Past

He snuck his way through the middle of the crowd, best he could. The prince had his salvation in sight and wasn't going to lose the chance. As soon as he was close enough, he gently tapped her shoulder, causing her to turn. She wore an indigo dress with a conservative bodice and collar, showing little. It wasn't wide skirted like other dresses, but wasn't quite narrow enough to outline her legs. The fabric was smooth throughout, unlike the ruffled dresses others wore.

"My prince." She said with a smile and a (slightly exaggerated) bow. "I hope you're enjoying yourself."

"I would be, High Priestess." He replied. "Except for the presence of suitors being constant and irritating."

"You are the kingdoms most eligible bachelor, milord."

"Bachelor, yes. Eligible, not particularly." He corrected. While he was eligible, he wasn't interested.

"Hm. Fair. But you must find someone eventually. Tradition demands it, after all."

"One tradition I shall abolish when I have the opportunity. But this is not the point of the conversation. I require your assistance."

"I live to serve, milord." She said with a small nod. "Provided you do not seek to soil this holy body."

"Nothing of the sort, priestess." He responded, blushing a bit. "I just feel that I might get less attention if someone were there to take the spotlight. Someone female."

"And you think I should do this?"

"Consider it to be a favor to your prince." He said, waving his hand nonchalantly.

"And what is the payment being offered in return?" she asked, smirking coyly.

"Zora…" Cort grumbled, dropping pretenses.

She chuckled. "I shall assist you in this endeavor, Cort. If for no other reason than to see you try to dance."

"I can dance!" He protested indignantly. This just caused the older woman to laugh and shake her head which only increased his indignance. He huffed. "Zora. Please. If I dance with you, the other girls will leave me alone. Not to mention be jealous."

"Fine, fine." She said, giggling. "Intelligent, good natured, and a hard worker. But can't deal with a little teasing." She offered her arm. "Let's begin, milord. And watch the dress~."

"Yes, miss bossy." He scoffed, shaking his head and taking her arm. He admired the woman and considered her attractive, even if she was almost a decade older, but her personality grated on him. Bossy (even if playfully) and sometimes entitled. And yet, he couldn't help but feel…

Cort felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Erubis. "You're doing it again, Cort…" His friend commented. "Are you ok?"

Cort didn't answer, turning back to look. They were gone. The trio disappeared. He looked left and right and didn't see the distinctive hair colors and outfits. Had it all been a dream? Some twisted, hopeful memory? He didn't know. And it made him all the more anxious. "The pink haired girl. I swear I saw her. And I think I know her."


"You're sure?" The eldest of the two siblings asked. The moment his sister had warned him of Cort's presence, he immediately pulled his two companions into the dark corners of the pillars by the gate. "You're absolutely sure, Lu?"

"Yes! Same hair, same eyes, everything! That bastard is here, Gi!"

The green haired assassin, Gi Delilas, formerly royal guard and elite noble of Conkram, let out a frustrated noise between a growl and a sigh. "Did he see you? Actually see you?"

"I don't know, but I know he turned around when I bumped into him!"

He rubbed the bridge of his nose through his mask. "I don't know if this is bad, but it's certainly not good."

"No shit! We need to get out of here, now!"

"And where do we go?" Their purple haired companion asked, finally speaking up. "If he's here, that means he probably lives here or in Rim Elm, or maybe the monastery. Either way, he's with the very same people we seek the help of."

"Lady Zora-" Lu began before being cut off.

"We came here to avoid him, Lady Zora. We thought he was in Jeremi. That's where Aki found him. And we only need two of the three. Hell, even just one would suffice."

"His sister probably moved him after what Aki did." Zora pointed out. "What better place than with the other two 'heroes'?" She resisted the urge to spit that word. She was still bitter. They all were. Even if their current lives were closer to their lives when they were 'good' people, they, like Cort, still resented dying as most would.

"Then we can't trust them." Lu said simply and with a deadly edge. "I told you this was a mistake. We should have just gone to Buma or New Sorton."

"Too close to Sol and those bastards." Gi said, sighing and rubbing his eyes. "… if he tells anyone what he saw, word might get out."

"So we silence him." Lu suggested. "I'll do it."

"If we kill him, they'll never help us, Lu." Zora said, although she herself didn't sound entirely convinced.

"After what he did to you? I'd personally burn down that entire city." The pink haired girl spoke without a shred of remorse. Her grudge ran deep.

"Look. I would not object to seeing him suffer." Zora admitted, a painful look in her eye. "After what he did, what he said, I want to see him hurt." She sighed and shook her head. "But we're all in a similar boat."

"You want to ask him for help." Gi interpreted, emotionless and unreadable.

"No. No! He KILLED you, Zora!" Lu almost shouted, thankfully drowned out by the festival. "He can't be trusted!"

"No…he can't." Zora agreed. "But who else do we have?"

"We can make it just fine on our own." Lu growled. "Catch a ship to Darakin, make new lives on some mountain or in some cave or canyon or—or something!"

"It's too dangerous there, Lu." Gi pointed out. "Persecution and corruption. Not to mention more dangers than even the mist possessed." Gi turned and took a few steps away, crossing his arms as he thought. "…I'll make the approach."

"Gi—"

"Stop, Lu. I don't trust him, either, but it's better to deal with it now than try to deal with it later."

"Gi." Zora said softly. "Make sure he knows the consequences here, but don't hurt him."

"Intimidate, scar, torture. I'll do whatever it takes, but as you wish, Lady Zora. Unless he attacks me, I shall not harm the prince. Lu, stay here and keep her out of sight. I'll go handle the silver haired betrayer."

"… fine. But if he tries anything funny, I'll kill him myself." Lu promised.

Gi grunted in response as he looked out into the crowd, seeing his target. He adjusted his mask and made sure his knife was ready. Now just to separate him from the snot haired kid and 'encourage' his compliance…


Cort had given up looking. He'd examined every woman he saw and still didn't find who he thought he had seen. He sighed, shaking his head as Erubis caught up with him. "Hey, man. Did you find her?"

"No. I don't even know if she was really here." Cort admitted. Erubis thought he looked and sounded sullener than he'd ever been. "Just… Wishful thinking, I suppose."

"Well, I'm sorry, I guess. I don't really know what to say." He still didn't even understand what was going on.

"Nothing you can. I'll meet you back home. I'm going to go see if I can't get that tunic." He sounded dejected, and not entirely honest. He didn't even wait for a response. He turned and walked back towards the vendor stands. Erubis just sighed. He couldn't do anything now, and he wasn't going to bother trying when he knew that what Cort needed was to be left alone. So, he decided to return back to Rim Elm. At the very least, his father would be home so he could get some advice.

Cort, meanwhile, was just staring at the vendor cart. His interest, once piqued, was now nonexistent. He couldn't stop thinking about what he saw. It had to be real. He wouldn't just imagine it. It had to be them. It couldn't be anyone else. So enraptured was he by these thoughts, he didn't notice proof of what he had witnessed sneaking up on him. That is, until he felt a sharp pain in his back, just under his shoulder blade.

"This blade is six inches long." Gi said coldly. "I only need about four in your fourth intercostal to destroy your heart and I'm going to sink half an inch in for every word you utter."

"Wha—" Cort began, cutting himself off with a grunt as the pain increased.

"Shut. Up. Traitor." The assassin growled. "We're going to find a secluded spot and talk. Try anything and you die." He grabbed him by the shoulder and began dragging him out of the courtyard towards the back alleys of the vendor stalls. Cort was reluctant but didn't resist, knowing full well Gi was serious. Once they were out of sight, Gi pushed him against the wall. That's when Cort got a good look at him.

Gi looked like he used to, only far younger. Same messy green hair, same cold red eyes. He wore a dark grey suit that could pass for formal or casual, and Cort could tell it was padded for fights. His usual skin-tight mask rested over his nose and mouth, stopping just below the ears on his neck. He looked about the same age as Cort, just perhaps a little younger. What he didn't look, however, was happy.

"How?" Was the first thing Cort said once the knife wasn't' about to skewer him.

"Doesn't matter."

"Does to me. Where's Zora?"

"Shut up, Cort." Gi growled, brandishing his blade. "I told Lady Zora I wouldn't harm you. But I can cause pain without injury."

"Like stabbing me in the back?"

"You'd know all about that, wouldn't you?" Gi said, glaring daggers. Cort had no response except to growl. "Look. If I wanted you dead, you would be. The fact is Zora wants you alive. She seems to think you can help us."

"Help you what? For all I knew you were dead! Now you're alive and threatening me! Now, tell me, what the hell is going on!? HOW are you back?!"

"Keep. Your voice. Down." Gi grunted. "Look… we don't know, ok? All we know is who we were, and why we were brought back. The first you know, the second you don't need to. Not yet. But it's the why that's the reason we need help."

"You're good at vague, clear as mud answers." Cort complained, glaring back. "What do you mean by help?"

"The ones who brought us back aren't even close to benevolent, Cort. If they find us, we're doomed. The only ones who can keep us safe are those same three people who destroyed us the first time."

"You mean Noa, Vahn, and Gala." Cort surmised.

"Yes. They have the experience and strength necessary to hold off the ones hunting us. And if nothing else, they can help us hide."

"But why? What do these people want from you?"

"Not my place to say." Gi told him, crossing his arms. "I'm just a guard. A soldier… Look. I made the approach because Lu wants to kill you and Zora, well."

"I know." Cort said with a sigh. "If you want my help, Gi, I need to know what's going on. All of it. Starting with why these people are after you. If you won't give me that, you're on your own."

"…Stay here." Gi ordered, walking away. He didn't like it, but unfortunately, this was the path of least resistance. "I need to speak to Zora."

"Gi" Cort said, taking a few steps after him. "I know none of you trust me. Truly you have no reason to, but tell her I'm sorry. Please."

Gi said nothing in response. He'd heard him, of course. He just had to decide if he'd actually pass on the message. Or if he even believed it himself.

"Well? Is he dead?" Lu asked, trying and failing not to sound hopeful.

"Lu." Zora snapped. The pink haired girl just shrugged in response but said nothing else. "Gi. What did he say?"

"That he wants to know what's going on."

"What did you tell him?"

"The truth, Lady Zora." Gi indicated behind him. "That we don't know how and that I don't trust him with the why. None of us do. But he won't help us unless we tell him."

"Typical." Lu scoffed. "Wants it on his own terms and schedule. Let's just forget it. We don't need him."

"I'm inclined to agree." Gi said honestly. "We can talk to the Ra Seru wielders on our own. Even two would be enough. But…"

"He could sabotage us." Zora finished. "I've foreseen that possibility. Do you think he would?"

"Of course. He's not above it." Lu said with a scowl.

"If I may, milady." Gi said with a slight bow. "Cort before the Mist was a good man. While what he did even in the early days of the mist is enough to earn him our ire, I honestly believe that some of the old Prince has since awakened in his new life. I personally think if he didn't remember the Mist, he'd revert to his old self immediately."

"So, you think we should tell him because you believe his good nature is still existent. Even if buried. And that he'll genuinely help." Zora summarized.

"Yes, milady." Gi affirmed.

"It'd be stupid to trust him again, Lady Zora." Lu interjected. "Even if he didn't remember it and was some goody two shoes, the potential is still there for him to turn on us."

"Maybe. But maybe not." Zora mused quietly. She was deep in thought. Even her two closest companions struggled to read her during these moments. Until a decision was made, they were as much in the dark as anyone else. Finally, she perked up and looked at them. "We've already lost four of us. One of whom was your own brother…" That caused the other two to become quite solemn and grave in expression and body language. "I know you two feel that pain. And even if the others were opposed to us, we feel their losses too. It's my opinion we can't afford to take any risks."

She looked the other two dead in the eye. "If Cort is willing to help us, his motives don't matter. We must care for ourselves and each other. We must ensure each other's safety. And if working with Cort is what it takes, then we pay that price." She looked to her elder bodyguard. "Gi. Inform him that we shall tell him the truth. All three of us. But remind him that any betrayal will not go unpunished. Any threat to us because of him will be treated with the utmost prejudice. We won't be caught unawares again. That's a promise I make to you two. One I'll kill to keep."