Part V
" A Supposed Resolution"
Throughout his entire life, Clive had been surrounded by death. Even so, he didn't think it would prepare him for dying himself. However, he was surprised to find that death didn't even hurt. It must have been because his death was so suddenly, being shot in the head and all, virtually painless. The air was even still too, the smoke must have totally dissipated. But wait, Clive thought, the afterlife probably didn't have smoke, that sort of made sense. Well hey at least he didn't go to hell, the former Guildmaster mused, being optimistic for probably the first time in years. "Clive, what are you doing?" Lena said.
"Oh so you died too? I'm sorry I couldn't save you." Clive murmured, in response.
He could hear her sigh in frustration. "No, I didn't die you moron. Open your eyes.
Clive wasn't even aware that they had been shut in the first place. He forced himself to open his eyes. Now, a circular granite wall completely surrounded him, Georg, and Lena, separating them from the gunners. The trio stared at it for a second and then it suddenly exploded outward, knocking both of their enemies to the ground. "How the…what the…how did…." The former Guildmaster started to hyperventilate.
"It took you quite a while to find him Lena." A familiar voice rang out a few feet away.
Then, he saw another cloaked figure slowly walk down to the dead end, where the three of them were. Unlike their would be assassins though, his cloak was light in color. Raising his hands to lower his hood, Clive could see a familiar ring on his hand…
"Bishop Sasarai!" Lena exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
The clergyman shrugged, almost casually. "Well, it's almost dawn and I was expecting you back quickly. So, I decided to see where you went."
The Temple Guard stood and through the dim light, Clive could see that she was livid. "Bishop Sasarai!" she yelled, almost at the point of hysterics. "What are you doing out here in this area? It's dangerous, someone could jump you, you could get yourself killed or..or…."
Sasarai frowned slightly, raising a hand, which stopped her ranting. "Nothing happened now did it? By the way, what happened to that knight over there?" he said, motioning with his other hand to a crumpled heap of brown robes on the ground, behind Clive and Lena.
Clive whirled around to see Georg fallen on the pavement, motionless. He crouched down beside him, and frantically tried to feel for a pulse. However, his clammy hands kept sliding along his friend's tough skin. The young bishop knelt beside him, calmly removing Clive's hand with his right. "Allow me." he whispered quietly.
As Sasarai lifted his left hand, Clive could see that the bishop was the bearer of another rune, albeit one less powerful than the True Earth one: a Flowing Rune, otherwise known as the Healing Rune. Placing his hand on Georg's chest, a faint blue glow emitted from his hand and surrounded the knight's body with light. Quickly, the blue light faded and the knight bolted straight up. "Alright, scum!" he roared. "Try and get me now!"
Clive, Lena, and Sasarai watched his ranting and raving, in faint amusement. Once, the fact that his life was not in moral peril sunk in though his head, Georg paused, in mid rant. He stared at the three people watching him. "Please tell me what just happened." He asked in bewilderment.
Before any of them could respond, Hewitt started to groan. The bishop quickly gestured with his hand for everyone to come closer. "Grab a hold of my cloak." He urged.
For a moment, Clive hesitated. Then, he quickly picked Storm off the ground and then clutched the bishop's white cloak. He felt a warmth fill up inside of him and he closed his eyes in fright. "It's okay." Sasarai reassured him. "We're safe now."
His eyes snapped opened and Clive found himself back in the bishop's office. The first rays of sunlight filtered through the windows, subtly highlighting decorations on the wall, not easily noticed in broad daylight. For example, the gunner now noticed some hooks drilled into the crystal above Sasarai's desk. It was almost funny how they almost appeared to be positioned as to hold a rifle…
"So, who exactly are you?" the bishop asked Georg Prime politely interrupting Clive's train of thought.
To the former guildmaster, Georg still appeared to still be shaken from his near death experience. "Um, well I'm Georg Prime." He offered meekly.
Sasarai tapped his finger thoughtfully and then his expression brightened considerably. He clasped his hands together, merrily. "Oh yes, Georg Prime! I've heard so much about you! You participated in so many major historical events across the continent. From what I can tell, you exhibit bravery, courage, persistence. You were a knight in the Grasslands and further south in the Toran Republic I believe?"
Georg nodded cautiously, a list of familiar enthusiasm, returning to his eyes. "Yeah, that's right your Reverence. I also fought in the Duran Unification War last year as well. Those times were tough, you know, but I managed to fight through them…"
"Oh wait." Sasarai continued, cutting through Georg's rambling. "Weren't you also a head knight in the Queendom of Falena?"
Clive could literally see fear paralyze his friend's face. Georg could only manage to nod tightly in response. "You know, Georg." The young clergyman continued. "I've received information stating that the Queen's assassins have been looking for you. It seems that they find you responsible for the death of their Queen Marguerite, a few years back…
Georg's normally tan complexion continued to pale further. "You can't tip them off!" Clive yelled frantically.
"Yeah!" Lena chimed in, anxiety in her voice. "I mean he saved both of our lives last night, several times!
Tension filled the room, until Sasarai finally shrugged. "Well the royalty there almost always forgets to send me a birthday present…I suppose that those assassins will have to try harder to find you…"
Relief swept over the knight's face and his hands stopped shaking. "Thank you…thank you very much." He stuttered.
"Now to the issue at hand." Sasarai said, absently fiddling with his magic ring. "Oh incidentally, Georg, how did you manage to save Lena and Clive last night?"
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Clive managed to let out a snicker. "Well, it turns out that Georg and Lena have a more serious relationship than you would think…."
"SHUT UP!" Lena screamed, moving towards the black cloaked man. "I am not his wife!"
"It's too bad, Aunt Lena." A new voice mocked from the doorway. "And I always just assumed that you would die an old spinster."
Clive, Lena, and Georg whirled around to find a familiar blond haired man standing at the bishop's doorway. He appeared to be in his early twenties and wore a leather belt with several weapons, including a knife and what appeared to be a dart gun. "Nash!" Lena yelled, turning towards him. "Where have you been for the past ten months?"
Her nephew shrugged nonchantly. "Around and about doing stuff for the bishop here. I think you should be thanking me for saving your life, rather than Georg Prime here." He said, casually.
"And why's that?" Clive asked curiously.
Nash cocked a pale eyebrow. "Well who do you think tipped off Sasarai when the gunners attacked Clive in the bar? Who do you think just happened to place a rope ladder to allow Georg to climb up onto the roof? Who do you think frantically ran to the bishop when you three found yourselves hopelessly cornered?"
"YOU?" Clive and Lena yelled together.
The spy laughed with glee, rubbing his gloved hands together. "Really Aunt Lena, you underestimate me at times!"
The Temple Guard appeared to be shaking with rage. She raised her fist and starting to lunge towards Nash. The Bishop bolted out of his seat instantly. "Lena! Leave family problems for another time!" he yelled, breaking his normally calm composure.
Lena froze instantly. "Sorry, Bishop." She seethed. "It's just that Nash disappeared for ten months after avenging his parent's death. And now, he suddenly decides to just show up and think he can claim the credit for saving our lives…"
"How about deserves the credit?" Nash mocked, grinning at the pleasure of verbally torturing his aunt.
Georg shook his head in amusement. "You two are worse than Clive and Lena!" he laughed.
The spy's eyes seemed to light up with malice. "Oh, Clive and Lena now is it?" he laughed with glee. "Really Auntie, you've seemed to be rather "busy" while I was off doing espionage work for the bishop here."
Clive judged if facial expressions and murderous looks could kill, then Nash would have died a sudden painful death at the hands of Lena. Fortunately, for the spy's life, he appeared to realize that he needed to stop. "You guys need to move out now!" he urged. "One of those guild elders recognized Georg Prime and tipped off the Queen's Assassins who are only twenty miles away from Crystal Valley."
"WHAT?" Georg and Clive exclaimed together in pure panic.
Lena now appeared concerned. "Bishop, what are we going to do?" she asked.
The young bishop still appeared to lack concern. "Don't worry about it. Nash is going to meet you at a fortress on the border of the Grasslands later on today. From there, we will work on hiding you two as long as possible.
For once, Georg appeared to be speechless. Clive couldn't believe what Sasarai just said either. Fortunately, Nash broke the silence. "Well, if plans are settled, then I think I'll be on my way. You got to do everything possibly to stick it to the Howling Voice Guild elders you know." He said, appearing fairly amused.
Nash started to walk out of the doorway, but then paused for a moment. A mischievous smile spread across his handsome face. "I look forward to receiving a wedding invitation from you, Aunt Lena." he mocked.
A crystal ornament flew across the office, smashing into the doorway mere inches from Nash's face. He quickly ducked out into the hallway and Sasarai, Georg, Clive, and Lena could hear Nash laughing as he ran down the corridors of the Crystal Palace. The bishop turned towards the fuming Temple Guard. "So are you ready to take them out of the city?" he asked, his expression shifting into neutral.
Georg and Clive still stared in shock at Sasarai as though he was a species of animal they had never seen before. "Why…why are you doing this?" Georg managed to force out.
Sasarai laughed merrily, clasping his hands together. " Don't worry gentlemen. I think you'll find that this situation will solve both of your problems, just perfectly!"
"How can you be so sure?" the former guildmaster retorted in anger.
Before the bishop could answer him, Nash ran back into the room, his pale face, sweaty and clammy. His smirk had vanished, replaced with fear. "I looked out from the doorway of the palace and I saw the elders heading this way. They should be here in 20 minutes or less!" he shouted, breathing heavily.
Georg and Clive stared at the bishop, desperately trying to extract some information about what their next move should be. The young man merely smiled serenely. "Don't worry, everything will turn out just fine." He said, calmly.
Or will it? To be continued….