The rain had finally died down an hour or so after sunset, the point being that Persha couldn't see the rainbow in the already indigo sky. Instead, she stared at the stars that were beginning to dot the empty canvas of the night sky with silvery light. As she did, she fingered the petals of the rose Jared had given her. It had remained fresh and bloomed, staying true to its claim of being witherless. She recalled the events of the night when Jared had found her, and finished his song-her song. The night when both of them had finally said how much they love each other, it brought a smile to her face.
Jared had disappeared, without warning for most of the day. He hadn't mentioned anything to the gate guards and Sonon was apprehensive when she asked him if he knew where Jared was. Unfortunately nobody knew, so she waited in the veranda facing the gate, waiting for Jared to return. She began to hum Jared's song for her; it soothed her and made her feel that he was beside her.
A cold wind swept past then suddenly someone pulled her from behind and placed a hand over her mouth. She was about to fight back when she realized that it was Jared. He looked down at her with eyes that were filled with such sadness that she felt that she might cry as well. Jared gently let his hand fall from over her mouth unto her cheek.
"Jared," Persha began softly "what's wrong, please tell me," She felt for his other hand but was surprised to find that from the elbow down it was missing, only wrapped in cloth ripped from his cape, with the blood already seeping through. Persha couldn't hold back her tears at the sight of this, she cried on Jared's shoulder, unable to find any words to say.
Jared stroked her hair reassuringly, but Persha felt a difference in the manner he did it, a sadness of sorts, as if he was saying goodbye or forgive me. She held unto him tighter and didn't want to let go, for fear of loosing him.
"Persha, do you love me?" asked Jared, the sadness even more apparent in his voice.
"Of course Jared, if I never knew you I would have no inkling of how precious life could be," replied Persha.
At this point Jared drew back leaving Persha with her arms extended towards him. He turned away from her and she brought her hands back towards her. She knew something was wrong, but she couldn't figure out what. If only Jared would tell her.
Tears were streaming down Jared's face when he turned to face her again. "If you never knew me? What if you didn't know me Persha? Will you still love me?"
"Jared, I will always love you. Nothing can make me stop loving you." Persha stepped forward and kissed Jared, at first he didn't return the kiss and seemed to be trying to draw away again but then he finally returned it, and with more passion than he had ever kissed her before. After some time he finally drew back and he reached for her hand and held it firmly in his.
"Persha, we have to go. We have to leave the guild house tonight," said Jared, before he made for the entrance of the castle from the veranda.
Persha planted her feet on the ground and pulled Jared back towards her, they met eye to eye and once again Persha could feel the sadness Jared's shown. "Please tell me what's wrong Jared," she begged softly. Jared bent down and kissed her again. "Trust me Persha, you have to trust me, please" Persha nodded then reluctantly followed him.
Jared had brought Persha out of the guild house bypassing all the places where any other person could be found. They had made it out without encountering anybody at all. It amazed Persha that Jared was able to pull of something like that, she had spent a much longer time in the guild house than he did; yet he managed to find deserted corridors that even she didn't know about. They were now outside the guild house walls and in the forest. Persha headed northwards but Jared pulled her back with a sharp "No,"
"The northern gates are the nearest," said Persha assuming they were going to Prontera.
"Forces from Al deBaran will come from the north we have to go south, we're going to the park," replied Jared. Persha didn't understand the significance of forces from Al deBaran but she promised that she would trust Jared so she followed him southwards towards the park.
The forest was quiet aside from the occasional hoot from an owl or chirp from a cricket. Jared led them just as quietly towards Persha's park. Jared had still said nothing about what was happening and Persha didn't try to dig it out of him at the moment, but she planned to. They finally arrived at the forest clearing where the park stood at the other end. Persha had never seen her park at night before, it was beautiful, the moonlight shown down and the waters from the fountain reflected it bathing the whole park with the silver light.
Both of them sat down on a bench where Jared buried his face in his remaining hand. He began to cry again, Persha placed her hand on his lap then rested her head on his shoulder.
"Jared, please talk to me. Let me share your burden." Tears began to trickle from her eyes at this point. "I can't stand seeing you like this Jared,"
"Persha, I have to tell you something, but I can't" He looked at her and this time the sadness in his eyes were joined by desperation "I know I have to, I really want to. But I can't make myself tell you. Persha I never meant to hurt you like this. I never meant to fall in love with you and hurt you like this."
"Jared, you never hurt me." Began Persha "I would have been lost and dead without you,"
"Don't say that Persha, I don't deserve you. I'm an evil person who hurts good people; I'll never deserve you. But I'll always love you."
Jared bent to kiss Persha and Persha did the same, just when their lips were about to touch the sound of someone's hands clapping interrupted the silence of the park.
Lord Irutalde then stepped out from the clearing with a company of a female wizard with extremely straight jet-black hair, a male alchemist who's entire face was covered by a leather mask of a young man screaming in anger, and finally a couple or so of knights behind them. It was Lord Reginald Irutalde who had been clapping and his face was an expression of pure jesting at Jared and Persha.
"Oh my, what a coincidence. My master saboteur and his wench." Said Lord Irutalde as his clapping stopped. Jared stared at him with the utmost hate and rage. Lord Irutalde was taken aback for a moment at Jared's expression he would have unsheathed his sword and cut Jared down right then and there if he didn't regain his control in time. He noticed Jared's arm, or lack thereof then smiled.
"I see Shaga had managed to take your arm to the grave with him," said Irutalde, "And it seems he has told you that we are already here. I knew he couldn't resist spiting you with his last breath. A pity, I couldn't have killed him for such idiocy."
"You would kill your own men for pleasure!" shouted Jared "And you have the audacity to call yourself a guild master. What master are you?"
At his remark Jared received a full-armed slap from Irutalde's gauntleted hand. The sheer strength of the knight made Jared fall. Irutalde pulled out his sword and was about to bring it down on Jared but Persha's rapture rose entwined around his wrist and his sword came down on the ground instead, mere inches from Jared's head.
Blood seeped out from where the thorns of the rapture rose had dug into the flesh of the knight. "Few people have made me bleed in my life girl, and fewer of them still were left alive," said Irutalde. With the rapture rose still entwined around his wrist he pulled Persha towards himself and caught her by the throat. "Why do you protect him so? Do you love him?" asked Irutalde with a sneer.
Persha met the knight's stare head-on and replied; "You'll never know what it means to love or be loved, who'll lay down their life for you, Your men? They follow you out of fear not loyalty. Take my word for it, first sign of weakness in your part and they'll all try to usurp you."
"Insolent wench! You think you're loved?" shouted Irutalde "I will show you something that will break your little heart into a thousand pieces." He motioned at Jared with his head and two brawny knights from the flanks stepped forward and picked Jared up. The alchemist joined them and pulled out a vial of red liquid from his coat.
"Open up," the alchemist said hissingly to Jared, who refused to open his mouth. The alchemist then pinched his nose until he opened his mouth involuntarily, where the alchemist poured down the contents of the vial unceremoniously.
Persha who was struggling to get free from Irutalde's grasp had stopped with the sensation that was coming from Jared in the telepathic guild link. Jared's link was fading in then out suddenly a link for a different guild spilled into the Malacca network. It didn't last for long but long enough for Persha to identify Irutalde's mind among those. When the other guild that had spilled in finally disappeared Jared's link was gone with them. Persha couldn't believe what was happening, Jared was really a saboteur from Suldam, all this was true, and everything that they had done wasn't real. He toyed with her emotions.
Irutalde began to chuckle at Persha's expression of surprise and extreme depression "What can you say about love now girl?" he mocked "You're lover was actually my wolf in sheep's clothing, sent among the flock of Malacca."
"I'm sorry Persha," said Jared tears streaming down his face "I have no excuse. But know that I truly love you. I didn't lie about that. Everything in my song was true, I promise."
"Silence hode!" shouted Irutalde as he kicked the stub of Jared's arm. Jared cringed from the pain and gritted his teeth trying to stifle the urge to wail. Irutalde starred at down at him "You have the same fire in you as your master did? He too didn't want to accept the pain." Irutalde began kicking Jared's arm repeatedly until an agonized moan escaped from Jared's mouth. " By the way, did you ever wonder why you so willingly accepted my demand for you to sabotage your master? I had made Sikhak place one of the many potions I use in my arsenal in his knife. That little prick in your neck was enough to cloud your mind and not disobey me. I made you betray your master!"
Jared's rage was fueled by the words. He forgot all about the pain in his arm and sweep-kicked one of the knights holding him causing that knight to fall unto the other one. He then lunged at Irutalde making both of them fall to the ground and setting Persha free.
"Run Persha!" shouted Jared, while he still had Irutalde pinned on the ground. Persha didn't have time to think she just ran with her tears streaming behind her.
The jet black-haired wizard snapped her fingers and a wall of fire erupted around the park but it was a second to late from preventing Persha from escaping.
The two knights recovered from their fall and lifted Jared off Lord Irutalde. Out of rage Irutalde grabbed the wizard by the hair. "What use do I have of casters that take an eternity with their spells!" he bellowed at the wizard who at this point began to weep. He threw her down to the ground then pulled out a stiletto and drove the whole length of the blade up the stub of Jared's arm. This time Jared couldn't contain his shout of pain.
"Find the dancer, we can't let her get within range of the telepathic link to warn her guild!" ordered Irutalde "Bring her back dead or alive, preferably dead." The alchemist and the wizard bowed before they entered the forest after Persha.
Persha was running through the forest, her vision almost completely obscured by her tears. Jared couldn't have done such a thing, he couldn't have. She felt his love for her…or did she? She continued running leaving only her footsteps and her tears on the forest floor behind her.