The Oathsworn

by Liandra Jake

  [X]

  King could hear Arend' shouting from outside and across the street from the Nest's meeting building. "How many times do I have to FUCKING tell you!? Ros isn't any danger!"

  The tension building up in the weeks after Ros was allowed to wander Dragon's Den had reached a breaking point. The Syndicates had moved in full force to kick Ros out.

  King heard a brief stern reply that was followed by a brief silence. A loud crack signified Arend' slamming of the door off its hinges as he stormed out. King stood and walked to the door as Arend came out. He stomped by without a word. Ros tentatively poked his head out of the doorway.

  "What happened?" King asked as he watched Arend run off with chaotic bursts of Orenth.

  "They threatened to terminate Kronth since her feelings were interfering with her judgment." Ros replied.

  "…Well?" King asked. "

  Twenty-four hours. We should find Kronth." Ros replied as he hurried down the street. King took his usual shortcut through a ventilation shaft. They both knew Kronth would be the best bet to calm Arend down.

  - - - Compromising Emotions - - -

  Arend surprised his team by showing up in the foulest mood they thought could be possible. They were in the middle of reconfiguring all the systems in the Sereph Fortress located to the south of Sareville. Arend grabbed a fist-sized stack of work orders said nothing to anyone as he violently went about his work.

  He would rip out everything at once, throw some of it back in, and set it up to his high standards in only a few minutes. Some of the Seraph workers began to follow him around to clean up the shredded metal and cables he left behind. Linel and Russell double checked Arend' work only because it was standard policy, but they silently agreed Arend could easily slip up in the mood he was in. They all breathed a sigh of relief when they say Kronth riding Oragè over the closest hill.

  Oragè waited in the recreational area as Web led Kronth to Arend. He was in the middle of dismembering a power conduit for a section of the renovated prison cells. She stopped him with a simple touch to the shoulder. Web left to join the others watching out of sight nearby.

  Arend let out a sigh and covered his face. "I didn't know what to do."

  Kronth sat next to him and held his head against her chest. "There wasn't anything you could do. Regardless of what anyone does in something like a war, Syndicates will only respect you in that respect; you'll have to be older and more experienced in politics to get anything like that. Richard did that well, and holds sway in almost every aspect of Guild life."

  Arend nodded, pushing away from Kronth's chest. "I get it then. I'm just a tool for Dragon's Den." Arend sighed and stood up. "I need to go sort things out. Call me if anything big goes down."

  He walked away without a second glance. Those watching made a point to disappear before he could see them. Kronth watched him go with a heavy heart, standing up and brushing herself off. She cried silently into Oragè's back on the way back to Dragon's Den.

  Kronth didn't know what to do. She poked her lunch around absently in the lobby of Dragon's Den. People came and went around her, few even acknowledging her presence.

  Hunter gave her a tap on the shoulder as he sat down to her left. "I heard about Arend."

  Kronth sighed, dropping her fork. "I don't know what to do about him. Arend' little group has kept an eye on him, but all he's done so far is sit on the highest part of the Sereph Fortress."

  "I can go talk to him or something? I've got more than a little experience with getting people comfortable." Hunter suggested.

  Kronth laughed. "Yeah, you've always had that air about you. You can try if you want, but I think it goes farther than just Ros."

  Hunter stood back up. "I'll see what I can do. In the mean time, you can stop worrying. Arend is the type of person to face his problems in full, and then never have to worry about them again." She gave him a wave as he stepped out.

  Hunter took a cab all the way to the South Gate, from there boarding a shuttle to the Sereph Fortress. He poked his head out like everyone else as they neared the massive structure. Hunter couldn't imagine it ever getting off the ground, but the hill masked the few feet of space the giant Korvan was from the ground, floating so the edge of the platform met with the top of the hill.

  Hunter hurried up the hill, looking for the moving platforms he saw at the barbecue. A few clustered Serephs were waiting for the chance to talk to some humans, a few offering tours to the others who were on the shuttle. Hunter managed to avoid most of them on his way to the platforms he was looking for.

  He was immediately spoken to by one of the guards. "You're not allowed to mess with that!" He said as Hunter looked at the control panel.

  "I need it for something." Hunter replied.

  "Everything you can see is well within walking distance." The guard replied. Hunter managed to pull the platform away from the main one, much to their surprise.

  "I need to see a certain grey-haired man." Hunter said as he tried to move the platform up.

  The guard easily jumped the slowly growing gap. He pushed Hunter back and maneuvered the platform back into its spot and locked the controls. He ushered Hunter out with a stiff hand. "Try calling him. If he is up on the roof somewhere, he's most likely got one of these already."

  Hunter stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistled. A sudden King made the Serephs scatter. "I've already tried another way. It's not like I want to do this." Hunters said as he walked up to King. He awkwardly climbed onto his back.

  King began to walk down the platform. "You'll have to find your own way back down. I've been running errands and need a rest." King dropped Hunter off some distance from Arend, curling up on the wide lip of the Rec. Tower.

  Hunter walked over to Arend and sat next to him with his legs dangling off the edge. Arend continued to lie on his back and stare at the sky. "You know Kronth worries about you right?" Hunter asked.

  "Mmm." Arend replied.

  "When I saw her, she had poked so many holes in her salad it looked like boiled spinach."

  Arend laughed. "Yeah, I could do better at reassuring others."

  "So what's on your mind?" Hunter asked.

  "Just trying to define my self-worth. Being considered a tool by the other Syndicates makes me wonder how my life's been turning out." Arend replied.

  "You're not a tool Arend." Hunter said quietly.

  Arend sat up. "Yeah, I know. But not everyone is as optimistic about this as Dragon's Den. People just don't trust people." Hunter was cut off by Flake before he could say anything to Arend.

  "Hey Hunter! I need to talk with you!"

  Hunter cursed his luck as Arend snuck away, leaving him alone with Flake. King snored peacefully around the corner. "What's up?" Hunter asked, trying to hide his disappointment.

  "I wanted to know if you were free this evening?" Flake asked, suddenly nervous.

  Hunter half shrugged. "I didn't have any real plans. My 'big thing' for today just snuck out on me."

  Flake tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

  "Arend has been having a hard time lately and I wanted to try and cheer him up or something." Hunter replied.

  "'Or something?' Is there some other issue Arend doesn't know about?" Flake asked, walking closer to Hunter.

  Hunter sighed. "it's not that important."

  "No…" Flake said, turning Hunter's head up with a hand. "Does it happen to be about Arend and you?" He asked.

  Hunter glanced away. "Hey!" Flake turned his head again. "You don't want to do this to yourself. I know what it feels like to have to hide your feelings. The only thing holding you back is you. Now tell me, how do you feel about Arend?"

  Hunter finally matched Flake's gaze. "You know how I feel. You know that somehow, I love him." Flake removed his hand from Hunter's face.

  Just below the edge of the roof, Noir caught her breath. 'I wasn't expecting that!' She thought as she slowly drifted down. 'Surprising them while being intimate was my original plan. Now
I'm not really sure what to do…'

  Hunter sat back down with his head in his hands. "I don't know what to do." He moaned into his hands.

  "First off," Flake said, sitting next to him. "It's not love. Kronth and Arend love each other; you're confusing it with infatuation. Second, you have zero chance with him. He's with Kronth and that doesn't seem to be failing anytime soon."

  "I'm well aware of that, thank you for reminding me." Hunter replied with a touch of hostility. "Any other tidbits of wisdom in that fuzzy head of yours?"

  "How about stop being an ass? Arend told me the same thing when I told him my concerns about my feelings towards men. He doesn't care how much you want it; he just needs you to know that you and Arend could never work out." Flake replied.

  "It doesn't help that he's the first one I've felt this way about. I'm worried he's the only one I could ever have these feelings about." Hunter said quietly, his flame doused.

  Flake placed a hand on his shoulder. He spoke softly. "Hey, I know how much the first time can hurt. But trust me, he isn't." Flake removed his hand. "I just hope you realize that soon."

  Flake stood up and prepared to leave. He paused when he saw the sleeping King. "Hey, do you want me to give you a lift?"

  Hunter shook his head. "I'm good…but I wouldn't mind having dinner."

  Flake smiled. "I'll come find you at before dusk." Flake replied before flying away.

  [X]

  Arend was wandering the outermost hills that left Sareville invisible except at night. The wild Monsters barely reacted to his presence, continuing as they always had. A few winged serpents circled overhead in the dying light. The giant fluffy dandelions were left bare when the occasional scurry of a scaled rodent bumped into its stalk. They reminded him of a desert animal called an armadillo.

  Arend tried to distract himself by softly whistling some classical tune stuck in his head. It caught the attention of the Monsters and the scarce animals, but they didn't approach or cross his path in a retreat. As he passed a small pond, the sound of a small engine chugging along reached his ears.

  A small puff of dust rose up from his feet as he crossed a narrow dirt road. A small bus passed by as he walked down the long, steep bank of the lake that the road circled around. Someone called out when the engine cut out.

  "Hey-y-y! You alright!?" Arend glanced back.

  The bus had stopped and a few people had stepped out. "I'm alright!" Arend called back.

  The man said something to the others and hurried down the bank after Arend, sliding a bit past when he tried to slow down. He was very young, almost sixteen by Arend' guess. "What are you doing out here?" He asked.

  Arend shrugged. "Life, I guess."

  He nodded. "Do you need a lift? We're going on a road trip and decided to take a route over the mountains instead of going through Chewek."

  Arend shook his head. "I live in Sareville, and I can handle walking back myself if I have to."

  "Oh, well?" The teen shrugged. "We have some bottled water if you want some. We were planning on stopping later," He glanced back up at his friends who were stretching. "I guess they decided now would be just as good." He waved Arend after him. "C'mon then, you can at least chat a bit."

  Arend followed him back up the slope. Two other teens and an older girl were eating under a propped out tarp that was hung from the top of the bus. The girl gave him a sandwich and a bottle of water.

  "Lyra, Nickel, Stem, and I'm Luka." The teen said as he retrieved his own food.

  "I'm Arend." Arend replied.

  "What were you doing wandering out here?" Lyra asked, leaning against the bus next to Arend, sipping her water.

  "Life things." Arend said with a vague wave. She nodded.

  Nickel gave Arend a strange look. "Do you work in a little Korvan shop in Sareville?"

  "I used to." Arend replied.

  Nickel pulled out a small green cell phone. "Remember this?"

  Arend half smiled. "Ruined by seawater, now waterproofed with a back up battery and extended memory?"

  Nickel nodded. "So it is you."

  "Has it given you any trouble yet? I worked on that a long time ago." Arend asked.

  He shook his head. "The computer was glitchy for the longest time, which cleared up with an update, making the battery last three times as long as well."

  Arend nodded, showing Nickel his phone. "I got this for my new job. It took me a while to get used to the system it used. After that, I beefed it up a bit along with adding porting to a computer, making arranging contacts and files much easier."

  Luka waved the others together. "You should take our picture!"

  Arend stepped back and took a shot. Stem was still eating, more focused on his food. Trading numbers with Nickel, Arend sent him a copy.

  "Woo. You've got a nice camera." Lyra said as she peeked over Nickel's shoulder.

  "It was top-of-the-line when I got it." Arend replied as he slid it back into his pocket.

  Stem glanced at the dashboard of the bus and did a double take. "What's up?" Luka asked. Arend walked past and popped the hood with little search for the lever.

  "It overheated." Stem replied as he joined Arend with a small toolbox.

  "Won't need that." Arend said as he reached into the mass of mechanics.

  "This is an old engine," Stem replied, trying to pull Arend back.

  "I know. End-Line Stonewall F-G6.2 coupled to a Stonewall F-F5.0…with an F-F5.3 crankshaft." Arend said as he practically climbed under the hood.

  Stem was impressed. "Since when did Kruxsetters know their way around engines?"

  "Since-"

  "Since he became involved in the greatest information networks the world has ever seen." Kronth finished for Arend.

  Arend glanced back. She was standing in front of Oragè about a yard away. Arend returned to the engine. "Give me a moment Kronth, I've almost…" Arend jiggled something back and forth and a jet of steam shot into his face. He juggled a hot cap back and forth until setting it down on the bus' bumper. "Don't touch it." Arend warned as he wiped his face.

  "Will that fix it? Letting off a little steam now and again?" Stem asked.

  Arend shook his head. "It'll happen when the engine is shut off for even a short period of time. The Korvan lining the heads are low quality and gradually leak the heat they're supposed to absorb. All but the first in the Stonewall line are meant for boats, so they can't be used for land use without two or three radiators.

  " I suggest replacing the engine for something newer, but since it's probably important to you for whatever reason, install some more radiators or find someone who can replace the Korvan with something of higher quality. If you came through here a month or two in the future, I could do that in a snap."

  Stem frowned. "I can't afford any of that. I may be able to find some kind of coolant besides water that works better somewhere down the road."

  "The next chance you get, check the Nexus for something. I'm sure an enthusiast or two have a few answers to this problem." Arend said as he stepped away from the engine.

  "Thanks. I have more than enough water to fill it a few times until I reach the next town. I'll have to wait till it cools a bit before I can though." Stem replied.

  "Good luck!" Arend called with a wave as he walked away with Kronth. They waved back as Arend and Kronth sat next to the lakeshore. Oragè laid down a polite distance away from the couple.

  Arend let out a sigh. "I still haven't figured it out yet. How to get what I want." Kronth leaned against him.

  "It'll take more than just thought to figure it out. Politics requires a bit of finesse with people. You'll have to consider every detail that could upset someone. You're not an easy person to predict, Arend. Practically all of you action, good and bad, have had a cascading effect thanks to your network of friends."

  Arend draped his arm around her. "I'll figure it out eventually."

  Kronth's phone beeped. "I had King bring Ros to Pith. He seems to understand the situati
on and I'd say they're enjoying themselves." Kronth showed Arend a poorly taken photo of Kathy and Ros smiling.

  Arend frowned, tilting his head and Kronth's hand. "Did Pith take this?"

  Kronth shrugged. "With the exception of King, and now Ros, no one knows where the dragon and his companion have roosted."

  Arend sighed. "At least he's enjoying himself." Arend laid back onto the ground. Kronth joined him, laying her head on his chest.

  "You know though, shortly after he left, Janese and a team of Korvan Engineers developed an explanation of what Death's Ring did to Ros. With the evidence they collected into a neat display, they shamed the hell out of everyone who objected to his presence. It was a closed announcement, so don't expect an apology, but they have allowed him to enter under your supervision for up to twenty hours at a time."