Nick arrived cheerfully at Xander's house to change into some normal clothes before going back to Rootcore. The glow of the television set shone outside, and Nick grinned. "Wonder what they're watching. Probably some crazy sitcom."
Nick walked inside to a painfully disturbing silence. The group had adjusted the large couch in the main lounge to sit right in front of the TV, and everyone's eyes were glued on it.
Chip sat in front of the couch, staring and studying the screen. Madison was crying in his lap. Clare had her face buried in her hands with her back to the TV, crying heavily. Xander, who had dropped the remote, stared in awe as Yuri clinged to him. Sorin was on the verge of crying himself, and Kiran and Vida were trying to comfort him.
"Hey…what's…going…on…?" Nick said, becoming nervous as they all looked up at him. Clare sniffled and walked over, hugging him tightly.
"We're so sorry…" Clare said.
"What's going on?" Nick asked, confused.
"You didn't hear…?" Clare replied, sniffling. "Xander…turn the thing up…"
Xander was zoned out, but Yuri nudged him. "Wha?" Yuri pointed to the remote, which was currently sitting on the floor behind Chip. "Oh." Xander picked up the remote and turned the volume up as Clare walked him over to view the screen. A female newscaster was speaking on a local Ravenwood news station.
"Local law enforcement authorities believe this to be an isolated incident, however, there were no signs of forced entry, but the lot has been completely destroyed by what appears to be giant hunks of ice…" The screen cut to the scene outside to a view that was slightly above and to the left of the Crystal Snowflakes jewelry shop. Nick gasped and dropped the box Sylvie had given him.
"Several mediums in the town have come forward to state that this is no random act; that the victim in this incident was a prominent member of their society, and that around the time that eye witnesses cite first hearing the disturbing explosions was around the time they all began to detect a surge in what they call 'Madou Energy', which is the same sort of telltale energy that they correlate with such events as the sudden Gates of Hell catastrophe that occurred several months ago…"
"Oh god…" Nick dropped to his knees, and Clare followed him down. "I just left not even an hour and a half ago…" He began to tear up. "I knew I shouldn't have left her…"
"The local authorities are dismissing the mediums' claims and keeping with their statement that, while this does seem to be a sort of paranormal incident, that they are keeping all options open."
"We're so sorry, Nick…" Clare said, crying again.
"She wanted me to leave…she must've known…" Nick felt guilty for leaving.
"There's nothing you could do. You probably would've died, too…" Clare replied.
Chip's keen eye picked up on the box Nick had dropped; it seemed to radiate a great warmth. Chip went to pick it up, only to be shocked. He pulled his hand away. "Ow!" He said, drawing attention. "The box…it shocked me…" He reached out again, to make sure it wasn't a fluke, and once again, it shocked him. He chuckled a bit, drew back his hand, then did it again once more, laughing even harder. Madison punched him in the leg, and he stopped.
"The box is shocking you? Is it your magic, maybe?" Sorin asked, looking up in curiosity. "Do it once more." Chip did it again, and something caught his eye. "A Lock Seal?"
"Lock Seal?" Vida asked.
"It's a highly advanced spell…it's to keep certain things from falling into the hands of people they're not intended to reach…usually Infershian hands. Nick, did you bring the box in?"
"Yeah…"
"Then I want you to open it. If you've touched it and carried it…then the seal was directed to only you."
"If you think I can…" Nick said. He picked up the box and attempted to open it. The Lock Seal shattered underneath his touch, falling down into little fragments of white light. He then opened the box slowly, and was shocked to find something entirely different from what he was hoping inside.
Inside, a silver helm's chain necklace sat lied out, and at the very bottom sat a medium-sized charm; a diamond cut in the shape of an elegant pair of angel's wings connected in the middle by a burning flame. A layer of garnet sat in the very middle of it, imitating the shape of the diamond shell it sat in. A thick band of silver outlined the entire piece and secured the amulet to the chain.
Sorin stared in wonder, as did Kiran.
"That's where it's been all this time…" Sorin said softly. "She had it all this time…it's no wonder now…why this's happened…"
"What…what is this?" Nick asked.
"The Lightfire Amulet…I haven't seen it since…" Sorin looked down.
"Lightfire? I thought it was Firelight…" Clare said. "Maybe I was just reading it backwards…" She looked back at the Lightfire Amulet. "It's much better looking in real life, to be honest…books don't do it justice."
"What is it?" Nick asked, looking at it. The warmth that radiated from it was felt by all in the room.
"It belonged to Fintan…it's all that's left of him…" Kiran said.
"Blagel's charmed amulet that was said to repel any sort of darkness; it was said to be the thing that made him the best Warrior Saint in all of Magitopia. In the last war, though…it failed him, and Wolzard destroyed him, bringing back to the surface Blagel's good luck charm as a sign that the great warrior was no more…" Clare said, reciting what she had read from memory.
"This isn't right…" Nick said.
"What isn't right?" Chip asked, stroking Madison's hair as she slowly recovered.
"This box…this box sat on the mantle in my sister's house for years…it was my father's…this box was supposed to have his dog tags in them…not this stupid amulet…"
"Stupid?" Sorin said, feeling insulted. "That thing was the one thing that helped my teacher, my master, into victory against Infershia…and you desecrate his memory by calling it stupid?" He stood up, aggravated with Nick.
"This isn't what was supposed to be in this box! The only thing they sent home that remained of my dad was supposed to be in here!"
Chip smiled widely, and as the two continued to butt heads, he shouted. "Stop! Everybody, just shut up!" Xander turned the TV off as Chip leaned Madison against the couch before standing up.
Sorin and Nick stared at Chip and his wide grin. "What is it, Charlie?" Sorin asked.
"So lemme get this straight…" Chip stood there, scratching his head to think quickly. "Okay…can I see the box for a moment, Nick?"
"…Sure, but quickly." Nick said, handing Chip the box.
"I'll make this quick." Chip held the box up and stepped back so everybody could see him clearly. "So, this box contains one item, right?" The group seemed to be following him. Chip held the box so that the center of the box, from Chip's point of view, was pointing at Nick. "Okay, so Nick here says that the box contains the final remains of…well, let's call him Mr. X." Chip then lined up the box with Sorin. "Sorin here, he says that the box contains the final remains of Blagel. Is everybody still following me?"
"So…you're saying that…maybe…" Vida was trying to insinuate her point without saying it, and Chip knew that she knew.
"Maybe Mr. X…equals Blagel?" Chip said with a grin.
"Yeah." Vida replied.
"Are you high?" Nick asked. "Blagel isn't my father! He's a Saint!"
"So?" Sorin said. "He was married, and he had two children with Udonna! Being a Saint doesn't mean much, as far as living a normal human life goes." Sorin retorted.
"Still, that doesn't mean my dad's Blagel."
"You said you're adopted, and your dad died a long time ago…" Chip replied.
"I never told you that!" Nick replied.
"Tsubasa told me about it. We here having a flying lesson and while we were cruising along the sky, he mentioned it. I'm honestly surprised about what goes on around Rootcore when I'm not watching…it's like a play here on the TV behind me where you can hear people laughing, but it's all disembodied…" Chip took a breath. "Anyways…"
"I guess I'll have to watch my mouth around him, then…" Vida said.
"Yeah, you should." Chip replied. "He's catching your habit."
"You're a bad Aunt Vida!" Madison replied, weakly smiling and she mock-scolded Vida.
"Still, all this doesn't mean anything." Nick said. "My father's not Blagel."
"Then why did Sylvie give you this box and tell you that what was inside was the remains of your father when it's really the remains of some other guy? Did she have a reason to lie?"
"My sister wouldn't lie to me."
"Then why would she lie about this?"
Nick looked down and pondered her words from earlier. "Would you be mad if I didn't tell you things? Things that would've hurt you?"
"She said that she lied to me before…she lied about things that would've hurt me…things that have come and gone…"
"I want to see that box." Sorin said. Chip handed him the box, and Sorin started examining it. "This is definitely a Mysterian box. Definitely."
Nick stayed silent, thinking.
"Okay, fine, Nick. So she lied to you about the box. But…but why? Why would she have a box that wasn't of any relevance to you or your family, and why would she lie and said that it was something meaningful to you?"
Chip stared at Nick with pleading eyes, wanting some sort of answer. Nick looked at him. "Maybe…maybe to glorify my father…I don't know…"
Sorin stood, thinking. "Mmm…if you are Sylviana's little brother, as I have been told that you are…then Charlie's right."
"Sylviana is her full name, yeah."
"It's her full adopted name, true." Sorin replied. "As I can assume that 'Nick' is also an adopted name."
"No, my name is Nick. Nick Russell."
Sorin sighed. "This all doesn't seem to make sense to you, I'm sure…" Sorin said. "Bits and pieces have come and gone…but if Charlie is correct, and if what I know is true…then this might be simultaneously the best and worst day of my life…"
Sorin summoned the chair in the corner to teleport over to directly behind him. He sat down, which gave the others a reason to turn around and face him. Nick crossed his arms as Sorin began to speak. "About three decades ago, we all lived in Rootcore; the Marauders, Snowjiel, Lunajiel, Blagel, Udonna, and I. We lived very much like all of you do today. Back then, Udonna was Snowjiel's apprentice, and Blagel was the leader of our group, and Udonna tried her hardest to fit in with the group. She was a refugee from Mysteria, while the rest of us were all prominent members of our collective societies. Blagel always preached to us the importance of protecting and caring for all whom were on the side of the Light, be they Faithful or Faithless, and he showed it in his mannerisms towards this poor, outcasted peasant girl whom Snowjiel took under her wing."
"It sounds like me…" Clare muttered.
"We all knew that they were a wonderful pair, as they were eclectic in their wants and needs from those around them; even though they really had nothing in common, they were alike in many ways. They vowed to have a family together, and they did so after a few years of Udonna being brought into Rootcore. They then found that Udonna was with child, and their firstborn was a lovely little girl named Branwen. They decided to have another child as Branwen grew up, and about twenty or so years ago, right before the great cataclysm, little Conall was born."
"Conall…what a nice name…" Madison said, leaning against Chip.
"It's an interesting name." Chip replied.
"What a stupid name." Nick quipped.
"All was well, until the Gates of Infershia rose, and the world was once again plunged into battle. Branwen took care of little Conall as Udonna, who had grown to be a powerful Magician on her own, and Blagel went out into battle. The final battle came to be, and Blagel willingly charged the Gates of Infershia on his own, making Lunajiel lock the Gates behind him with an incantation that she had created especially for the occasion. This left Udonna worried and heartbroken, for days went by and Blagel had not returned."
"Then, one day, a being from Infershia summoned us; he proclaimed that his name was Wolzard, the Madoushi Knight of Infershia. Of course, none of us knew who he was, for he was either new or well hidden within Infershia. He continued on, saying that he had slaughtered Blagel in combat. Of course, then, none of us believed him. He then produced the Lightfire Amulet as it burned away at his armor, and he tossed it at us, laughing at our misery when we realized that he told the truth. I went to fight him, but he disappeared as quickly as he came."
"Wow…" Vida said. "Wolzard killed Blagel…"
"And Udonna…" Xander said.
"And now Sylvie." Chip added.
"Indeed. After this incident, Udonna sealed away the Lightfire Amulet in a box, and she disappeared from Rootcore along with Branwen and Conall, and that was the last I saw of them, since shortly after, I took up the helm of guarding Raigel's remains, since I had been weakened to a point by him where I couldn't do much else."
"This is a nice story and all, but…ya know, what does this have to do with me?"
"A while ago, I met with Snowjiel's new charge, who turned out to be Branwen, who had survived after all these years. I knew it was her at first sight; she was happy and warm and cheerful, like I remember her. She had her mother's smile…" Sorin smiled. "And I feel naïve to have not felt the connection when I saw her…to when I saw you." Nick gave him a questioning look. "When I first saw you, I felt as if I had met you before…and then and there, I should have known…I should have known that you were her brother." Sorin smiled. "You and Sylvie have that inner warmth, the fire within that Blagel had…and you both have that warm smile that Udonna always graced us with in the morning." Sorin looked Nick directly in the eyes. "The more I think about it, the more obvious it seems…"
"You've got us confused." Nick said. "My parents were nothing special…you said it yourself that your memory is faded from all the time you spent isolated."
"This is something I'm willing to stake my life on, Nick." Sorin replied, walking up to Nick. He smiled, but as he leaned in for a warm and welcoming embrace, Nick pulled away.
"Don't try to lie to me to make me feel better." Nick said in a bitter tone. "Don't patronize me, and make this all seem like some sort of glorious…some sort of escapade1 My sister's dead, and there's no reason why she is, and you're standing here, trying to convince me that everything's going to be okay and that everything I've ever been told about my life and my family is a lie! To hell with you!" Nick stormed out of Xander's house, leaving the room silent and cold.
Chip nervously tried breaking the tension. "Well, clearly he's in denial without a boat or a paddle." He joked, nervously laughing at the end of it for a moment or so before shutting himself up.
Nick had walked his way out to the fountain in the town square; Xander's house was a half-mile walk from it, but Nick didn't care. He just needed time to think. The air was cold and he could see his breath, so he changed his teeshirt into a wool sweater and continued walking.
He sat at the edge of the fountain once he got there, and he stared at the Lightfire Amulet. He wasn't sure how to feel about everything, but he knew that there was no right way to feel. He was miserable, upset, engaged, tired, and sorrowful, all at the same time.
He held the necklace chain up and sighed. "A gift is a gift." He said, unlocking the hinge on the chain and putting it on. He looked up at the sky, and he could've sworn he saw snowflakes partially falling to the ground before melting in the air a mile or so above him. He smiled weakly as he let himself cry.
