“Vera, right? Look, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything that I must have put you though, I truly am. I know I don’t deserve your mercy, but I truly, truly hope that you can find it in yourself to forgive me.”
Vera thought to herself for a few moments which to Keenth felt like an eternity. From there, she walked towards the campfire and took a knee while responding to Keenth’s apology.
“Francis...My dear Francis, I just want to say that I accept your apology, I really do. At the same time, I know that words can only mean so much,” she says as she rises to her feet.
“What are you getting at?” an uneasy Keenth asks Vera as she slowly begins to approach him.
“Words don’t hold much value these days. They can be taken back, misused, or misread without rhyme or reason. From that I came to understand that while words can leave you disappointed, actions are the only things you can hold true in this world.”
Vera reveals that her dagger was used alongside the campfire with the purpose of branding an unsuspecting Keenth. To Keenth’s shock, Vera slowly reveals a carved letter V on her left forearm.
“I figured that since I have this on my arm, then it would only be right for this to be on one of yours too. Now tell me, is that crazy enough for you, my little Francis?” Vera asks as she makes her way back towards Keenth.
“No! Please just leave us alone,” Keenth pleads to Vera’s unforgiving ears as she raises her weapon. “You don’t have to do this!”
“Again, going on and on with the words. It’s time to give you a lesson worth remembering. One that will be carved into your skin for the rest of your—”
Before she could finish, a massive fiery explosion from the campfire shakes the surrounding area. Many of the trees are set ablaze.
“Francis! What have you done?”
“Ah, you’re right! Of course! The guy tied up this whole time was clearly behind this, you genius!”
Before they could continue to bicker, a mysterious figure approaches through the flames unharmed. Puzzled by such an abnormal presence, Vera completely loses her composure.
“D-Demon! He’s a demon!”
“Demon? Sorry lady, but you’re dealing with the devil himself.”
Chapter Two
Just when it looked like Keenth’s confrontation with Vera was reaching its boiling point, a mysterious young man enters the fray. But the answer to whether he is a friend or foe remains to be seen.
Brushing off his initial shock, Keenth focuses his sights on the warrior among the flames. From what he could tell, the young man was around Keenth’s age, but his appearance and demeanor were worlds apart, with the young man adorned in a dark blue battle garb that was draped underneath a flowing, gray cloak.
His dark hair, while long and unruly, seemed to flicker synonymously with the wild flames that surrounded the area. Through his strong brown eyes, Vera knew that she was facing an individual with unwavering conviction.
“Does this devil have a name?” Vera asks, after seemingly regaining her composure.
“I usually don’t share that kind of information so easily,” the young man replies. “But maybe if you have what it takes to earn my respect—”
“His name is…Benjamin…Benjamin Palorro,” Cory weakly states from a distance.
“Because earning my respect is something that…Could you not interrupt?” Benjamin angrily exclaims at the young apprentice. “Who the hell are you to reveal my name? Where’s your sense of intrigue? Where’s your taste for dramatic flair? Where—”
“Um, sorry, but where is your opponent?” Keenth asks out loud, causing Benjamin to fall into silence.
“Your arrogance will prove to be your downfall,” Vera’s voice echoes through the forest as she remains hidden from her opponents’ sights. “At first, you appeared to be an impressive foe, but I will make short work of you so that Francis and I can finish our conversation!”
Before Benjamin can react and Keenth might object, a massive tree is hurtled towards them. Keenth and Cory, who were still firmly bound, were defenseless to the attack, but Benjamin stood fearlessly before the impending danger.
At what seemed to be the last possible moment, he swiftly raises his right arm before him causing a wave of violent, red flames to incinerate the projectile. Some of the flaming debris made its way to the ropes that were restraining Keenth.
As soon as he sees this opportunity, he uses all of his might to tear away his bonds.
After making a dash for his sword, Keenth realizes that Cory’s staff is missing. He remembers that he’s left a barely conscious Cory vulnerable.
“Could this night get any worse?” Keenth thinks to himself. That is, however, until he witnesses Vera dashing towards Benjamin, while hurtling sharpened branches.
“Let’s see, let’s see…Blue mage chick? Check. Flame wielding devil man? Got it. Nature loving sociopath? Why not? At this point, I should be okay with whatever life throws at me—”
Before Keenth could finish gathering his thoughts, he narrowly dodges one of Vera’s branches heading towards him. Whether it was by instinct, luck, or a combination of both, this catches Benjamin’s attention.
“That’s the spirit, guy! Keep pressing on,” Benjamin shouts a surprising act of encouragement.
As Keenth begins to pull himself back into reality, he notices that one of the enemy’s branches is just mere inches away from his face. The reason why he isn’t critically wounded is because Benjamin had appeared before him in a blink of an eye.
“What the hell are you standing around for?” Benjamin scolds Keenth as his tight grip turns a branch into ash. The thought of Benjamin moving in front of him before he could even react leaves Keenth in a state of awe.
“This is hardly the time for you to lose focus! You should be better than this!”
The two fighters found suddenly themselves immobilized by the ground below them. It appeared as though the earth beneath them was infused with Vera’s energy.
“I apologize for using such primitive tactics,” Vera says as she approaches them. “I just needed an opportunity for me to really take this seriously. I thought it would only be fitting to do things this way,” she continues, while focusing on Keenth.
“Why is that? What are you getting at this time?” Keenth scolds as he struggles to free himself. “More importantly, how in the world did I manage to get trapped by you again? I can’t help, but feel I have nothing but bad luck here.”
“Hush! You’re the reason why I went out and learned these abilities in the first place, Francis! It’s pretty poetic if you really think about it,” Vera replies as she summons two sharpened branches, wielding one with each arm.
“Now the question is who to start with first?”
Before Vera can continue, her branches combust, scorching her in the process. With both her ego and arms damaged, she quickly turns over to see the source of her anguish: Benjamin’s arm pointed in her direction.
“How long has it been since I made my name here in Tortuga? Honestly, I can’t care to remember. Either way, for years I’ve faced every challenge thrown my way dead in the eye,” Benjamin continues.
“Most bouts ended in my favor and others not so much. It was through these seemingly endless battles that I pushed myself to be my absolute best.”
Keenth listens as the surrounding flames began to roar. His initial view of Benjamin being an enigmatic warrior of sorts slowly, but surely, was blurred until he wasn’t sure whether he was ally and foe.
Whether he knew it or not, there was now a hint of unease in Keenth’s view of the young man.
“Be it as it may, I saw you from a distance, stalking the outskirts of the region like a vulture looking to reign down on its prey,” Benjamin continues, as Vera remains speechless.
“The thought of you being able to best a Sage Apprentice and this guy over here got me pretty excited. But once I saw you firsthand, I had one thought and one thought only,” Benjamin says as he looks down at his hands.
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“A-and what was that?” Vera responds with fear. “What did you realize?”
“How wrong I was,” Benjamin says as he clenches his fists causing a massive outburst of flames to eradicate the ground binding him.
“There is one thing that I can’t stand and that is a challenge that isn’t worth my time,” Benjamin says as he concentrates the flames on his right fist.
Vera used what was left of her energy to desperately raise her arms to manipulate a wave of terrain toward her opponent. Benjamin rendered the dirt as harmless as dust in the wind.
Vera frantically attempts to retreat, but Benjamin appears before her. Keenth, who is now at a considerable distance from the two, rushes in their direction, while Benjamin begins to prepare the final blow.
“Be gone,” Benjamin says as he begins to bring his fist down.
Keenth tries his best to mediate the situation, but it was far beyond words at that point. A wide-eyed Vera is in shock at the thought of her life facing such an abrupt end.
Suddenly, a massive quake causes Benjamin to be forcibly raised in the air. Once the dust clears, he realizes that the landscape has greatly changed and that he was standing on a stone plateau.
Surprised that Vera still had abilities to her disposal, the real shock comes when it is revealed that Cory is standing before their opponent.
“You’re in my way, Apprentice. You have ten seconds to explain yourself right now,” Benjamin angrily tells Cory.
“This battle is over, Benjamin. Your name is Vera, right? Leave this area and never show your face again,” Cory states, while continuing to lock eyes with Benjamin. “There is no longer a threat here.”
“That’s not your call,” Benjamin replies as he makes his way down to them. “You must have hit your head along the way because I could have sworn that I was the one who saved the two of you from her.”
“You did and you have our thanks. But this is not the same Vera that you saved us from,” Cory states as she continues towards them.
“I admire your optimism, but that kind of mindset just leaves an opportunity for a former foe to strike you down in the future. This does not seem very well thought out if you ask me,” Benjamin replies, while inspecting one of the charred branches from the battlefield.
“Your goal is to become a more powerful warrior, isn’t it? Then this is all the more reason for you to let this go. Slaughtering someone clearly incapable of being a challenge would be shameful. What’s the point of being respected when taking the lives of those beneath you would be associated with your legacy as well?”
Benjamin carefully thought about her words as Vera slowly rose to her feet thanks to Cory’s assistance. There was one more point that needed to be made before he decided how to proceed and Cory knew exactly what to say to erase any remaining doubt or hesitation.
“Rest assured that if she makes the decision to take advantage of this by attacking the helpless in the future, then I am willing to take full responsibility. I will personally act without any hesitation,” Cory replies while patting a shaken Vera on the back.
Benjamin moves towards Vera and steps right in front of her so he could read her intentions. After a few moments but that felt like a lifetime, Benjamin tells Vera to flee and get counseling.
“To think that I was talked out of making an example of my opponent,” Benjamin mutters to himself. “That Sage of yours must really be something. Your name is Cory, right? Go ahead and get comfortable because you and I are going to have a little chat.”
“Hey, I’m still here guys,” Keenth states, trying to re-establish himself.
With the full moon shining brightly, Beth Masterson stares at the high-end hotels of Tortuga through her window. She has always seen herself as a night owl of sorts, especially considering that she finds herself gathering her focus while the world around her rests. This night, however, it proves to be especially difficult to do so.
“Sorry to call you up this late, but I really wanted us to be able to speak freely about this,” Beth asks as she motions for Aya to join her on the rooftop balcony.
“Not a problem. So, what did you want to talk about,” Aya replies as she tries to keep her yawns at bay. “If you don’t mind me telling me, is there any reason why you didn’t bring this up earlier?”
“Well, you see…And don’t get upset, but this is something that I discussed with Madam Chambers. We decided that the best plan moving forward is for you to return to headquarters as soon as possible.”
“What? You’re kidding me, aren’t you? Don’t you think I should have a say in this?” Aya immediately objects. “Besides even bringing seniority into it, you know that I’m just as much a part of this team as you are.”
“I understand your frustration and no one is trying to take away what you mean to us. But we have to face the facts: these are very dangerous times and we won’t risk allowing Madam Chambers to remain unprotected.”
“But why me? We have plenty of capable members and I want the opportunity to make a difference out here. What good am I if I step out of the fight when we could use all the help we can get? I just don’t understand.”
“Don’t underestimate your role here, Aya. We all have a part to play in this. You may not see it now, but hopefully you will come to understand this as well.”
“Roles? It really is hard to connect with someone who is keeping me in the shadows. Being tossed to the wayside is one thing, but you won’t even tell me where I stand in this”
“You’re right, Aya. You are absolutely right. I will be staying behind. Between the Keyes Investigation and the attack on the Academy, we need some sort of presence in the area,” Beth replied, but Aya looked less than convinced.
“Madam Chambers is going to provide me with some additional support so that all of our hard work does not go to waste,” Beth replies, hoping to reassure Aya.
“Why is additional support needed? Shouldn’t you be enough cover?”
“I shouldn’t be sticking around this place for too much longer. Don’t take this as me withholding information from you, but I think that call was made by someone way above our paygrade, my friend.”
“I see, I see…Well, I appreciate you taking the time to tell me face-to-face. Having this head’s up gives me some time to enjoy the region a bit more before I get my affairs in order,” Aya says as she begins to make her way back inside.
“Oh, about that…You are kinda sorta slated to leave tomorrow.”
“Well, if you put it like that…Damn it all. Can you just let me be great for once?” Aya sighs in defeat.
“Yeah, sorry about that. Try to get some rest. You have a long day ahead of you,” Beth says with an apologetic smile.
Hours pass and as the sky awakens and Keenth and the others discuss recent events.
“I see, so that’s how it is,” Benjamin says to himself once Cory gets him up to speed. “Well, if it means anything to you, I think it would best if I moved alongside you two for now.”
“Do you really think you can hang?” Keenth confidently chimes in. “After all, Cory and I go way back. That and three’s a bit of a crowd, you know?”
“You do realize we just met yesterday?” Cory responds. “That and I think Benjamin is being respectful in trying to say that—”
“You’re pathetic, Keenth. Terribly pathetic. I have every right to bring you back to what’s left of that Academy because clearly you don’t know the first thing about being in a battle,” Benjamin states.
“If I could go just five minutes without someone trampling on my soul, that would be great,” Keenth thinks to himself as before he attempts to remove the focus off him. “Right, whatever. So, what’s the lay of the land, Benjamin?”
“Ah, right. I know these parts like the back of my hand. This is not really my style, but the best thing to do is hit you with a quick rundown before we go on. Keenth, take notes because I’m not repeating myself!”
“How did—,” Keenth responds as he begins to stand up.
“You know what? I’m just going to find a pen and paper…I am just too damn old to be talked to like this,” Keenth mumbles to himself as he sits back down.
“Good. Anyway, let’s talk about where we are. Hasania: The Land of the East. Our continent’s symbol is the shield which represents honor,” Benjamin explains. “There’s way too much to cover as far as its history, so I’m going to focus on where we are and where we need to be.”
“We are currently in Tortuga, a mountainous region in the northeast side of Hasania. Tortuga is known for its combination of both a rural and urban atmosphere and for having quite a few warrior hideouts.”
While Keenth vigorously takes notes, Cory focuses on Benjamin’s words because she is not all too familiar with this region either.
“For years, many warriors have been causing conflicts throughout the regions of Hasania with Tortuga being no exception. The respective regions have their own ways of handling warriors, but with Hasania being ruled by the LanTech Empire…they insist on providing their own means of handling situations.”
“I remember one of my instructors teaching us about that,” Keenth notes. “He said part of the reason that the LanTech Empire helped establish the Training Academy in the first place was a sign of good faith.”
“Is that so? Sorry to break it to you but the majority of us out here feel otherwise,” Benjamin responds.
“I can tell you firsthand that LanTech’s true actions have caused tensions to increase at an alarming rate. These warriors, who they deem as rebels, have resisted LanTech and its methods for years, but it was only a matter of time before we got to where we are now.”
“What does that mean for us?” Cory asks. “What do we do from here?”
“Well. I suppose those are questions more suitable for that sage of yours,” Benjamin replies as he stares off into the trail ahead. “Truth be told, I didn’t foresee something as chaotic as that attack on the Academy. But if there is one thing that I know, a storm is coming.”
Fighter's Fever: The Metallic Siege Page 2