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CHAPTER 13
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"Bernadette, are you all okay?" Faroush asked as he disembarked his vessel.
"None of us are injured, thankfully. If you had not been there…well, you know." Bernadette shrugged.
"Hey, what's that sword?" Pesmerga pushed through the crowd.
"This?" Bernadette held up the weapon. "Zerase said that it was the Rune of the Night, but it just looks like a strange sword to me. I mean, why would a rune take the form of a sword?"
Because I was forced, mortal. That wretched incarnation cursed me into this form.
The sword wrenched itself from Bernadette's grasp and hovered in the air.
"It talked…swords don't talk…" Miakis shivered.
I am no mere sword. I am the Night Rune! Bow before me, temporal beings!
"Calm yourself, O Rune of the Night." Pesmerga approached the rune.
What is this? You…you appear mortal, but you are a rune as well. You are the Rune of Peace. Why have you taken such a feeble form?
"It was not my original intent…however; my counterpart has escaped from his prison. He now resides in this world." Pesmerga lowered his head.
Rune of Peace…Pesmerga…I will assist you in apprehending the demon, just as I did in the ages before. But first, we must vanquish that harpy. The foolish mage wishes to undo life and remake it in her own image.
The sword rested in Pesmerga's hand.
"I know where she is." The black knight turned toward the northwest.
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"Hearken unto me, fellow Nagareans! We must defend the memory and the intentions of our fallen Supreme Elder, Kardon! We must unite as a nation and strike down the Falenan infidels and their pagan ideals!"
The massive crowd cheered in response to the rousing speech by the general.
How fortuitous it was for Yuber to have stumbled upon the second in command fleeing from the battle. He never was one to believe in luck, but it seems that this bit of good fortune fell right at his feet. Now, after he allowed the incompetent mortals to perform their meaningless wailings and ceremonies, he was free to disrupt the karma force once again.
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The veil of night had once again covered the land, but this time, it was around Haud Village. The cacophony of talentless musicians turned to serene silence, a trait never before exhibited in the eccentrically hedonistic town.
"You worship your own individuality and egos! For this, you will be judged and eliminated like those in Rainwall!" Zerase proclaimed as she hovered above the hamlet.
Her eyes caught a nervous artist swiping his brush across a canvas as quickly as possible. This particular ant wasn't scurrying to shelter like the others…
"You! Why do you not cower before me?" The mage asked.
Upon receiving no answer, Zerase took to the ground in front of the painter.
"Answer me, mortal!"
The man flickered, then turned a bright violet color. He moved forward and exploded in a flash against Zerase. She flew back several feet and landed on her back in the street.
"What manner of sorcery is this?" Screamed the magician as she crawled to her feet.
"I could ask the same thing, but the answers from rune vessels usually sound the same…" A gentle female voice came from a nearby alley.
"Show yourself trickster! Your petty pyrotechnics pale in comparison to my power!" The mage gritted her teeth in anger.
A pale skinned woman dressed in a short white skirt and a blue and purple robe appeared.
"I am no trickster. I bear a rune that hold far more power than you could ever hope to possess, and, unlike you, I know how to control myself. Then again, incarnations are usually lacking in self-control anyway. Am I correct?"
Zerase's brow scrunched as fury welled within her eyes.
"Impudent human! You dare to think that you…." The mage stopped in mid-sentence as she felt a strong presence. "You…have a true rune…"
"And if I were you, I would choose a better way to use my rune. You're ruled by emotions. I've known someone who let their emotions control their rune…you'd rather not let that happen…" The alabaster skinned woman brought her hand to her lips.
"What manner of beast are you? I can't…y-you…" Zerase's eyes had met with the woman's. She could seemingly peer into the depths of her soul. She experienced her pain, her all consuming sorrow. She saw the travesties that wreaked havoc on what was once her good life…and witnessed the helplessness to stop those events.
A single tear rolled down Zerase's cheek. After a moment, she recoiled and shrieked in pain as she grabbed her left hand. An aura of evil descended upon her as she grunted in attempted rebellion.
The pale-skinned woman took a step back and raised a confused eyebrow as the mage flew into the sky and disappeared with the induced nighttime. Then she snapped her head around as she felt yet another powerful aura…but this one was not evil.
A silver-haired young man and a purple haired young woman crossed the bridge into the town and approached her.
"Miss, are you okay? We were chasing a mage and were worried that she had already laid waste to this town." Said the boy.
"What a striking young man you are…you remind me of someone I know…" The woman reached forward and stroked his cheek.
Miakis's eyes widened as she brushed the woman's hand away from Faroush's face.
"Excuse me, Miss. This is the Prince of Falena. Please, don't touch him."
The woman cleared her throat and put her hand on her hip.
"A prince? Well, I'm not really one for royalty, so there's no need to worry, young lady."
"I…you…what?" Miakis stammered.
"Miakis, it's okay. Miss, if I may ask, who are you? You don't look like a Falenan." Faroush examined the woman.
"My name is Sierra. You are correct, I am not from Falena, I am from Harmonia. But now I have a question for you, young Prince. Do you know of the location of a certain true rune in this area? I feel its presence."
"Well…actually…" Faroush turned his head to see his knights, accompanied by Pesmerga entering Haud. "You would probably want to talk to him."
"There it is…the Rune of the Night…and him…the Rune of Peace…" Sierra breathed.
"You…" Pesmerga mustered the only word that could escape his lips.
Is that Sierra Mikain? She's the only vampire that's worth a damn in this world. Those other wretched creatures, preying on the innocent just to sustain their hunger for blood…
"Night Rune, why are you here? People are seeking you on the Northern Continent. It seems that my old comrade has chosen to resurface there." Sierra commented.
You are capable enough to dispatch him without my aid.
"I have no desire to travel to Toran. I also have no desire to confront him. He's nothing but a monster now." She closed her eyes and bowed her head.
Then it seems as if you might as well follow in his ways if you believe in letting him roam freely doing as he pleases.
"You misunderstand me, Rune. I simply do not wish to approach him now. I still haven't come to terms with what he did to me." Sierra raised her head and stared directly at the sword.
Pitiful creature, tell me that you haven't remained in that ruined village…
"I refuse to abandon my home. As empty as it seems, it is still my refuge from the world." She turned her head toward the north.
Very well, Queen of the Moon. I will travel to Toran, however, I have more pressing issues here in Falena.
"What issues do you mean? You can't mean that pitiful excuse for a mage." Sierra's voice turned more scolding.
"That mage is the one that imprisoned the Rune of the Night in this form. She is more powerful than you think, but we also seek the Rune of War." Pesmerga interjected.
"Rune of War? I was under the impression that his incarnation had been destroyed and that you had sealed him away." The pale-skinned maiden replied.
"He has mastered the ability of possession. He escaped my grasp and is running rampant through the country. I'm not sure if he's looking to destroy it, but he has definitely brought about bloodshed." The black knight explained.
"I see. I did manage to catch news about the Nagarean invasion. I had no idea he was responsible for that. If that is the case, then I suppose you're going to seek my help?" Sierra cocked her head to the side.
"Sierra, we will not force you into helping us, but we really could use the assistance of someone of your magical prowess. Yuber is too elusive for us to stop him on our own." Pesmerga said.
Sierra walked through the small crowd toward the ship.
"Very well, then. I'm guessing this is your ship? I hope there is a bed inside, because I really am quite sleepy…"
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"Faroush, I'm not sure if I trust that lady…" Miakis paced in the small cabin.
"Miakis, don't worry about her. If she were going to do something to us, she already would have." Faroush waved his hand in the air.
"But did you see the way she looked at you? The way she rubbed your cheek? It was ridiculous! She has SOME nerve!" Miakis shook her head, her purple hair swaying back and forth.
"Yeah, I saw the way she looked at me. Her hand, though…it felt cold. It was really strange." The Prince scrunched his brow.
"And what is this 'Well, I'm not really one for royalty, so there's no need to worry, young lady'? Why does she presume to know what I'm thinking? I mean, what if she 'was one for royalty'?" Miakis mimicked air quotes.
"Miakis, please calm down. I'm not attracted to her in any way. You can call off the watchdogs." Faroush laughed.
Miakis grunted. "I didn't think you were attracted to her for a single second, for your information. Surely you didn't think I was jealous."
"If you were any greener I'd have to call you an emerald." Faroush braced himself as he took a punch to the arm and fell on the floor.
"Hmph! Serves you right." Miakis turned slightly and crossed her arms. After a moment, the hint of a smile peeked from her right cheek.
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"So tell me, Sierra, why exactly are you here in Falena?" Pesmerga tipped his iron mug to his mouth.
"You as well as anyone, Rune of Peace, should know why I've come." Sierra crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair.
"You aren't seriously blaming your restlessness on your rune…" The black knight clanked his beverage on the table.
"Not at all, but given that I've got all the time in the world, I consider my life a vacation more than anything." The pale-skinned woman brought an ivory hand to her mouth as she hushed a yawn.
"So I see you've taken the path of hedonism, then. You really aren't that different from those who chose to feast on men." Pesmerga finished his lager and tossed the cup onto the floor.
"You confuse yourself, Rune. Who are you to question the motives of men, let alone their fates? We speak idly of our eternal existence while they live day to day wondering when their pitiful lives would end and trying to make the most of the time they do have. When I stumbled upon this rune, I had just reached the point of my life where I understood death…now I know nothing of it. And what if I find a young lad I fancy? Should I be denied the love I could have had in a normal lifetime, or should I choose to suffer the path of eternal solitude?" Sierra leaned forward in her chair as small drops of crimson appeared in the corners of her eyes.
"And you assume your pain would be less by loving and losing those you love over and over again? It would be an endless cycle of suffering. What's the point in loving if you're certain to lose them?" Pesmerga's voice became rough.
"In Harmonia…I met a boy…Instead of being afraid of me, he was intrigued by me. He, mind you, was far different than any man I had spent time with. His spark was enough to make me feel young again. I've debated inside my mind about whether I should grow closer to him or not, because I've been close to someone before, and that man would rather tear my heart from my chest instead of love me. This boy however, Nash, loves the world so much…and everything in it. I'm sure if he had the chance…he'd love me, too. I try to rationalize everything…I curse this rune every time I take a step, but if it weren't for this rune…I would never have had the opportunity to meet such an individual. That's when I don't see it as a curse at all, but a blessing. While normal humans only get to experience love once or twice, I can experience love many times throughout eternity." A single drop of blood trailed down her face and splashed on her white blouse.