(Home World)
The Acacia Dragoons resumed their operation only days since Dario's death. There had been no real funeral for Dario, since his body was never found, and Karsh had never admitted to having killed Dario by his own hand. Just as Lynx had demanded, Karsh had told the story concluding with his friend's death by the demons of the island.
Hardly anyone had believed Karsh, since Dario had been such a terrific fighter, and could not have fallen from simple creatures of the island. Everyone suspected one thing or another of Karsh, but the Acacia Dragoons stood behind him, the most honest person that General Viper knew, after Dario. Yet little was said. Dario's only family was the Dragoons, and while some mourned the loss more than others who felt Dario was just another soldier, every one was forced to live their new lives.
Karsh soon became isolate, remaining in his room in Viper Manor unless explicitly called for an assignment. He would sit in his bed, calculating what happened that night on the Isle of the Damned, trying to figure out why it all went as it did. Ever since the confrontation with Dario, his mind seemed to slip, and his memory became fragmented.
Once a day, around noon, he peered outside the window on his door to see Lady Riddel walk by. He felt as though he hadn't said a word to her since Dario's death, because he could not ever admit his betrayal to her. Karsh loved her, and if she ever knew what he did, he could not bear to live with how she would feel. Riddel's misery reflected on Karsh, and although she appeared the same on the outside with her seductive looks, she had been crushed over the death of her fiancée.
Karsh had sat in his room for too long a time that he lost track of what day it was. His face had narrowed, his figure had slimmed, but there had been no other signs that he was losing himself. He had lost everything in that one night, and since Dario's body had not been buried properly, he was losing sleep dreaming about Dario returning. His hope turned to despair, and gradually his sanity left him.
The only hope he had left was Riddel. If Karsh had been able to share one word with her, he would find a sympathetic soul, and maybe they would take mutual comfort in one another. And maybe Riddel could fall in love with him. Maybe, after just a little more time, Karsh could tell her, and then…
"Sir Karsh!" A voice called from outside the door.
"Yeah…" He said, the first time he had spoken to anyone in days. He stood up off of his bed, and walked slowly to the door. "What do you want?"
"Sir! The General's guest has given us information as to the whereabouts of the Frozen Flame! The General requests your presence at once, sir!"
Karsh opened the door to see a boy, maybe seventeen years old, dressed in full uniform of an Acacia Dragoon. Karsh yawned and walked past the young Dragoon, mumbling to himself about the awful state of recruitment of soldiers. Karsh met with Zoah in the grand hall, and only affirmed each other with a nod. Together they ascended the elevating platform and entered Viper's chamber.
"Gentlemen!" Viper said, with a broad smile. "Already, we have been given notice by my guest, Lord Lynx…" Viper turned and held his hand out to a man who approached from behind him, the very same Karsh saw weeks before. Karsh had not heard of the General's guest, and so seeing Lynx again made him seize up with fear and hatred.
Before the General spoke another word, Lynx interrupted, speaking the same information that Viper would have given. "The Frozen Flame, as only heard of in legend, does exist. And it exists in this archipelago. It is now the business of the Acacia Dragoons to seek it out, for I have done my favor to you by giving you its location." Lynx approached Zoah and Karsh, who found they were standing with a number of other Dragoons as well as Lady Riddel. "Imagine… the power to do anything in your dreams," The catlike man said to Zoah. "Even the power…" Lynx looked straight into Karsh's eyes, ferociously poised to strike, "…to bring someone back." As Lynx spoke the words, a growl escaped his mouth, but only Karsh seemed to hear it.
In his mind, Karsh was seconds away from tearing off the demi-human's skull from its fur-covered neck. He glanced back just as hard at Lynx, the two of them engaging in a staring contest; on one side was a man who was sure of losing his sanity, and the other he thought to be the one responsible for it.
Viper interrupted this awkward display, unknowing of the history between the two, by mentioning the mission details. "We will be sailing together into the Sea of Eden…"
The younger Dragoons in the room gasped and muttered among themselves. Lynx turned around to look at Viper and nodded, walking back to where he was standing earlier. Karsh spoke undisturbed of the news, "When, sir?"
"We leave tomorrow," Viper said. "I expect you all to prepare in your own fashion. Karsh and Zoah… Regrettably, my daughter is accompanying us on this mission. It is your job to secure her." The two Dragoons saluted properly, and were dismissed to their quarters. "We'll see you all in the morning," the general said optimistically.
Karsh returned to his room and saw Riddel approach him as he turned the knob. "Karsh, I…" She said, slowly letting tears roll out of her eyes. Karsh instinctively wiped the tears away from her glistening eyes and looked at her in a comforting way. "I know that we won't find Dario again… I don't know why I had this silly hope of coming with you all…!" Riddel said as she began to sob, throwing her arms around Karsh. "Karsh, you were never second best to him. Not in my mind."
Karsh looked down at her, surprised, but she did not see his expression as she had pressed her left ear hard against his chest. He thought that she must have heard the rapid change in his heart beat when she said that to him.
"You were always my first friend… Daddy wanted me with Dario so badly that I denied that early in my life, and you were my first friend. I can't lose you, Karsh."
A tear swelling in his eye, Karsh patted Riddel on the back. "You ain't gonna lose me." Riddel looked up at him, and when his eyes met hers, Karsh saw straight through them into the blackness of that night that he had killed Riddel's one love, and his own best friend. Karsh pulled back out of Riddel's embrace, trying to shake off the horror of having the vision again.
Riddel, clearing up her eyes, gave Karsh a concerned look. "Are you… all right?"
Karsh looked right back at her and remembered the day she had given him the bellflower. He was losing his mind, but not his memory. And so he smiled at Riddel, saying, "Don't worry. We'll find the Frozen Flame, and then we can sort the rest of this out. I… still can't get over it…"
"Neither can I, Karsh. You know that," Riddel said, solemnly.
"Riddel, I…"
"Yes?"
Karsh stared into her eyes again, envisioning how she looked the night of Dario's Grandmaster ceremony. He was about to tell her how he felt about her. How for years he had held back his love for her only because of his best friend. Karsh was going to admit that he loved Riddel, and that the Masamune took Dario's life, not demons.
But none of it came. Once again, Karsh could not bring himself to say what he knew he needed to say. There had been nothing stopping him this time. There was no one in the vicinity, and there was no Dario to compete with. And as soon as he thought of his best friend, his brother in arms, he began to cry again. He pressed his back against the wall and sank to the floor, his face buried in his hands.
"I'm nothing without him…!"
Riddel sat beside him and put her arm around him. "I know, Karsh. I know."
