The Challenger

by Harlon Banks

  "So, where are you going?" Melissa asked briefly looking his way. "I know you didn't just come to the city to wander around aimlessly like a lost child." She clicked her tongue after saying that.

  "Is that what you've done?" Kelgard responded stealing a look at her. Melissa humming to herself at his counter question and then simply nodding her head once.

  "Pretty much. So you going to answer my question or leave me in the dark while you keep up your dark and mysterious façade?" Melissa chuckled closing her eyes a moment before suddenly waving a hand through the air. "Or better yet, don't even worry about telling me. I actually want to know about something else that's been on my mind ever since those sparring evaluation."

  The two Nightborn stopped at the edge of another crosswalk, surrounded by pedestrian as cars and carriages moved across the streets. Kelgard pulling hands from pants pockets to put in coat pockets instead, eyes focused on what was in front of him.

  "And that would be?" He asked, Melissa a bit pleasantly surprised he seemed so go with the flow about her interrogating him. He wasn't as edgy as she thought he was after all, nice. Lowering hands from behind her head and hooking them behind her back on her rear instead she shrugged staring forward as well.

  "It's nothing all that phenomenal in the terms of questions but how did you feel about Jonath when you fought him?" As she asked this she turned to watch his expression when he answered. Wanting to see if her earlier attack on Jonath was only her being paranoid and not anybody else. When the light turned giving the two the go to cross the street Kelgard moved first; Melissa following behind him a step or two. At first it looked as if she weren't going to get an answer. The crimson eyed man simply looking vaguely around the vicinity at buildings like he were trying to get a landmark or something to go off. Melissa was thinking about just asking her question again until she got an answer but thankfully, he gave her what she wanted before she got too petty.

  "Guy's got potential, he could be better than you."

  Melissa blinked, eyes honed in on him like what he said genuinely just stunned her. Jonath? Being better than her? What?

  Melissa suddenly burst out laughing while walking with him! Her sudden outburst drawing attention from a few passerby as she bent forward holding her sides. Laughter coming off as if that was the funniest thing she'd heard in a while. This guy had some serious jokes under all that indifference he emanated! Kelgard largely ignoring her reaction, merely saying what he said and leaving it at that. Melissa upon noticing he was actually serious, furrowed a brow up at him in disbelief. This furrowed brow shaping itself into a scrutinizing squint of repulsion next.

  "Oh wait, you're legitimately serious about that?" She mouthed to herself and fixed her posture, promptly snickering amused next. Hands running through her raven colored hair and caressing light toned features. "Here I thought you might have had an actual sense of humor too. So let me guess, you think you could beat me in a spar then huh? Cause from what I saw, Jonath couldn't hold a candle to me in a fight. He wouldn't even be able to scratch my pretty face even." She side-eyed him already guessing his response. Kelgard turning to walk up a street that ascended upwards higher in the city with Melissa still keeping up.

  "If we ever come to a point where we have to fight I'm sure we'll find out then." The man apathetically said back, only halfway paying attention to Melissa now. His eyes a bit more fixated than normal on what was ahead of him, Melissa noticing this easily. Turning to look up the hill her eyes would suddenly widen before turning sharply back towards Kelgard. A small smile of anticipation coming across her features. Oh yeah, following him was the greatest choice she'd made all day so far.

  "What's a guy like you heading towards the Mercenaries Group for?" She asked with alluring curiosity. Her soft glowing stare glancing between him and the upcoming building ahead. Kelgard suddenly stopping, Melissa looking confused as she stopped next while fixated on him. Hands still in his pockets and posture laid back and aloof to everything around besides him and the Ylrah girl, Kelgard's red eyes casted over her. This time there was actual conscious focus on her, his full attention even. Melissa feeling a bit taken aback by the sudden shift in vibe yet showing no real signs of intimidated or flustered. Blue eye staring at red eyes, she waited for him to get on with whatever he was about to say or do.

  "If I tell you, you have to do me a favor in exchange." His words were calm and flowed fluently from his throat in a rolling deep voice Melissa had to admit was kind of pleasant to the ears. Tilting her head as long bangs that contoured and framed the right of her features swayed halfway over her nose and other side. The brief moment her right eye could be seen with her bangs out-of-the-way showed it remained closed despite her left eye being open. Why did she keep that eye closed?

  "What is that?" She asked casually. A few seconds passed, and Kelgard spoke while walking again. Passing Melissa at the shoulder before his request graced her ears.

  "I'm going to need you to stop harassing that Kayda girl."

  Melissa couldn't believe what she just heard. Those words coming from Kelgard shocking her genuinely to the point her entire face and body seemed thoroughly thrown off for a moment. Looking over her shoulder at him walking away, mind drawing a blank initially at a response before she quickly regained her composure and started lightly laughing. Shaking her head as she spun around to follow him again. She couldn't believe this guy. Snickering as she habitually had to quip about his request and its shock value.

  "Never knew you were such a big softie for the pretty girls with shy attitudes. Do you want to fu-"

  Kelgard suddenly stopped walking again and simply looked over his shoulder at her again. His crimson gaze one a bit more serious and no-nonsense that was rather impactful nigh instantly. So much so that Melissa actually cut off her sentence before she got the last of it out and just stared at him in silence.

  "Whoa... Never had that happen to me before..." Melissa thought to herself a bit stunned by her sudden silence herself. Kelgard would never know that though, as not a second later she quickly played it off with an exasperate snort.

  "Fine whatever. I'll lay off the girl a bit but don't expect me to stop cold turkey. I have to show my dominance one way or another after all. Just like you should do in regards to that Delaren guy. He told ya to drop dead remember?" She teasingly reminded as the two got less than a block from the Group. Ignoring most of her taunts, Kelgard kept walking in silence. However soon, he finally got around to answering Melissa' inquiry about why he were heading here. When he said it Melissa had to remember she asked the question herself, having nearly forgot about it after that glare he gave her.

  "I've got someone I need to check on." He said short and simple. Melissa staring at him for a short while, and then sliding her own hands into the pockets of her black cargo shorts satisfied with the answer. The two stopping right outside the large black gates of the Mercenary Group, Kelgard not even bothering trying to get Melissa to leave and Melissa never intending to leave either. Mutual tolerance at this point...

  At the steps that led up to the entrance of the Group, beyond the grass and stone courtyard behind the gates, sat a peculiar man. Donning short and disheveled light grey hair, steel grey colored eyes, pale skin and a lean and muscular physique garbed in a light grey muscle shirt, black camo pants, combat boots and black gloves. His forearms proudly showing multiple small scars across them and his entire aesthetic one of handsome youth with cool and suave vibe. Next to his lackadaisical seating on the stone stairs was a large great sword wrapped in thick cloths... His mature yet laid back gaze immediately turning to look at the arrivals. Melissa whistling to herself in admiration of how he looked.

  "I love being a Nightborn... Nothing but pretty boys all around." She joked with a smile. The stranger on the stairs standing up and heading over to the gates to greet the both of them. When he got close, Melissa immediately picked up on him and Kelgard locking gazes and the vibe shifting. Did they know each other?

  "Well well
... Look who finally came back." Blade flashed a knowing smirk at the Blood King. "Second time we've met, huh Crimson?"

  Absolute Zero

  A/N - Made a slight change to Wrain's appearance in that his hair & eyes are Ice Blue now not Cyan Blue. I had forgotten that Dal had the latter hair and eye color and didn't want any confusion born of them both looking related. Thus from here on out Wrain will be described with ice blue colors not cyan. I'll go back and fix the previous chapters to display this eventually!

  The Challenger Chapter Fifty-Three: Absolute Zero

  Seven years ago...

  "I've never been too fond about the thought of actually killing someone through frostbite but..."

  A thirteen years old Wrain hovers his pale hand over the half-frozen face of an older man in his late thirties; Wrain dressed in a black tee and blue shorts with running shoes. A peculiar bag strapped over the shoulder and looked to be filled with supplies. This man with him, frozen to the bark of a tree, completely shivering to the bone and at the mercy of a pre-teen with powers nobody expected him to have. Thick frost energy frothing off ice coated fingers, a bone chilling breath leaving the icy hair colored boy's throat. The two were somewhere out in the woods, judging by this man's clothing no doubt he was a bandit whom thought he could have taken advantage of an unaware child. If only that child had been anyone but Wrain.

  Twitching fingers, the cryomancer moved his open right palm dangerously close to the petrified bandit's face. Ice blue hued eyes apathetically looking into brown eyes with very little in the way of restraint. At this point it was sheer luck that this kid didn't just freeze the man's brains; even looking at this bandit brought out disgusted emotions. The moonlight above gleaming off the icy aura ripe with crystalline hue that permeated the air around the kid. A sway in the wind blowing this chilly energy across the scenery of the forest, lightly coating some nearby greenery with running frost. The bandit stammering with his words as he tried pleading for his life all of a sudden.

  "P-Please don't k-k-kill me..." The poor old vagrant could barely get the words out through shivering lips and frostbitten throat. Ice had encased over half of his body, bonding him to the bark of the tree with Wrain's hand mere centimeters from finishing the job by touching his face. The boy tilting his head momentarily in thought, as if something were bothering him now. Glancing around the area, he recognized finally where he was. This part of the forest was known for having strange disappearances of both women and children. He decided he'd have investigated some time ago, but to think he'd have walked right in on the spot so easily. After taking in exactly where he was for a few more seconds, he turned his cold stare to the grown man again.

  "Were you the one who kidnapped a little girl a couple of days ago? One with hair and eyes like mine?"

  The bandit's eyes widened suddenly, that brief look of terror that over took his gaze for but a split second was all the incriminating evidence Wrain needed. The boy clenching his left hand into a fist at his side, expression tensing up with quiet fury that permeated into his aloof glare. Then, it vanished away as quick as it came; Wrain exhaling frost before closing his eyes and calming himself down. If he'd stayed infuriated just a second longer, he'd have skewered this man with icy staves before he got the chance to ask another, more important question.

  Opening cold blue eyes once again and keeping his expression calm and collected, he moved his index finger to the man's right eye socket. Hovering so close the bandit could feel the moisture in his eyes beginning to crystallize from the cold. Fear gripping him from within, the thirteen years old child popping a question that very well may decide if the bandit lost his life in the next few seconds.

  "That girl you took was my little sister. The only reason you're even still breathing right now is because of that little fact. Tell me where she is and if she's still alive and I'll kill you quick." Those words left Wrain's throat with a darkened, ominously chilled tone of growing hatred and malice kept under a façade of calm and collected visage. "If you lie to me, I'll slowly kill you from the toes up. Freezing your extremities just enough till the gangrene sets in. You could try and stay quiet all you want and act tough but that'll quickly change when you experience how badly I'll hurt you." The boy threatened eerily nonchalant and lowering his hand before taking a step closer to the immobile man. The look in his eyes showcased just how serious he was about going through with this. This child was a ruthless... A cold-blooded one...

  "Or maybe I won't give you the luxury of death yet. Maybe I'll let the frostbite and gangrene fester to the point we have to cut off both your arms and your legs to keep you alive. I made sure to pack some extra strength medicines in my bag to keep you from bleeding out too if push came to shove." He paused again and rested his hand on the bandits chest. Shortly after the ice that caked the man's face and neck suddenly receded and vanished, giving him a greater ability to speak as his face muscles thawed out. However this reprieve was only temporary, as the boy's fingers moved right back up threatening to grab his face and freeze his brain again.

  "You have ten seconds to tell me where my little sister is."

  ...

  "Such a big city, easy to get lost in the streets."

  Wrain looked up at a bell tower nearby that no longer had a bell in its housing. Wondering what could have caused it to be removed before lowering his gaze and exhaling. Hands nestled in pockets after putting headphones in. Music soon blessing his ears from his phone while he moved through the streets in mindless wandering and thought. Taking this free day to mainly think about everything that's happened to him so far and what he planned on doing to go ahead. Moving through crowds of busy pedestrians and occasionally pausing to sightsee at things that caught his interest. Some of these things being sculptures, colorful billboards that advertised and the occasional stray dog or cat that wandered up to people for food or rummaged through dumpsters in the alleyways. This city was a lot larger and a lot different from the small town he had grown up in down south.

  To his knowledge Luminous City was indeed the last standing 'Super City' across the entire continent in terms of having a large population and political influence. The rest of the settlements that spanned the entire landscape were nothing more than small towns and villages or ruins of the old cities that once had great influence like UC. The others like UC having either lost power or crumbled away due to past events that happened long before Wrain were born. Thinking about it made him wonder about how devastating of a past this land had that would cause multiple large scaled settlements to simply crumble down to one being the last to tell the tale. History books were never really concrete about the past, all telling different interpretations to the point Wrain sometimes thought the King and Queen were keeping secrets.

  Wrain halted his walking at the end of a one way street, noting he'd walked into a dead-end of some sorts with stores on both sides. Looking up at the side of the mountain the city carved into, noting the higher reaches of the city and their more regal aesthetic buildings. The Diurnal District - Where the King and Queen lived out their days protected by the powerful Royal Guard.

  Wrain suddenly tilted his head, recalling what Min said about the Royal Guard being Nightborn just like him and the others. Briefly wondering just what kind of people they were. If they were aloof and distant like Kelgard or arrogant and annoying like Delaren? Maybe they were smug and snarky like Melissa or calm and laid back like Lee and Orath? He doubted they acted like Kayda... Why was he even thinking about this still anyway? Shaking the inquiries out of his mind, he turned to head back up the street and find the main road again. Turning off his music and plucking the headphones out his ears as he did so.

  All of this thinking about the history behind Kynerva sparked a curiosity in him. Wrain deciding he'd go check out a library now to pass the time today. All of his general knowledge about Kynerva stemmed from whatever he could find back in his own small town; no doubt what he had access to there paled in comparison to the likes of what he could find in
the capital city. Pulling his phone out of his pocket and turning it on, he paused when his eyes gazed upon his lock screen picture. Eyes staring for a long moment in silence and his expression remaining blank, Wrain unlocked his phone and started searching for the nearest library. That brief flux of emotion that welled up in him fading as quick as it came.

  Sometime later Wrain eventually found his way to the Archive Group entrance just in time to see the last of the students exiting the courtyard for classes. Hands put into his blue jeans while he shook a lingering bit of early morning drowsiness out of his head next. Light colored hair becoming a bit disheveled from the sudden, rapid shaking. Bangs now brushing over the bridge of his nose making it crinkle momentarily from irritation. Taking a moment to look at the courtyard architecture and focusing on that statue of a woman atop the fountain centerpiece, Wrain casually entered the open gates. Pale blue eyes looking around the courtyard a bit taken aback this part of the campus was open to the public for lounging and whatnot. A few benches and trees scattered across the landscape. The main building straight ahead standing out more than the others around it on both sides. Which one was the library, he wondered.