Chapter 8: Desolate Truths
"What are you doing?"
"I'm following-"
"You're lying! You've been corrupted. Look at yourself! You're a disgrace to us all, and have fallen to the sway of the swine of this wretched world. I have no hard feelings of what I shall do to you, Ruprecht."
"Brother Cyril!" ... "What are you doing?!"
He awoke with a start, eyes wide as he recalled something which almost seemed to be a bad dream. As his eyes focused, that dream began to be a reality clasping him in a cold fist. The room was lit by a morning sun peeking through the window, the warm rays falling down on his bed, and onto the other occupant of the room curled up on a chair by the bed.
"Ashton..."
The lanky awkward swordsman was snoozing peacefully, oblivious to the morning rays. His dragons on the other hand, were starting to stir, and a blue-violet eye focused on him. He blinked back, and then groaned as he went backwards to lay back on the bed as his back caught up with the sudden movement. Things flitted through his mind, and then he realized what had happened with dull comprehension.
"I am so dead..." he moaned, throwing the pillow over his head.
"Hm?" Ashton looked up and around, blinking in the light. "Oh! You're awake. Good morning Chris."
He cringed at the name, and knew there was a point where the truth would be revealed. Especially if Cyril or any of the other Wise Men crossed their paths. Which would be more than likely now. 'Perhaps even Indalecio...' He swallowed visibly. "Ashton... there- ... there's something I need... to tell you..." He stared up at the ceiling, afraid of telling the truth but preferring it should come from his own lips, rather than their in the heat of battle.
"What is it?"
"..." Ruprecht took a deep breath. "My name isn't Chris. It never was or will be. I made it up. My real name is Ruprecht. The man you saw last night was... my brother, who... who is..." He bit his lip, both to control the burning pain in his back and to keep from completely losing it.
Ashton's brow furrowed in confusion. He kept silent, not wanting to interrupt, but put a comforting hand on Ruprecht's shoulder.
He flinched as he felt the hand but didn't force it away. It was calming, knowing someone was there. Someone that actually bothered to listen and care. But what he had to say would not bode well with his friend's companions. He continued. "He and I are part of a group. The Ten Wise Men. You've probably never heard of us. But... they... and I... we're using this planet... Expel... to get back to Energy Nede."
"What?" Ashton was confused. "Energy...? Get back to... how?"
"By having this planet collide with Energy Nede, or get close enough so we can teleport off. From there, they'll take over the universe..." He hadn't noticed his change from we to they, but he was shaking just from speaking. "I..."
"Universe...? Wait..."
The conversation, had been overheard, however, and before either could go further, Claude opened the door quietly, slipping in and shutting the door. He then locked it, and looked gravely at the two. His voice was quiet, but his eyes spoke volumes, almost seeming haunted. "Take over the universe?" he asked softly, his eyes reflecting exhaustion.
Ashton looked at Claude, and then back at Ruprecht, who seemed to sink into the bed a bit more. "Claude...?"
"Yes... that is their intention. I-" his voice cracked then, and he bit his lip, trying to hold back the emotions. "I am as good as nothing. When Cyril tells Indalecio and the others, they'll surely leave me to die..."
Ashton frowned. "You're not going to die," he said.
Ruprecht shook his head. "You don't understand-"
"We won't let them," Claude said, eyes narrowed. "We were going to investigate the 'Sorcery Globe', which apparently the Wise Men have something to do with. In that case, we MUST go and stop them. There is no hope for anyone here if we don't, and I won't let this world be destroyed if I can help it."
They blinked and looked at Claude. His expression was serious, his jaw set, and his stance rigid despite his illness. Ruprecht sighed, "It won't be that easy..."
"I managed to hurt that guy - Cyril," Ashton said.
"He let his guard down. Only something from Nede, crafted out of special materials, will be able to cause them harm."
"Nede?" both echoed. Claude continued. "The place they're going to, another world..."
"There has to be a way..." Ashton looked down at the floor. "And what about Chr.... Ruprecht. We can't leave him."
Claude looked at the young wise man. "Well?" Silence. "You can either stay, or you can come with us and help. It sounds like they're not going to welcome you back with the way you speak. And since you know plenty about them, we could use your help."
Ashton looked hopefully at Ruprecht. He spoke finally, eyes closed, hands gripping the blanket tightly. "They'll come after me."
"I'll protect you."
"We," Claude corrected, "I won't stand and watch someone be killed."
More silence. Finally, with a word, it was shattered. "All right." Ashton sighed with relief, and looked at Claude, who was standing unsteadily now. He quickly dashed around the bed and grabbed Claude before he hit the floor, weakened and dizzy from the illness. "You should have known better," Ashton muttered, picking Claude up and carrying him back to his room.
Ruprecht sighed then. "I only hope I don't bring death on them. I always seem to be a problem for everyone around me. I should have died..."
~*~
"Thanks Ashton," Bowman said as he returned the errant swordsman.
"No problem. I'm actually kind of glad he wandered," he said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Ruprecht will be traveling with us. Everyone should be ready in a few days, right?"
"Yes." Bowman pulled the covers over Claude and grabbed a bottle of herbs.
"Alright then, I'm going to go take a walk around town."
"What are you doing?"
"I'm following-"
"You're lying! You've been corrupted. Look at yourself! You're a disgrace to us all, and have fallen to the sway of the swine of this wretched world. I have no hard feelings of what I shall do to you, Ruprecht."
"Brother Cyril!" ... "What are you doing?!"
He awoke with a start, eyes wide as he recalled something which almost seemed to be a bad dream. As his eyes focused, that dream began to be a reality clasping him in a cold fist. The room was lit by a morning sun peeking through the window, the warm rays falling down on his bed, and onto the other occupant of the room curled up on a chair by the bed.
"Ashton..."
The lanky awkward swordsman was snoozing peacefully, oblivious to the morning rays. His dragons on the other hand, were starting to stir, and a blue-violet eye focused on him. He blinked back, and then groaned as he went backwards to lay back on the bed as his back caught up with the sudden movement. Things flitted through his mind, and then he realized what had happened with dull comprehension.
"I am so dead..." he moaned, throwing the pillow over his head.
"Hm?" Ashton looked up and around, blinking in the light. "Oh! You're awake. Good morning Chris."
He cringed at the name, and knew there was a point where the truth would be revealed. Especially if Cyril or any of the other Wise Men crossed their paths. Which would be more than likely now. 'Perhaps even Indalecio...' He swallowed visibly. "Ashton... there- ... there's something I need... to tell you..." He stared up at the ceiling, afraid of telling the truth but preferring it should come from his own lips, rather than their in the heat of battle.
"What is it?"
"..." Ruprecht took a deep breath. "My name isn't Chris. It never was or will be. I made it up. My real name is Ruprecht. The man you saw last night was... my brother, who... who is..." He bit his lip, both to control the burning pain in his back and to keep from completely losing it.
Ashton's brow furrowed in confusion. He kept silent, not wanting to interrupt, but put a comforting hand on Ruprecht's shoulder.
He flinched as he felt the hand but didn't force it away. It was calming, knowing someone was there. Someone that actually bothered to listen and care. But what he had to say would not bode well with his friend's companions. He continued. "He and I are part of a group. The Ten Wise Men. You've probably never heard of us. But... they... and I... we're using this planet... Expel... to get back to Energy Nede."
"What?" Ashton was confused. "Energy...? Get back to... how?"
"By having this planet collide with Energy Nede, or get close enough so we can teleport off. From there, they'll take over the universe..." He hadn't noticed his change from we to they, but he was shaking just from speaking. "I..."
"Universe...? Wait..."
The conversation, had been overheard, however, and before either could go further, Claude opened the door quietly, slipping in and shutting the door. He then locked it, and looked gravely at the two. His voice was quiet, but his eyes spoke volumes, almost seeming haunted. "Take over the universe?" he asked softly, his eyes reflecting exhaustion.
Ashton looked at Claude, and then back at Ruprecht, who seemed to sink into the bed a bit more. "Claude...?"
"Yes... that is their intention. I-" his voice cracked then, and he bit his lip, trying to hold back the emotions. "I am as good as nothing. When Cyril tells Indalecio and the others, they'll surely leave me to die..."
Ashton frowned. "You're not going to die," he said.
Ruprecht shook his head. "You don't understand-"
"We won't let them," Claude said, eyes narrowed. "We were going to investigate the 'Sorcery Globe', which apparently the Wise Men have something to do with. In that case, we MUST go and stop them. There is no hope for anyone here if we don't, and I won't let this world be destroyed if I can help it."
They blinked and looked at Claude. His expression was serious, his jaw set, and his stance rigid despite his illness. Ruprecht sighed, "It won't be that easy..."
"I managed to hurt that guy - Cyril," Ashton said.
"He let his guard down. Only something from Nede, crafted out of special materials, will be able to cause them harm."
"Nede?" both echoed. Claude continued. "The place they're going to, another world..."
"There has to be a way..." Ashton looked down at the floor. "And what about Chr.... Ruprecht. We can't leave him."
Claude looked at the young wise man. "Well?" Silence. "You can either stay, or you can come with us and help. It sounds like they're not going to welcome you back with the way you speak. And since you know plenty about them, we could use your help."
Ashton looked hopefully at Ruprecht. He spoke finally, eyes closed, hands gripping the blanket tightly. "They'll come after me."
"I'll protect you."
"We," Claude corrected, "I won't stand and watch someone be killed."
More silence. Finally, with a word, it was shattered. "All right." Ashton sighed with relief, and looked at Claude, who was standing unsteadily now. He quickly dashed around the bed and grabbed Claude before he hit the floor, weakened and dizzy from the illness. "You should have known better," Ashton muttered, picking Claude up and carrying him back to his room.
Ruprecht sighed then. "I only hope I don't bring death on them. I always seem to be a problem for everyone around me. I should have died..."
~*~
"Thanks Ashton," Bowman said as he returned the errant swordsman.
"No problem. I'm actually kind of glad he wandered," he said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Ruprecht will be traveling with us. Everyone should be ready in a few days, right?"
"Yes." Bowman pulled the covers over Claude and grabbed a bottle of herbs.
"Alright then, I'm going to go take a walk around town."
