Crimson Twilight: Dusk

Chapter 35: Trust

"What do you mean recklessness in combat?"

Trenzein's voice resounded inside the small room that served as the meeting place for the various wizard and hunter division commanders. While he did not lead any specific troops, he was asked to come by the Grand Wizard Commander. The other Wizard Commanders were silent as he stood from his seat. From the hunter side of the table, the new Second Hunter Commander stared coolly at his outburst. Seihanine sighed inwardly. She had hoped, despite the odds, that Trenzein would take the reprimand quietly. His reaction had caused by a reprimand from the Grand Wizard Commander, who mentioned that he had behaved recklessly by going ahead of the other wizard divisions to destroy a group of red high orcs.

"I knew full well that I would be able to destroy that unit of reds with the proper spell!" Trenzein argued. "And I did destroy them didn't I?"

Grand Wizard Commander Hakien Hyou stroked his graying goatee as he looked at Trenzein. He was well acquainted with the young generalist for two things; Trenzein Zaisen's exceptional spellcasting and his constant breaches of discipline. "That's not the point, Generalist Zaisen." He responded calmly. "I do not doubt that you did destroy that unit. What I am stressing is that, if your offensive had failed, those reds would have shifted their focus to the Second Wizard division's exposed flank."

Trenzein's golden eyes seemed to glow menacingly as he seethed. "Did you expect me to fail?" He asked quietly.

Hakien Hyou folded his hands in front of him. He had called this meeting of the long range offensive units to address the growing problem of the reduced number of priests. The hunter and wizard divisions of the Pronteran Regular Army were known collectively as "Long range offensive units" for their similar roles of providing fire power from behind the line of knights. It was for this reason why they often worked together in major army movements. The meeting had gone for two hours already. Some of the commanders were already complaining of growling stomachs. Hakien had made the comment on Trenzein Zaisen's recklessness as a reprimand. He did not expect the young man to react like this. "I expected you to have taken into account the consequences of your actions, Mister Zaisen!" He said sharply. "You would sacrifice a unit of wizards over an impulse? Nevertheless, this meeting is over. The rest of you are dismissed."

Sighs of relief came from practically everyone inside the room as they left. Everyone had left except for Hakien, Trenzein and Seihanine. Trenzein did not appear ready to back down.

"With all due respect, Grand Wizard Commander, I did not act on impulse!" Trenzein shot back. "I knew what the task entailed, what would happen if I failed and my chances of succeeding which was why I decided to go through with it!"

Before Hakien could reply, Seihanine smoothly cut in. "Trenzein, that's enough." She said. "The proper course of action back then would have been to redirect the focus of the entire Second Wizard Division towards that direction instead of going off on your own!"

There was a moment of silence inside the room as Trenzein stared at Seihanine. To Hakien Hyou, Trenzein looked at Seihanine as if she had shot at him from behind. The silence was momentary though, Trenzein's angry reply immediately broke it.

"Redirecting the focus of over forty wizards would have taken minutes, Second Hunter Commander." Trenzein spoke through grit teeth. "In those minutes those reds would have blindsided the already surrounded First Knight Division!"

Seihanine responded to Trenzein's angry stare with a cold stare. "The First Knight Division is quite capable of handling an attack from those reds, Generalist Zaisen." She responded.

Hakien Hyou sensed a huge amount of tension building up between the two. Despite this being still a part of the meeting, he was starting to feel out of place in the room; as if the two were a quarreling married couple and he was the unfortunate neighbor who had just dropped in for a visit and into the middle of their quarrel.

"Are you saying I'm not, Second Hunter Commander?" Trenzein asked.

Seihanine's voice still maintained a level tone as she spoke. "I'm saying that there were ways to handle that situation without gambling with your life." She answered.

Trenzein's voice took a menacing tone. Hakien Hyou tensed. Even an apprentice mage could tell that a tremendous amount of magic was building around the young man. 'It's those damned crazy eyes of his.' He thought. 'Why is it that all weird-eyed wizards have such powerful magical affinities?' Hakien remembered his encounter with another strange-eyed wizard. He remembered the man's crimson eyes and messy silver hair. If there was a man who could exemplify the words "power incarnate" it would have been that one. Trenzein's harsh reply broke his reverie.

"As I recall, Second Hunter Commander, your division was stationed around that area!" Trenzein went on. "It would have been your responsibility to cover the Second Wizard Division's flank while I handled those reds!"

Seihanine's next reply went from cold to frigid. "My division had just lost its commander at that time, Mister Zaisen!" She said. "I had to redirect the division's focus to cover for your antics!"

Trenzein's eyes began to glimmer with yellow light. "I didn't need your cover, damn you!" He spat. "I was quite capable of handling those reds and we wouldn't be having this worthless argument if you had minded your damned business by covering someone else and keeping the hell out of my way!"

Seihanine did not bother replying. Instead she stormed out of the room without another word.

Still seated, Hakien Hyou turned to face Trenzein. "You didn't mean that did you, Generalist Zaisen?" He asked.

Trenzein whirled on the Grand Wizard Commander as soon as Seihanine disappeared from sight. "Of course I didn't, you shriveled, old bastard!" He shouted. "Why in the Nine Hells would I possibly mean that?"

Trenzein stormed out of the room as well. Hakien hid an amused smile as he sat alone in the meeting room. The situation was so amusing that he actually let go generalist calling him a "shriveled old bastard". 'Kids these days.' He chuckled to himself.

Seihanine Xalascent walked briskly away from the meeting room and into the streets of Prontera. 'Fine!' She thought. 'He can roll over and die in his magic if he's so insistent! Why do I even bother?' She was too furious to see where she was headed so it was no surprise when she found herself in one of Prontera's many alleys. This place was different though. Despite it being noon, the alley was surrounded by shadows due to the surrounding buildings. She tensed as she heard the footsteps of someone behind her.

"Sei."

Seihanine recognized the voice at once. She turned around to find…

'There's no one there.' Seihanine thought. She readied her gakkung. Had she imagined hearing the voice? 'Now why would I be imagining Zein's voice?'

"Sei, I'm sorry."

Seihanine turned again. It was unmistakably Trenzein Zaisen from the voice but…

"I'm sorry that I…didn't get to rape you before you died!"

Seihanine froze. The voice was Trenzein's at first but it suddenly changed into someone else's around the middle. The voice was soft, feminine and frighteningly familiar. Soft laughter echoed in the abandoned alley.

"Sei…Sei…Sei…you didn't really expect Zein to grovel before you didn't you?" The voice asked. "You're a lot more arrogant than you're willing to show!"

Seihanine's eyes widened in surprise and realization as she recognized the voice that resounded all around her. "That's impossible!" She said in surprise. I-!" Seihanine cried out involuntarily as something cold and sharp sliced into her right leg. At once, the wound burned with intense pain. She squinted at the shadows, trying to catch a glimpse of her enemy. "Maiha Il-Xalascent!" She said the name with a mixture of disbelief and fury.

More soft laughter echoed in the alley. "The same, baby sister." Came the answer.

Seihanine simultaneously fired two arrows at the direction of her half-sister's voice. At once she regretted leaving Kalyx with Kreizen in her house.

"Oh, Sei…I've missed you a lot! Did you miss me too?" Maiha asked.

Someone jostled at Seihanine in the dark; knocking her down on one knee. Intense pain snaked up and down her leg. A dagger suddenly sliced deep into her right arm. Seihanine grit her teeth and grasped her arm. The wound was incredibly painful. "Maiha…how did you survive?" She asked.

The voice was silent for a while before speaking. Once more, Trenzein's voice came from the shadows. It was frighteningly strange to hear his voice. Seihanine knew that he wasn't there but it disturbed her all the same to hear him.

"I helped her, Sei. I always did love your half-sister more than you!" Maiha laughed once again. "Oh, how I love doing that!" She crowed. "Impersonating voices is such an interesting habit don't you think so?" She finally appeared from the shadows. Seihanine pointed her gakkung at her but she was quickly upon her half-sister. Malice and Fury cut into Seihanine's other arm. "I've hurt the tendons on your arms, baby sister." She cooed gently. "If you let them heal naturally, I doubt you'll ever pick up a bow in this life again."

Maiha kicked Seihanine in the chest; knocking her on her back. She then sat on her half-sister's belly and smiled as she pulled out the arrows that had buried themselves on her right shoulder. She tapped Seihanine's wounded leg delicately with Malys and smiled as Seihanine winced. "Painful isn't it?" She asked. "Bad as it is, baby sister, it won't kill you."

Seihanine stared defiantly at her older half-sister. "What's stopping you?" She asked. "I killed you once already!"

Maiha smiled sweetly and drew forth a vial of green liquid. "You know, baby sister, you're not going about your relationships properly." She said. "The idea is to bed them first before pretending that you're married. Not that Zein would ever really bed you. I mean you do have that nasty scar on your face."

Malice whipped about; cutting a vicious gash across the bridge of Seihanine's nose. Wincing painfully; Seihanine continued to stare defiantly at her half-sister. She blinked away some of the blood and continued to struggle. It was useless. The poison was getting to her and she didn't have enough strength to get her sister off.

"Zein wouldn't like that now." Maiha continued. "Especially with this." She suddenly shook small vial she was holding. The liquid inside began to bubble in reaction. She then uncorked the vial and dangled it in front of Seihanine. Still smiling, she let a single drop of the liquid fall into Seihanine's face wound. Seihanine winced once more as her wound began to sting. It was no secret that the liquid was Maiha's personal brand of poison. Extremely painful, slow-acting and never lethal. "Scream for me will you, baby sister? Just once…please?" Maiha laughed softly as she let more of the liquid drip onto Seihanine's wound. Seihanine locked her teeth. She refused to give Maiha the satisfaction. "You know what, Sei? I really don't think you're meant for Zein. I mean, you can't use a bow…you're all scarred and ugly…oh and one last thing…" Maiha rubbed her knives together and grinned.

"Zein doesn't like flat-chested women!"

Seihanine's eyes widened. She wasn't going to-!

Malice and Fury moved slowly towards Seihanine's chest while Maiha licked her lips. "This is going to be exquisite, baby sister." She giggled. "We'll start with the tips. Try your best to stay awake will you?"

Seihanine struggled furiously. Her wounds were aching badly now. All of a sudden, Maiha was flying away from her. Seihanine stared at her half-sister. Arcs of electricity coursed through Maiha. She then turned to see who had cast the spell.

"I should have killed you when I had the chance, Maiha!" Trenzein shouted.

Maiha laughed and stood up. Her multiple burns were smoking but she looked like she was enjoying every moment of it. "Zein!" She spoke as if she had just run into a long lost friend. "I'm so happy to see you! We were just discussing your tastes!"

Trenzein's only reply was another sphere of electricity. Maiha laughed and raised her arms as if trying to embrace the spell. The Jupitel Thunder flung her towards the shadows while Trenzein rushed towards Seihanine.

Soft laughter resounded all around them once more. "Oh, Zein. I could just stand here all day and get hurt by you…but unfortunately you've used up all of my time! Until next time I suppose!"

The voice faded away as Trenzein got Seihanine to sit up. His hand glowed softly as it passed over Seihanine's wounds. She grasped her gakkung and stared at him. Trenzein's healing capabilities were not even near Makaelthos's let alone Silmeia's. While her wounds did not close completely, the pain did ease and the blood stopped flowing. "You sounded like you knew that Maiha was back." She told him quietly.

Trenzein avoided Seihanine's gaze. "I did know." He admitted. "She attacked me last night."

Seihanine's eyes widened in surprise. "What? Why didn't you tell me?" She asked. "Maiha Il-Xalascent is my clan's problem!"

Trenzein looked at the shadows. "I wanted to kill her without having to tell you." He replied. I suppose that wasn't possible."

Seihanine stared at her leg's wound. Il-Xalascent…she had thought that it was a fate worse than death back then. To be cut off from your clan in Payon was to lose your connection to everything. But Maiha survived that. She survived her murderous vengeance as well…could her half-sister be actually killed? She suddenly paused and shifted her focus to Trenzein. "But what are you doing here?" She asked him.

Trenzein was silent. He started fidgeting and glanced at Seihanine from the corner of his eye. "Look…I'm…I'm sorry, okay?" He said haltingly. "I didn't mean that stuff I said. I was just...well...pissed at that old bastard's comments!"

Seihanine struggled to stop herself from smiling. It would be a blow to Trenzein's pride if she didn't take this seriously. Apologies from him were rarer than emperium. He didn't look like he was going to add anything else though. She tried to stand up and failed. Her wounds still ached. Trenzein put her arm around his shoulder and lifted her up. She failed to hide a smile this time. "Thanks." She said. "And I didn't mean to look down on you. I just-"

Trenzein pretended as if he heard nothing. Nonetheless, Seihanine's sharp eyes noticed a faint smile.