15. Chaotic
Word got around about Zesha entering the Tower of Trials.
Zesha? The traitor to the Gurak, traitor to Lord Zangurak, going through the Tower of Trials?
Could this really be true? Why would he do such a thing?
Calista herself was confused by this as much as everyone else.
Some knights were making bets that Zesha wouldn't make it through, or that he would just end up killing any humans that needed to be 'saved' during the trials.
Little did they know was that they were going to be proved quite wrong.
"Tower of Trials?"
"Yes, Yin. The Tower of Trials." Zepha surveyed the area around him quietly. Despite the fact that he couldn't see, he still could sense movement and listen. He'd have to make good use of the rest of his senses to do himself any good in battle. "That's the place we're standing in right now. It was used as a place to test possible knights to see if they were worthy enough to be knights, but too many potential ones got killed in here and they eventually shut this place down because of that." He snorted a bit. "And that brings forth lazy, stupid 'knights' from the humans that only care for themselves."
Yin nodded quietly, looking around. "So...the plan is to watch, observe Zesha and everyone, and then we go and kill Asthar, right? Since Asthar is supposed to be the last 'test' Zesha has to face in the trials?"
"Yes, that is the plan." Zepha paused, glancing towards Yin. He sighed a bit. "There's something annoying me, lately..."
She blinked, gazing to him. "What is it?"
"It's..." Zepha paused, before finishing. "I'm starting to think that Zesha might actually be right. About the whole war. We're just fighting, and fighting, and we're not getting any closer to prosperity for us Gurak. It seems like..the opposite, even.." He let out a breath. "I don't...know."
Yin gently nudged him with an elbow. "Hey...we can talk about this after the mission is over, okay? You really look like you need a little break from the fighting at least..."
He nodded, taking one of her hands and squeezing it gently. "You are right. Let us get this over with."
Zesha glanced around his surroundings as he made his way to the fifth floor. The last floor...what was it called again? Courage? Right, that was what it was called. It made him wonder what the final test would be. He had faced off against who-knows-how-many archers on the first floor, then even more enemies on the second floor, more enemies on the third floor and he only had one ally with him, and then he had to act as enemy bait while the other allies went and defeated them.
Of course he saved the humans. That was probably the hard part—saving people that he once considered as enemies—but if he were to prove himself to be on Lazulis' side, despite, how much he still despised Count Arganan, or Jirall, or any of those mercenaries (Zael included), he had to go through this and get used to something like that.
He really hoped he wasn't enemy bait for the fifth floor like he was on the fourth floor. That, Zesha decided, had definitely not been fun.
What he hadn't been expecting on the top floor was none other than General Asthar himself.
"So." Zesha murmured, looking to see the former Supreme General. "Let me guess, General Asthar. I have to beat you in order to pass the fifth and final trial?"
General Asthar seemed to smile slightly, hold his sword firmly as he looked to Zesha.
"Yes. That is correct." His smile was not malicious, Zesha noted, but more friendly than anything. It was strange. Then again Zesha heard that no matter how much had happened to Asthar in battle, his heart was not hardened from war. "Show me that you're fit to be a true knight."
Zesha raised both swords, before rushing forwards—
But before he could get even close to Asthar, a bolt arrow came between the two of them, separating them.
"What—?"
Both looked up to see none other than two familiar Gurak—Yin and Zepha.
Zepha looked rather solemn, and Yin's face had a slight grin to it, but both had to be here for a reason.
"I don't think you two are supposed to be part of my test." Zesha stated rather bluntly.
Yin giggled. "Of course not! We're here for a different reason—" she sing-songed as Zepha summoned an ice spell.
Asthar took out his sword, keeping it pointed at them. "To kill me?" He guessed.
Zepha simply smiled, the ice spell forming into a rather long spear.
"Yes." He spoke, before firing.
Zesha pushed Asthar out of the way, before firing a Bolt arrow right back at the ice spear, the two spells colliding in mid-air. Ice chunks and light scattered across the room, and the Gurak traitor swore that he could hear yells of Lazulis Knights piling into the room, ready to battle.
Yin groaned, looking around, before giggling as she saw none other than Count Arganan among the other Lazulis Knights, though he appeared to be more of keeping his distance than fighting. Picking up a needle, she threw it at him, and she had to laugh as he screamed in fright, the needle narrowly missing him.
"Come on, Count!" The tailor-assassin taunted. "Aren't you going to fight?"
Therius came forwards in return, clad in armor—a replacement armor, as his original armor was stolen by Yin, but at least it still fit on him.
"Yin." He seethed. He tried to take a deep breath and calm down, but that was hard to do. "The only one you're facing is me."
Yin giggled, taking out a sword. "Really? Bring it on!"
Meanwhile, Zesha was helping Asthar up, looking around.
"I need to get you to safety." Zesha murmured. The words felt strange to say, especially to a human, but Zesha knew he had to get used to it. If there was any chance he could have more people trusting him, it had to be this way.
But...was there another reason for going through this Tower of Trials? Dagran had probably assumed that Zesha wanted to be fully aligned with Lazulis (why else would he come here if not to attack them?) and, well, in a way Zesha wanted to.
But was there another reason—?
"Behind you!" Asthar shouted.
Zesha turned behind him to see Zepha firing an ice spell straight at him, and couldn't dodge in time.
He groaned, wincing as he realized his lower half was encased in ice. Damn it, this was all his fault, he should have been paying attention...
He heard his brother chuckle, and he looked up to see Zepha approaching him slowly, both his swords out.
"I can sense you, brother. I can't see you, but I can sense you." He seemed to smirk, but then a light spell suddenly hurled him out of the way.
"Zesha!" Calista rushed over to him, panting a bit. "A-are you alright?"
Zesha managed to pull himself out of the ice, with a little effort. However, he was pretty sure his ankles had the slightest bit of frostbite. "I'm fine," He managed, looking to Calista, then to Zepha and Yin...wait.
"They're gone." The Count managed, looking around. He frowned, looking to Zesha. "I see you have fought against them..."
Zesha looked to the Count. "What of it?" He asked, without thinking.
He thought he saw Count Arganan smirk, but he couldn't be so sure.
"Nothing that you need to know. For now." He managed quietly. "I'll be retiring to my chambers. No one disturb me, please."
Zesha couldn't help but shake off the strange feeling that something felt incredibly off about this.
And he was probably right about it, too.
Count Arganan walked down the hallway towards his bedchambers quietly, wishing to merely sleep after what transpired.
The Gurak—Zesha, he had to remind himself of that Gurak's name—was certainly an interesting character. Once the right-hand man of Lord Zangurak, he was now working for Arganan himself. The Count still didn't understand why, but noted that he would observe the Gurak carefully. There was something about that former right-hand man of Zangurak that felt good, and he had yet to pinpoint what it was. But perhaps he'd use it to his advantage, and turn the power in his favour.
Pushing the door to his chambers open, he walked into his room, closing the door behind him and locking it quietly as something else came up in his head.
The assassin by the name of...Yin? Was that her name? Ugh, he had to seriously start remembering properly. He looked up to see none other than a female figure lying in the bed.
Scratch that. To be more specific, it was a young Gurak female, lying on her side as she looked up at him, grinning. "Hello." She spoke up almost too cheerfully. "I was wondering when you'd get here, really."
It was Yin. Arganan recognized her immediately after she spoke, and he glared at her slightly. She was taking possession of his bed and he didn't exactly like this, or what her current position appeared to suggest.
"Is this a new tactic of trying to kill me?" He spoke, voice crisp. "Seduce me with your looks and then slit my throat during sex or something? Really, an asssassination of me could be better than this. I'm not that weak-willed."
"This?" Yin stared at him blankly, looked at herself, then to Arganan, shaking her head quickly. She sat up on the bed, looking far less raunchy and much more soldier-like, much more like a normal person, really (and she was still wearing her full armor too). He noticed that she didn't look like a full Gurak, but decided not to ask about it as she continued to speak, a grin on her face. "Oh, no, I actually wasn't going for that-I just thought me being in your bed would give you my attention. It obviously did, so it worked. Originally I was going to just tackle you down from the shadows like any old spy, but.." She picked up a pillow, fluffing it in her hands. "Ooh! You have a really comfy bed, though—I mean the pillows are like marshmallows compared to what I have at home!"
He blankly stared at her. This was supposed to be an assassin and she was playing with the pillows of his bed? What?
"Marshmallows? Really?" He repeated. She was..rather strange to him, he had to admit.
She giggled slightly at this, nodding as she looked to him, her eyes glimmering with glee. "Yeah, yeah. Marshmallows. Those things are extremely rare at the Gurak Continent. I actually raided a trading ship once just to eat the marshmallows they had onboard."
Okay. Interesting. This was not the encounter with the Gurak that he was expecting. Yin seemed rather friendly for a Gurak. Maybe too friendly, but time would tell.
"And..." He raised an eyebrow, gazing at her quietly. "Why are you here then, if not to kill me?"
"Well...oh, right. Back to the subject at hand." She propped her chin up on the fluffy pillow, looking up at him, "Let's just say I hate the war between the Gurak and Lazulis. And I think that you might be able to help me, Count. Provided you don't kill me, of course. I'm sure the rewards of it would be rather good towards you if our collaboration goes well!"
Oh? Well, then...
He couldn't help but grin slightly. Good rewards? That was always worth a little risk. "...Sounds interesting. Tell me more."
Author note: OH MY GOSH. I don't know how long it's been since I last updated this. I'm so sorry! *flails around panicked* I've been trying to see if I can pick up fanfics I previously ditched and try to get them finished. Updates for fanfics will be slow, but i hope to update at least two more fanfics this week other than this one. Thank you for your patience! XD