Bash awoke before sunrise. For several moments, he lay there, staring up at the ceiling, trying to breathe. Trying to exist. For some time, his mind was empty. The world seemed far away, its troubles negligible to him now.
Still, he couldn't lie here forever.
Sitting up, he glanced around. The curtains still lay in tatters on the floor. Shards of glass still lay scattered on the far side of the room. Evidence of his self-hatred was all around him, and yet the feeling itself had, for now, abated. In the silence of his room, he stood, the blankets and sheets sliding over his loose trousers and tugging at them just slightly. Rolling his shoulders, he stretched the muscles in his upper back and finally stood. His bare feet rubbed on the warm carpet, soft though somewhat worn.
He glanced around. He missed having nice rooms to stay in, although the cheap places around town did the job just as well. Perhaps he could make his room in the Zen Manse everything his room had been growing up. Didn't he deserve a little pampering, after everything?
He wasn't sure. All he knew was that today would be a challenging day, both within and without.
At half past eight, everyone gathered in the great hall of Marigold Manor, each of them somber in spirit and expression. Bash avoided meeting anyone's eyes, and the group promptly left and made their way to Raven Hall.
The silence of their journey persisted past their arrival. Quite a crowd had come together to honor the fallen knights, among them a full contingent of Knights of the White Orchid that stood at attention on one side, and next to them Lord Kirin. Erza and Ilya stood on the left, and the Natural Misfits took their places next to the familiar women. Bash stood near the back.
Three caskets had been placed in the middle of the yard, each of them open for the viewing of the three soldiers who had fallen at the hands of the Ghost. Bash knew that soldiers who had devoted themselves to serving Erathis were permitted the great honor of being interred within the Raven Hall itself, rather than one of the many graveyards within and surrounding Agneward. That the memorial was held here was a testament to their honor, and Bash fought tears, knowing full well that these soldiers deserved this and more.
As the priestess of the Raven Queen stood before them and began speaking, Bash scanned the crowd quickly, noting those who must have been related to the fallen. A human woman with long, red, braided hair clutched a child and sobbed quietly. Near her was a young man who stood stone-faced, and on his other side was old woman who appeared solemn in the face of death.
When the priestess finished her speech about the soldiers, she paused and swept her eyes across the group.
"We lay to rest Sir Kesper, Lady Laidra, and Sir Sigurd," she continued. "Sir Kesper leaves behind his wife Naira and his son Cort. Lady Laidra leaves behind her twin brother Leeric. Sir Sigurd leaves behind his grandmother Donya. They each died in service to the city, and we know that the Raven Queen's embrace was warranted, and she shall shepherd them into the next life with honor.
"We thank you, Raven Queen, for their sacrifice. Their deaths were not in vain, and the protection they offered our city will be forever lasting."
The knights all stepped forward in unison and saluted with their spears pointed to the sky before walking up to the coffins in three groups, each of them placing the lids atop their fallen brethren. The priestess waved her hand over them, and the audible whoosh of a magical seal indicated that the coffins would never be opened again. Then the knights lifted them and moved them into the Raven Hall one by one. The crowd stood solemn for an appropriate amount of time before the priestess dismissed them, and people began to filter out.
During the service, Bash had kept his eyes down, only glancing up when he had seen movement. He wanted to cry, and he wanted to scream, but he did nothing. He distracted himself by fiddling with the ends of his tunic and watching a particularly entertaining squirrel hopping about on the ground behind the group.
Aribis had said that the responsibility was not his, that these deaths were not on his head, and yet, it still felt that way.
When the service was finally over, Ilya approached the group.
"Why don't you all pay your respects," she said, "and then I can meet you at the Marigold Manor later, before Colosso."
Enna and William nodded their agreement, and Ilya smiled sadly before leaving, and Finwe trailed along behind her. William, Aribis, Sooka, and Enna exchanged glances and moved closer to the families, each speaking softly with the priestess. Bash remained in his place, content to watch and listen from a distance. After all, what could he say? Whether or not the deaths were his fault, no words would be able to bring the soldiers back to life.
The priestess turned to them as they approached.
"Ah, and here are the heroes whose valiant efforts protected our city," she said, gesturing to them.
Naira, the widow of Sir Kesper, took them in, eyes red and puffy. The boy in her arms still sniffled, wiping his eyes every now and then, watching the group warily.
"Did my husband die well?" asked Naira.
"He fought bravely," nodded Aribis.
"One of the bravest," affirmed William.
She gave them a sad smile and jostled the boy Cort. "He wants to be a knight just like his father," she said. Then she brushed Cort's hair back as he stuck his thumb in his mouth. "I'm glad that, at least, he didn't die alone. Thank you for that."
Stepping forward, Enna leaned forward and turned her soft eyes on the boy. He eyed her with curiosity.
"I am a druid," she said. "And it is my belief that, even if we are saddened when we are left behind…" She swirled her hand around, and a small daisy appeared in it; she handed it to Cort. "… Death only gives way to new life. And we all continue to live because of your father's sacrifice."
Cort's eyes grew wide, and he received the flower with a grin before sniffing it. "It's pretty," he whispered to his mom. She nodded and smiled.
"Thank you," said Cort.
Bash shook his head and turned around. He didn't want to watch anymore.
"Your husband was one of the finest warriors that I have ever fought with," added William. "Without him, we wouldn't have been able to succeed."
"Thank you so much," choked Naira.
Enna righted herself and addressed the young man and the old woman next to them.
"That was true of each of these knights," she said. "I am grateful for each and every one and their help in keeping the city safe."
Leeric scoffed. "Whatever. She did this to herself."
"You can be proud of her," urged Enna gently. "The threat that we faced—I can't describe to you how dangerous it was."
"She protected you," inserted William, "from being in the exact same spot that she was."
"It doesn't matter," shrugged Leeric. "She did this to herself. You all are crazy. This whole thing is crazy."
Shaking his head, Leeric waved them off and walked away.
"In time, you'll know," called William after him.
"Don't mind him," said the old woman kindly. "Everybody deals with grief in their own way. Thank you, dears, for what you did. Apparently, it's quite a big secret, but Sir Kirin told me about it. Thank you for everything. My young boy… his parents died from the pox while he was quite young. I raised him while I could. He always had dreams of being a knight… At least he died doing what he wanted to do. Thank you all, and have a good day." She nodded and took her leave.
The priestess sighed and said, "Such is the way of grief. Good luck with your coming trial. I will be helping with some of the preparations, so I will see you there." She bowed her head slightly and left for the hall.
At that moment, something caught Bash's eye. Turning, he saw movement at the corner of the hall. Focusing on it, he finally made it out as a kenku, hiding in the shade.
"Making yourself known, are we?" he muttered before stepping carefully over and wiping his face dry on the way.
The kenku bowed and said, "Rustler" "sends his greetings!" "Rustler" "has an investment opportunity" "that you have paid for, sir!"
He reached out his hand, which held a small note, and Bash snatched it, unfolding it eagerly. In scrawled handwriting, it read: "Return investment of information. What we understand for the final round of the Colosso Monster Slayer Trials is to be prepared for fire or ice."
Bash sighed. All that money, and that's all Rustler could get? he thought. The Gaming Guild must have had their information hidden squarely away, if even Rustler's group couldn't find anything out.
"Thanks," he muttered, folding the note and pocketing it. "And you can tell your boss—" he bent over, placing his face uncomfortably close to the kenku's "—we're coming for you." He wanted to make sure that the kenku's rendition of his statement spoke directly to the foul doppelganger.
The kenku tilted his head, clearly confused, but Bash ignored it and flipped him a platinum piece for his troubles. What did the money matter, anyway?
Snatching it out of the air, the kenku gaped at the coin and began blabbering about his undying gratitude in a rambling voice. Bash closed his eyes and sighed. When he opened them a moment later, the kenku had already almost disappeared behind the hall, only his tail feathers still visible. Shaking his head, Bash returned to his place in the yard.
The group had begun to gather near the exit, Enna wiping her eyes and watching a tiny rainstorm blowing about the palm of her hand, Sooka watching Enna with a concerned expression, and Aribis fidgeting uncomfortably. William, however, was discussing something with the priestess of the Raven Queen, apparently having snatched her attention on her way into the hall.
"…and remember that fate is yours," she was saying, "and not someone else's."
"I will do this. Thank you," said William before returning to the others.
William, Aribis, Sooka, and Enna filed out of the yard, but Bash paused. He was the only lingerer, but his eyes drifted to the great hall on the far side. Within lay the bodies of three soldiers who had given their lives – in a way – for him. The grief the survivors felt weighed heavily on his heart, and he could find no way out from under it. What was he to do but wait and hope that time itself dissipated the pain and guilt?
The Natural Misfits made it back to Marigold Manor, where they found Lady Ilya moving in already and making herself comfortable. She barked numerous orders to the movers as Finwe leaned back in a chair on the porch and smoked a pipe, taking in his first day in his new job with a contented attitude.
She invited them into Rolen's study an hour later, where they each signed the deed for the Zen Manse, which was renamed to Misfit Manor. There, at the bottom of the wordy deed, Bash signed his name as "Sebastian of Agneward," alongside his friends "Aribis of Aeris Peak," "Sooka of the Library of Illumination," "Enna Laidon 'Moondrop' of the Enclave of the Gilded Watch," and "William 'Pacifist' Stonefist."
They spent the afternoon in Marigold Manor, waiting for their time to go to the Greenmere Stadium and prepare for the final round of Colosso. Bash didn't bother to tell the others what he had learned from Rustler; it seemed too trivial to worry about. Instead, he spent most of his time in his room, lying on the bed and imagining what their lives would be like at the Zen Manse. He imagined the kind of stately room he would be able to have, and envisioned how far Ilya's promise of renovations could take them. If they were lucky and won Colosso, they would each have two thousand gold to use at their discretion. He wondered how many pieces of quality furniture he could get for that much money.
At some point, Lord Kirin stopped by the manor and delivered their armor and weapons from the holding cell where Aribis and Bash had found themselves the prior evening. He warned them against any future tomfoolery, and Enna promised that there would be no more. She then offered information regarding the probability of Rustler's being a doppelganger, and Lord Kirin promised to bring him in for questioning. When he learned of the possibility of yet another doppelganger in the city besides Rustler, he offered them information regarding a young man, a noble's son, who had gone missing, and Enna promised to check into it.
Later, Enna delivered the Ghost's rapier to Aribis, voicing her detestation of the weapon and the damage it had caused. Aribis agreed to hold onto it until the time that they could either remove the deadly enchantment or destroy the weapon altogether, and then she spent the rest of the evening with her mother. When Enna mentioned the move to the Zen Manse, Althea seemed simultaneously agreeable and hesitant to living there.
"I think I've had enough of Agneward for a while," she said, her eyes gazing thoughtfully out the window. "Maybe I'll go south."
That afternoon, Sooka approached Aribis with a searching eye. Despite his obvious wayward thoughts, she sidled up to him.
"Need" "denr resin," she said. "For a spell."
"Dinner reservations for what?" he asked, shaking his head as he turned his attention to her.
She shook her head. "Denr resin," she repeated.
"Denr resin?"
Sooka nodded. "For a spell."
"What kind of spell are you messing with, lass?"
"Don't know," she shrugged. "For a spell."
He narrowed his eyes at her. "Exactly how much do you need?"
She shrugged again. "Don't know."
"Then I don't know how much to give ya!"
Smiling, she said in a deep voice, "All."
"I don't think that's such a good idea."
"Why?"
"That's some dangerous stuff. You've seen what it did to all the people here."
"Black taffy." Her voice had turned raspy.
"Exactly."
"Not" "denr resin."
"That's part of it…" Aribis considered her for a moment. "I'll give you a vial," he finally agreed. "And we'll see where it goes from there."
"Thank you, mommy!" she said happily before taking the offered vial and sticking it in her bag, eager to begin her experimentation.
Three hours to sundown, the Natural Misfits stood in their lavish waiting room at the Greenmere Stadium, thunderous applause muted but still audible through the walls of the stadium as the audience prepared for the final two battles. Drasloc stood before them, both hands held out in tight fists, offering them a choice. Enna considered her options, looking to the others for advice, but she was met merely with shrugs of indecision. With a sigh, she tapped the right hand, and Drasloc opened it to reveal a small red gem.
"Very well!" he boomed. "Fire it is. The other option will go to the Mighty Mountain Men. Now, you all must leave any magical weapons or armor in this room, to be retrieved after the battle is over. We have replacements for you, of course! But in the spirit of fairness, we wanted no one to be at an advantage."
Bash sighed and glanced down at his rapier.
"Oh, and of course, this rule would include any potions," grinned Drasloc.
They all nodded in agreement, but Drasloc held his smile and waited expectantly. Slowly, they each began removing their Mireguard cloaks, various weapons, and multiple potions before setting them all in neat piles on the couches. Then Drasloc waved a hand, and a young boy rushed out of the room and came back a moment later laden with all manner of weapons and armor. Bash retrieved a rapier and placed the sheath about his waist before drawing the weapon and feeling it out. He waved it and bounced it, frowning at how heavy it was before replacing it and waiting for the others.
"Very good," said Drasloc. "Now, regarding the arena…" He led them over to a window that overlooked the great round floor. "You will note the large circle in the middle; this is where you will be fighting. Leaving the circle indicates the withdrawal of that contestant, though the remaining contestants will be able to continue fighting. You will also notice the six chests in the middle, right next to those pillars. Opening chests will no longer deduct points from your score; rather, you merely have the opportunity for the chests to be either beneficial or detrimental to your fight. Now—"
He flicked his finger again, and a girl came in with the priestess of the Raven Queen in tow. She greeted them warmly and waited for Drasloc to continue.
"Aeris Shoed, the priestess of the Raven Queen, will bestow upon each of you a death ward. Should you fall in battle, this ward will preserve your life without fail, and you will have an option to recuse yourself from the battle at that point. Should you choose to continue in the battle, you must recognize the risk that your life is no longer magically protected, as the ward only works one time."
He shifted and watched them each carefully. "Please understand that death is a possible outcome of this battle. Should you fall… choose wisely as to whether you will remain in the arena."
They all nodded solemnly, and Aeris proceeded to cast her spell on each of them in turn.
Drasloc's expression renewed into one of joy. "Your score for the final round will depend on how many of you remain in combat until the end of the battle and how long it takes you to defeat your foe. Make us proud! Give us a show!"
A half hour later, having listened dimly to the battle of the Mighty Mountain Men and the raucous crowd that had cheered them on, the Natural Misfits all took their places on the edges of the arena, just inside the circle that Drasloc had shown them earlier. The roar of the crowd was magically muted once again, and Bash was grateful for it. Glancing around, he found that he couldn't pinpoint anyone of note – Kayl, Kirin, Finwe, or Ilya – but the ones who really stood out were their competitors, the Mighty Mountain Men. The five dwarves with flaming red hair each sat with their arms gruffly crossed as they watched, though occasionally one would tend to a wound they held from their fight.
"The Gaming Guild would like to offer our thanks again to the Silverspire Mages," announced Drasloc's disembodied voice. "They so generously created the enemy for this final round of the Colosso Exhibition's Monster Slayer Trials, and also helped to create this space for the competition to take place, ensuring the safety of those magnificent citizens in attendance."
Drasloc went on to remind the crowd of the dwarves' score, having had one of their soldiers bow out after an activated death ward.
With a deep breath, Bash withdrew his rapier and stood at the ready, eyes on the bright red rock that now stood on top of a high pillar in the center of the arena. Ten foot walls blocked his vision of Aribis and William, but the corner of his eye caught a glow of magic from Sooka as she threw up a magical protection while Enna began glowing green.
The rock began to shine brighter, and the outer layer began to crack, hatching like an egg. Magma began to spill out of the rock as a stony creature wreathed in flame pulled itself out and stretched itself up, reaching ten feet tall, screeching out its new existence. Bash narrowed his eyes; this creature was not a fire elemental, but rather a stony carapace with flesh and wings of fire.
At the sight of wings, Bash quickly sheathed the rapier and unfurled his shortbow as he rushed forward to find some cover. Aribis shot into the air as everyone else moved forward, and Bash trained his bow on the creature while Aribis fired two bolts into the odd beast. A mild explosion rang out near one of the chests, and Bash glanced over to see William's eyebrows singed as he backed away from the trap.
Detrimental is right, he considered grimly as he recalled Drasloc's words. Trying to refocus, he fired his bow at the creature, but the arrow sailed harmlessly past it as it lurched forward to hurl a ball of flame at the flying Aribis. A yelp came from him as it struck, and Bash swore as he saw Aribis's feathers catch fire just before Bash pulled behind a wall and hid from the creature's view.
William sprinted up the central pillar to Bash's right and struck the hovering creature twice before descending, but the creature followed him and let out a bloodcurdling scream. Bash flinched as the sound penetrated his mind, worming its way into his thoughts and fighting to take him over through fear. He, Sooka, Aribis, and William screamed in response to this strange attack, but he managed to force away the terror and peeked out at the battlefield to see how the others had fared.
Aribis was nowhere to be seen, but Enna was rushing toward Bash, closer to the creature, as Sooka called out and swept her hands up. A wall of water taller than Bash appeared on the other side of William before it smashed into the creature and splashed about the arena, washing over William and presumably Aribis, who called out his thanks from beyond Bash's sight. However, the fiery creature would not be extinguished so easily. The flame it held within sizzled and popped the water away into steam, and it turned to Sooka with wrath in its eye.
With a great burst of magic, Enna transformed next to Bash, matching the size of the enemy as her body transformed into pure water. The liquid swirled around to form her new essence, splashing out in all directions, and Bash felt the spray on his face as she writhed about. He smiled.
The creature threw another ball of fire at Sooka, and it struck her in the chest before swirling around her, engulfing her also in flames. As her own feathers began to catch, others began to fall out and scatter about her even as she screamed in her panic.
An owl that shimmered in the way of Aribis's magic struck twice at the creature, amazingly seeming to pierce and claw at the inner carapace. Deciding to aid it, Bash called forth the power of Erathis and summoned a radiant flame from above, but it glanced off the creature uselessly.
William – and Aribis, Bash surmised – had been stunned by the strange cry and unable to move. William could only watch in terror as the creature approached him, swinging wildly at the monk with its claws. As the first set of claws scratched at his shoulder, Bash cringed to hear the hissing sound of intense heat. The second swipe, burning his skin as with the first, cut deeply into William's side, and he was knocked to the ground, where he lay unmoving while his blood began to pool beside him.
"William!" cried Bash, prepared to rush to his aid. But then his body began to glow, and as the creature turned its gaze toward Aribis, William stood, his wounds magically sealed but still seeping.
The death ward, reasoned Bash as the creature screeched in response to some magic whose source Bash could not see. Enna's giant elemental figure gave chase as Aribis reappeared over the wall, and he threw out his hand toward William, whose wounds healed further. Bash moved up and hid behind a closer pillar as Aribis's owl pecked again at the fiery beast before fleeing out of its reach, and it threw another orb of fire at Aribis, but it sailed just past him.
Bash barely noticed William's body glow with the power of his ki as he trained another arrow on the creature just as it released another fireball at Aribis, this one catching him off guard and lighting him once more. Bash released the arrow, and this one struck it forcefully in his rocky inner being, lodging itself in place and eliciting a cry of pain. Frustrated, the creature flapped its flaming wings and shot up into the air where it released another painful shriek. This time, Bash was relieved that it didn't pierce his ears as fully, being so much farther away, but he watched in a stunned worry as William, Aribis, and Enna reacted. Aribis and William were frozen once again, and Sooka – the fire still attacking her clothing and feathers – moved forward and flung her magical spellbook close to the creature. A dark blue magic oozed out of the book and engulfed the creature, and for the first time, Bash noticed its flame flicker just slightly.
Once again, anger lit its eyes, and a bolt of fire struck Sooka on her shoulder.
The watery Enna continued to follow the creature, washing her liquid arm over Aribis's form and dousing him on the way, though he remained frozen in place, hands over his ears as he fought to dispel the horrid shriek from his mind. The beast threw fire at William, and it struck his chest once again. William screamed in burning pain before he crumpled to the ground once more even as his pants began to catch.
"No," growled Bash to himself, and he rushed forward as yet another fireball flew toward Aribis, pushing away the wetness of his clothes and feathers and lighting him anew. Bash grabbed the unconscious William's arms and began dragging him toward Enna. As he moved, he summoned his odd healing power and pushed it through his hands and into William's body, and the monk's eyes flitted open just as a splash of water from Enna extinguished his trousers.
"Thank you," he muttered before rushing away from the battle, clearly eager to cease being a target. The creature lowered and threw a fireball at Enna, which she all but absorbed, and it recoiled and moved away from her. Fury running through her elemental features, Enna rushed forward, once again dousing Aribis before attempting the chase one last time.
Bash hid behind another pillar and lined up another shot. The owl reappeared as Bash fired, and rather than hiding again, he planted himself firmly in the creature's line of sight; he was done letting it pester his friends. His arrow struck, and the creature turned its fiery gaze directly to Bash, and he steeled himself for what was to come.
The ball of flame shot at him, but much faster than he had anticipated. It struck him on his arm, shooting pain up into his shoulder and catching his jacket on fire. Before Bash could respond, the creature was right before him, swiping at him. The claws cut into his left shoulder and grazed his right forearm, and he hissed to feel the pain of the searing-hot talons.
Bash stumbled backward away from it as another wave of water buffeted the creature, splashing both Bash and Aribis as the owl attacked once again. In its fury, the creature rose into the air once more even as dark clouds gathered directly above the stadium. A bolt of lightning shot down, striking the creature, forcing it to flicker, and it then threw a fireball at the now-elven Enna. She cried out as it impacted her shoulder and engulfed her hair, and she cradled her wound as the clouds dissipated into the evening sky.
Bash hid once more, training his bow on the creature as Aribis aimed with his crossbow. They fired simultaneously, both darts striking their target, Aribis's lit with a sickly glow that seemed to seep into the creature. It's light flickered again, this time, exposing cracks in its stony core. Enraged, it struck at the tiny owl, which shrieked and moved back.
At that moment, William shouted, running into Bash's field of vision and up onto a pillar. From the top, he leapt at the creature, spinning midair, and kicking it in the rocky center. The stone cracked, splintered, and shattered as the creature screamed, and then it exploded, casting William, Bash, and the owl aside. Bash landed almost painlessly on his back, but William thudded hard to the ground on one knee. Bash leapt to his feet and waited just a moment, but William stood, fists balled tightly, glowering at the rocky, fireless remains of the creature, his body decorated with multiple burns.
The Misfits each breathed heavily, and a moment later, the crowd erupted into wild cheers. Among the cries could be made out a chant for William.
"Pacifist! Pacifist! Pacifist!" they cried, and Bash grinned at William, who stood stoic as he took it all in.
Enna waved her hand, and water erupted from her to splash across her burning shoulder and over Sooka's shaking body. Then she spoke again, and her healing magic seeped into everyone, most visibly affecting William, restoring his burnt skin to its former glory.
Drasloc appeared on the floor, his arms laden with oversized golden medals, whooping and cheering as he ran up to them. The Misfits gathered near the middle of the arena and lined up, and Drasloc placed a medal on each of their necks before announcing, "I present to you all the winners of the Colosso Exhibition Monster Slayer Trials – the Natural Misfits!"