no allies, because the Black Cross was the biggest guild the kingdom had ever had in history, and some of the most powerful warriors resided with them. Vineis also saw no need in alliances, because he hated the thought of being bound to terms.

The wizard looked around in the crowd and spotted an assassin not far off. He went over to him and clapped him on the back.

"Good work, Lucius," he said. "You've done well with Skoegul. I should leave it in your charge, since you said the Assassins' Guild took you off the hiring list."

"It would be my pleasure," replied Lucius, inclining his head a little. He had pitch black hair, some of which fell over his left eye handsomely. The assassin was not hard to spot because of his tanned complexion, which most assassins were wont to gain after a few months in Morroc.

"I do hope that you are well, though," said Vineis worriedly. "How has the treatment been going?"

"Sedir is doing a fine job. There is nothing to worry." The assassin brushed back his hair a little. "But I must keep my headband on at all times."

"We will do anything to keep you well, Lucius," said Vineis, smiling. "You're one of our most invaluable members. Keep it up."

Lucius watched Vineis disappear into the crowd. He turned around and said, "He seems much happier, does he not?"

"Yes, and I'm thankful for it," said Sheuth, who had been standing behind him all the while. Lucius was so tall he completely blocked the rogue from sight. "Vineis should never get angry. If he ever does he'll end up killing himself."

"No one knows why, however," said Lucius thoughtfully. "Do you?"

Sheuth turned. Lucius backed off. The rogue had a blazing look in his eyes that did not bode well.

"That is something you are better off not knowing," snarled the rogue. "Leave him alone."

The assassin bowed his head and moved away from Sheuth. Once he had put a safe distance between him and the rogue he went to get something to eat.

He stood against the long table, savouring the spiciness of peco meat with black pepper. As he watched the crowd the cogs in his mind began to whirl.

He had been invited by Vineis shortly after a mercenary expedition to the Mrroc Pyramids to rescue a few lost souls. The expedition had ended with him saving almost all of his party save for a crusader, and had earned him a bravery award from the Morroc caliph. Then Vineis had visited him and made him an offer that he could see would be worth it.

And it was. Lucius had never been more supported all his lifetime. He suffered from an incurable condition since childhood that caused him to be inexplicably weak and intolerant to pain. Once he had informed Vineis, instead of expelling him the wizard had sought for a priest who could help him. Vineis did not use him as a pawn; the wizard had taken care of him like a father to his son.

The assassin did not wish to leave his guild. After spending a childhood of being neglected and uncared for he had found a home where he felt he truly belonged.

Still, he was somewhat disturbed over Sheuth. The rogue did not seem like a normal person. Although Vineis could certainly be disturbing at times Sheuth was even more so. There was always friction between rogues and assassins, but he knew that was not the reason why he disliked Sheuth strongly.

He barely glanced when a sage joined him after a while, leaning on the table and surveying the crowd.

"Interesting, eh?" he said, with a Northern accent. He had straw yellow, rather floppy hair. "My, the Black Cross is a wonder."

Lucius sighed. "Seyren, I thought you would be with the King as usual."

"I am the Guild Correspondent," came the answer. "I know all the laws and all the rules on the King's mercenary guilds. I must see to it that no guild dishonours their contracts to the King, and I do have a personal prefernce for the bigger guilds because they are more capable of destruction than the smaller ones."

"We are celebrating, Seyren," said Lucius dully. "How destructive can it get?"

"Don't you worry." Seyren's Northern accent indicated he came from the mountains. He did not speak with the ordered manner of the Al de Baran residents; it was more like the country talk of the plains. Lucius, however, never said this aloud - the sage was a true mountain warrior. Behind his drawling voice hid a very fierce personality.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, I have to keep an eye on the other big guilds as well," said Seyren, flourishing a hand lazily. "Apocalypse Ultima, Exodus Faction, the Seven Eyes, Exorcisma, the Legionnaires, the Defenders of Prontera - as long as they have more than a hundred and fifty members I must regularly visit them. I haven't done so with yours in ages. Haha."

There was also another thing Lucius found annoying with Seyren. The man laughed so slowly and lazily that it made the assassin feel like kicking him.

"Well, it has certainly been entertaining conversing with you," said Lucius. "Now I must disappear into the crowd."

"As you always do when I'm around. Haha."

Without so much as a backwards glance the assassin vanished into the crowd.

Vineis, meanwhile, had found who he was looking for. It wasn't actually hard to do so, but the man had an unnerving habit of blending into the crowd wherever he stood.

"Ah, Sedir," said the wizard. "The man of the moment! A thanks is in order!"

"There is no need to thank me," replied the priest, his grey irises the only thing that had moved when Vineis had emerged from the crowd. "I serve my guild leader, and only him. It is my duty."

"Ah, no guild could ever be more happy to have such a fine warrior as you," said Vineis. "You are, indeed, as powerful as you say. To be able to kill a man without touching him...I admire your talent. You are a genius. It is such a pity that no one of the Church sees you the way you are."

Sedir looked at Vineis, his grey eyes emotionless and blank. "The Church is ignorant, Vineis. I see nothing of them. They are as myopic as ever. However, for you, I will certainly use my talent."

"I have a feeling," said Vineis thoughtfully, "that in time your talent will not be restricted to the War of Emperium. I am glad you chose to stay with us and not go to any other guild."

"It is an honour, Vineis, to be working alongside you," said Sedir, looking back at the crowd. "You have brought me here and given me a home. I could not have asked for more. Anything you want, anything you need...I will be here for you, Vineis."

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