Visitors
Mepstet Robner awoke to the loud sound of somebody knocking on his front door. Having only gone to bed three hours prior due to work, he took his bow with him to answer. Grumbling something under his breath about the hour, he opened the door slowly, and let his eyes take some time to recognize the visitor.
"Sefton? Hey, it's great to see you! Where are Weneibo and Dawelien?" Mepstet asked with a stifled yawn.
"I let those two go straight home since the flight and everything over here made them tired and all."
"You aren't looking so great either you know. Look, I'm glad to see you're ok, and Mikyel will be thrilled, but the time is…"
"I want you to come with me for a few minutes."
"Come with you where?"
"Just out of town for a bit."
"Can't it wait till…"
"Please."
Mepstet sighed then yawned, closing the door behind him. He rubbed his eyes a bit before motioning for his friend to lead on. Sefton lead the other man to the edge of town toward the east, barely noticing him doing so nearly in his sleep. Mepstet bumped into Sefton after he had stopped suddenly, jogging him awake.
"So…what is it?" The sleepy man said stretching.
"I talked to Nithiw."
"Well that's good. I figured as much though. I had heard something about an uprising in Saint Morning against the pirates. Nothing specific really, but…anyways, what did you find out?"
"Nothing really."
"Oh. I'm sorry Sefton."
"Don't be. My search isn't over quite yet. She may not have had all the answers I wanted, but that doesn't mean she didn't help a little. She was the one who pointed me to whom next I should speak with."
"Who is that?"
"You."
"Me? I don't get it. If I knew something that would help don't you think I would've told you already?"
"Maybe, but perhaps not. Whatever the case may be, I'm going to find out right now."
"This is ridiculous Sefton. I am tired, and I'm not up for this right now. We can talk about this tomorrow morning, when we visit Chen. At least then I should be more awake."
"Not awake enough now? Well, let's see what we can do about that then."
Mepstet never saw the staff whip through the air. Only after it struck did he feel the sting across his face as he reeled back in pain. He looked up at the assist but before he could get out a word, the staff was being plunged at him like a spear. Mepstet grabbed the staff and swung with his free hand, only to find the punch deflected by a light shield. Sefton countered, kicking his friend in the jaw, sending him back into the dirt.
"I need for you to remember Mepstet. Everything you can tell me about Chen, and more importantly, about Nelo."
"There's nothing to tell! I never got to know either of them. We were only on a mission together!"
"But there must be something! You were the last one to see either of them before Chen changed. Think!"
Mepstet quickly rolled to a knee, fixing an arrow to his bow in the process, then letting it fly into Sefton's leg before a shield could be formed. The assist lost his balance and fell to his hands and one good knee. After pulling the arrow free, Sefton looked up at his friend in anger.
"Now we're even." The bowman said, slowly returning to a stand.
Sefton gritted his teeth and began to charge, ignoring the lingering pain in his leg. Mepstet only got one shot off that was deflected, before the two men's bodies collided. The two fighting friends rolled through the dirt, tangled together until hitting an incline in the earth. Mepstet was the first to his feet.
"You don't want to do this Sefton."
"That's where you're wrong. I've been wondering for a while just what fighting you would be like. After all, what were you doing but sitting comfortably on a ship while all the real fighting was going on?"
"You don't want to fight me! You have no idea what my capabilities are."
"And you think you know mine?" Sefton asked in a crouched position.
"I've seen you fight on multiple occasions. I've seen you display your skills before. It's not a match."
"You haven't seen a damn thing!"
Sefton whispered just low enough for Mepstet to not hear. He did however begin to see the effects of what spells the assist had started to cast. Specks of light began to grow about the assist's feet, and then travel up his body until Sefton's entire form was consumed in light. The lights began to fade away as Mepstet readied his bow once more. Rather than wait for an attack, he fired first, finding nothing but the air with each attack as Sefton dodged barely moving from one spot.
In a flash Sefton was nearly on top of his opponent. Even in his currently enhanced condition, he found not a single attack making a direct hit.
"If we had this fight before I got a chance to meet against Argoein, you may have actually been able to beat me. Even in your empowered state though, you're nothing compared to him, and not nearly as good as me." Mepstet said, all the while still being battered by the assist.
Sefton was amazed at the prowess of his opponent. Though he had never seen him fight before, he never thought Mepstet would be so great a fighter, being able to match skills with himself in close range combat as a bowman. The assist began to try to devise a new strategy. He could feel the spells he had cast on himself begin to crumble and deteriorate. Before a plan could be formed, the other man went on the offensive.
With a swiftness that surprised Sefton, Mepstet had spun around his side and placed the bow at an angle between his legs. A hard push sent the assist stumbling forward, tripping over the bow. He did not fall, but found the space between himself and the other man had increased enough for his friend to show his true talents.
Pulling back the string with only his thumb, he cast a different element around each pointed finger. In an instant, arrows of lightning, fire, ice, and earth flew toward the reeling man. Sefton avoided both ice and earth, but was consumed in flame and electricity, sending him flying back through the air. Despite having the sectioned staff out, shots from the bowman were still breaking through his defense. Mepstet's attacks were simply too fast to defend against.
In mere moments Sefton was worn down and finally an arrow piercing his shoulder drew blood. He clenched at the arrow, gritting his teeth, and began attempting to pull it out.
"I hope you're satisfied now. As I told you already, this duel was pointless. Your spirit has been broken down."
"My what?"
"Your…spirit…"
"What are you talking about Robner?"
"I'm…not sure. It was something I heard before."
"When? From who?"
"It was…during our travels to the ruins on Saint Morning. Before Geiox had arrived."
"But who was it? What does it mean?"
"I overheard Chen, talking with Nelo. They were discussing fighting and something about…wearing down the spirit. From the sounds of it…it was the process of bringing one close to death. Something about how our spirit is what protects us from harm for some time. But…I don't get it. I've never heard an explanation of such things. I just…came to understand that things were the way they were, and accept them."
"Everybody has. Nobody ever knew why things are this way, but then how would those two?"
"I don't know. Do you think it was part of the Clockwork's knowledge?"
"No. I really don't. Fasytan told me that all the focus regarding events back then were on Chen. However, perhaps there should be more on his closest friend."
"Nelo?"
"Yes. What else was there that you remember?"
"Nothing. That was the only thing that comes to mind…although rather suddenly, and it still feels very cloudy."
"There has to be something else. Think further past that moment. Try and remember the ruins."
"Remember what? Chen, Nelo, the sisters, and myself all entered the ruins, ended up in a strange chamber and…"
"What is it?"
"I can't remember anything about Nelo at the time when Chen had changed."
"Like he wasn't there?"
"It's not that. I know he was there but, I can't remember anything beyond that."
"It looks like she was right."
"Who?"
"Miss Fasytan. When I was speaking to her, she seemed to have these same clouds hanging over her memories. More precisely, the ones dealing with Nelo. Now it makes more sense than ever. After all, almost nobody knew anything about him. I think the one closest to him in the end was Chen, and look what happened. I can't believe that coincidence led Chen to Nelo, and then guided the two of them together into those ruins."
"If that's the case…that means Nelo would have been aware of the Clockwork presence in Chen, and even more, exactly how he would lead to their awakening. Why would any man want to awaken those monsters?"
"I don't know…"
The conversation was cut short while both men looked toward the fortress Bobor, where the sound of an explosion had originated. A small plume of smoke trailed into the late night air, visible only due to the very lights of the fortress.
"Let's go." Sefton said, struggling to his feet.
"You should go let Mikyel take a look at you."
"I'm fine."
"But…"
"I said I'm fine dammit! Let's go!" He said mounting his board and taking flight to the fortress, with Mepstet close behind.
Soldiers were rushing all about Bobor. As near as Mepstet could gather, a single man donning a blue and white robe had suddenly appeared in the fortress. Everything after that was unknown fully. When the two had finally come to where the man had first appeared, they were both in shock. Bodies of at least a dozen soldiers littered the ground from the hallway where the explosion originated.
"Where was he heading?" Mepstet asked a nearby guard.
"To the throne room sir."
Mepstet led a group of soldiers accompanied by Sefton on the same path the stranger had taken, now marked by bloody corpses of fallen soldiers. The group entered into the throne room just in time to witness the strange man cast aside one of their own. It took all of Mepstet's will to keep both himself and all the men behind him from charging.
"Hold here." The captain whispered to his men, while edging closer to the robed figure.
The man didn't seem to notice, or at least care, about the other man's presence in the room. The robed one seemed preoccupied searching the room for something. He had just come to the throne of Lady Cerand when Mepstet decided to speak up.
"Excuse me stranger…"
Mepstet's question was broken by the sound of exploding stone as the man plunged a closed fist into the throne.
"Where?" The man asked in a scratchy voice.
The sound made Mepstet step back a little, gripping his bow tighter.
"Where are they?" The stranger repeated.
"Where are what?"
The robed figure spun around to face the bowman. Sefton stood in shock at the figure on the man's forehead. It was of the moon, the sun, and the planet of Roika as three interlocked circles. He was reminded suddenly of what he had heard in Saint Morning, and he stepped forward with Mepstet.
"Sirch?" Sefton asked.
The robed man held out an open hand pointed at the assist and a shield enveloped him where he stood.
"What are you…" Sefton began, confused.
Slowly, the shield shrunk inward as the man began to close his hand still pointed at the assist. Both Mepstet's and Sefton's eyes shot wide as they realized what the stranger was doing. The friends, with the help of those gathered soldiers tried in futility to break the shield as the man clenched more to shrink the shield.
"Let him out!" Mepstet roared, bringing the aim of his bow to the robed man.
"Where are they?"
"Where are what dammit!?"
"The statues"
"What statues?"
"Of the gods."
"You mean those?" Mepstet said pointing to the three statues of Bobor, Shadow, and Ipuli that were in the throne room.
"Do not toy with me boy."
The shield became smaller to the point that Sefton was no longer capable of standing.
"What do you want!? Those are the only statues of gods we have!" Mepstet yelled, motioning again to the stone figures, but this time pausing to look upon them a moment.
The stranger closed his hand more, forcing Sefton into a fetal position.
"Wait." Mepstet said, holding up an open hand. "They aren't here anymore."
"Where then?"
"I'm not sure. But when they first came to this city, they were brought by somebody from the continent of Darkon. I can't tell you that they will be there for sure, but I can tell you they surely are not here."
The shield around Sefton vanished leaving him sprawled out on the ground. The robed man stared into Mepstet's eyes before turning to face the wall behind him. His hand sparked with electricity before sending it into the wall, filling the room with dust and smoke. All that had been left was a large hole and the man was gone.
Mepstet helped Sefton to his feet and began directing the gathered soldiers to begin repairs before pulling his friend into an adjoining chamber.
"What were you thinking Sefton!?"
"Sorry, but…that insignia on the man's forehead…I remember seeing it somewhere."
"Did you call him Sirch? As in…"
"Yes. When I was in Saint Morning, Dawelien overheard the Datri brothers talking about seeing him, and a symbol on his forehead."
"I can't believe that could be Sirch. Nobody's heard from him for years."
"True, but if you recall, the same could be said about Argoien…when he was still alive anyways."
"I suppose you have a good point there. Even the changes in both of them are somewhat similar."
"Your turn." Sefton said after a moment passed.
"What?"
"Statues?"
"Oh…actually that relates back to Argoein as well. You already know the role the gods Bobor and Shadow played in the battle with the Clockworks."
"Of course."
"Well, the thing fewer people are clear on is what brought them here in the first place. Most just choose to believe it was the gods coming to help us in a moment of need. The reality is that Argoien played a role in their appearance as well. Don't ask me details, but it was apparent that he had used some stone idols to bring them to Flaris. That must be what the man was speaking o, though I can't imagine why."
"The gods…"
Sefton's mind traveled back Nithiw, and her rumored reports of the survivor of Saint Morning's incident, before losing his balance.
"I think it's time you got looked at." Mepstet said helping keep him up.
"I agree, but make sure you still come by and get me if I'm not already up for when the time comes to see Chen. I'll be fine by then…and with any luck…I'll have my next move worked out by then."
"Is there even a move left to be made?"
"Maybe not. It does mostly seem as though I've hit the final wall to end my search…but, as long as there are answers to be found…" Sefton's words broke away as he soon found blood loss taking its toll, and he quickly faded out of consciousness.