The four walked outside and went back behind the house so Terico and Areo could disappear without causing a stir.
“Are you excited to see Febraz again?” Terico asked.
“I’m a bit upset with him,” Areo said, “but to be honest it will be nice to see him again. I can always count on him... to care, you know.” She grinned. “I can’t count on him for much else.”
Terico smiled too. “Luckily his mark has been working effectively. He said we both just need to place a thumb on the mark, and hold it there for about ten seconds.”
Before either of them could do so, a group of vampires converged around them from either side of the house. It was the six elites who had gone around confiscating everyone’s Nexi stones amongst the audience.
“You fought well today, Areo,” said the red-haired vampire, the leader of this group. “We’re going to have to demand you give up your Rite Nexi, however.”
Areo raised her eyebrows and gave a long, slight smile. “Um... you folks did see the match today, didn’t you? I think you might want to rephrase that last sentence. I’ll assume it was a slip of the tongue if you head on back the way you came.”
The lead elite glowered. “So you get one kill and suddenly you think you’re unstoppable. You do realize there are six of us, and only four—” He glanced to Terico. “Correction. Only three of you.”
He looked back to Areo and grinned. “And as it turns out, we’re backed up by some of the top officials running this city. Because the fact is, child, you don’t deserve the Rite Nexi.”
Every word oozing out of this man’s mouth unnerved Terico. Somehow Terico didn’t even count as an opponent to these vampires, and somehow a ninety-nine-year-old could still be called a child. And Areo won that Nexi stone even with these elites conspiring against her.
The red-haired vampire laughed. “Looks like I’ve upset the little human. I sure hope he—”
Terico punched him in the face.
“Hasty,” Nivakil muttered.
Areo’s and Jenba’s claws elongated simultaneously, and a barrage of glowing lights shined from the enemy vampires’ raised Nexi stones.
In moments, the six elites were on the floor, screaming their heads off. Terico staggered backward in surprise, realizing that each vampire had a hand severed off—the hand holding a Nexi stone.
Nivakil shook the blood off his claws, then caused them to shrink back into normal-sized fingernails. “I expected more of a fight.”
From what Terico could tell, Areo and Jenba had each clawed the face of the vampires closest to unleashing a Nexi power—but somehow Nivakil managed to completely lop off a hand of each enemy in a matter of seconds. And Terico hadn’t even seen the man prepare to attack, as he had Areo and Jenba.
Nivakil walked to the nearest elite, who was writhing from the pain of his bleeding, severed hand. “Oh, quit crying. It should mend soon enough, and your hand will regenerate in a week’s time.”
Terico picked out his three Nexi stones from the pockets of the vampire in the top hat. “Febraz will probably want his black Nexi back...”
Nivakil walked to Terico and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I did call your move hasty, didn’t I? But it did give us an opening. And to be brutally honest, you only did what the rest of us were wanting to do.” The mentor didn’t grin, but there was a grandfatherly glint in his eyes.
“Thanks,” Terico said. “I’m glad to have met you.”
“Thanks for coming by, Terico,” Jenba said.
Nivakil turned to Areo and nodded. “Best you get going now. Remember everything I’ve taught you, and you will do well. Oh, and let Febraz know that if he ever wants to start another ruckus here, he’s welcome to sneak over to my place.”
“Thank you for everything, master,” Areo said. She turned to Jenba and smiled. “Good-bye for now, little brother.”
“Have fun in the sunlight,” Jenba said. “You could probably use some, now that I think about it.”
Once they had finished their good-byes, Terico got Areo to place her thumb on his marked wrist, and placed his own thumb beside hers. At the count of ten, Terico would leave behind the vampiric city and all the troubles it brought him.
I have enough to deal with, regardless, Terico thought shortly before he and Areo disappeared.
They appeared in Febraz’s tent a moment later. Terico looked down at his wrist to find it clean of the dark symbol Febraz had marked on it.
He looked back up and noticed several candles lit on the table, giving the tent a bit more light than there was before. But instead of finding Febraz, a young man in white sat atop the back of the chair, his feet resting on the seat. Terico recognized the uniform—this was a member of the Brotherhood. He had the requisite white mask with the mark of the inverted cross over his right eye, but also had an eerie, crescent-curved smile painted on the mask.
“What is this?” Areo asked, her voice livid. Terico glanced down to where she was looking, and found Febraz lying on the ground. He was almost entirely covered in the sticky swamp-like substance that comes from the brown Nexi stone. His eyes and nose were left uncovered, and he looked panicked... And for good reason, Terico realized—the area over his heart was also uncovered, and the Brotherhood fighter held a long sword directly above it. In fact, the tip of the blade was resting atop Febraz’s chest. All the Brotherhood member had to do was push the blade down, and Febraz would die impaled.
“Welcome back, Terico,” the assailant whispered behind his mask. “If either of you make a move, the vampire dies immediately.”
There was something peculiar about the way this person spoke. He had a young, tortured voice, but there was something more... But Terico couldn’t focus on that—the Brotherhood were after him, apparently. “What are you doing? Leave Febraz out of this.”
The assailant simply stared back at Terico through the mask’s thin, nearly invisible eye holes. Terico’s mind flooded with questions. How did the Brotherhood know he was alive? And what did they want from him? Did they know he was after the Elpis fragments?
The masked boy started trembling... vibrating. Terico held his breath and stared at the assailant’s sword, precariously shaking atop Febraz’s heart. Areo crouched down a bit, her fingers curled and twitching. For several long seconds—perhaps even half a minute—the Brotherhood member kept shaking in complete silence. Terico could see Areo tense up further and further, and it was only a matter of time before she lunged for the assailant’s neck. Terico wasn’t sure if even Areo could be quick enough to stop this masked boy before Febraz would be killed, though.
“What do you want?” Terico asked, his throat dry and tight. “Just let Febraz go, and I’ll meet your demands.” The sight of this trembling Brotherhood member, his smiling mask, his sadistic hostage setup—it was all so horrifically surreal.
The assailant tilted his head to the side a bit. “Good, he’s important to you.” The Brotherhood fighter continued to shake, the tip of his blade digging a little deeper into Febraz’s bleeding chest.
“Stop it,” Areo said, her eyes wide, her body motionless, and her voice just above a whisper. She seemed to be exerting all her might to keep from screaming. “Stop it now.”
“No, this is good,” the assailant said. “This is what Terico needs.”
“What are you talking about?” Terico asked. “If you have a problem with me, then fight me! Leave Febraz out of this.”
“I will fight you, Terico,” the masked boy said, his voice cracking. “I will fight you... but only once you’ve been brought down to my level. Only once you’re an empty husk without a single soul in the world to turn to!
The assailant plunged his blade into Febraz’s heart.
“No!” Terico screamed.
Areo flew for the assailant’s face, her claws already extended several centimeters. The Brotherhood fighter leaped back and ripped his bloody sword out of Febraz, then swung it up against Areo’s claws.
Terico slipped out his green Nexi a
nd launched vines for the masked boy. A jet of water blasted against Terico’s stomach, bashing him hard against a wooden crate. His vision blurry, Terico could barely make out the clash between the masked boy and Areo. He heard the scraping of sword against claws, then a cry from Areo.
Terico forced himself to his feet, and remembered Febraz had some swords in his tent. Terico found a long, slender one and grabbed it. He rushed forward as the Brotherhood fighter sliced off several of Areo’s claws. She stumbled back, screaming, and Terico slammed his blade against the fighter’s sword.
The masked boy pushed away, then kicked Terico in the stomach. “Let me kill this vampire girl first, since it seems you know her. I’ll fight you later, Terico!”
Terico rushed back for the assailant, fighting back the pain in his stomach. The assailant lifted a brown Nexi and blasted it. Terico dodged and swung for the boy’s side. The masked boy blocked with his blade, then with his free hand used a dark blue Nexi to blast water at Terico’s sword. Terico’s arms flung back and he lost his sword in the process. With the flick of his wrist, the masked boy shot swamp material at Terico’s feet, planting Terico to the ground. Febraz’s sword was out of reach.
“Watch it, mate,” the assailant said. “I’d hate to scar that pretty face of yours.”
Turan.
Before Terico could respond, the boy turned to Areo, who was back on her feet and raising her tan Nexi stone. Terico quickly took out his black Nexi and wielded it. The flames of the table’s candles dissipated instantly, their flickering lights flying into the Nexi stone.
He couldn’t see anything, but he could hear Areo unleashing a frenzy of dirt and claws at the assailant. The boy screamed, and boxes tumbled over, spilling their metal contents across the floor. In the meantime Terico worked his feet out of his shoes, then stumbled across the floor in search of the sword he had used. The floor erupted beneath him, and Terico rolled against another crate as a portion of the tent ripped asunder, letting some light in.
Areo fell back to the ground, a deep gash across her stomach. The masked boy limped out into the light, his right leg badly injured—perhaps crushed by a dirt hand formed by Areo. The assailant hurried through the frantic crowds, the people turning and gasping at the violent scene. Areo struggled back to her feet, but instead of chasing the masked boy she turned to Febraz.
Terico ran into the crowds, his sword raised. “Out of the way!” He pushed through the screaming masses until he caught sight of the masked boy, running a few meters ahead down the road.
“Stop!” Terico yelled. “I know who you are. I know it’s you, Turan!”
The masked boy kept running, but turned his head back to look at Terico. “You’re wrong. Turan is dead! I am Augurc’s newest, most powerful soldier. I am Lynx!” He sprinted down a thin side road, and by the time Terico reached the diverging path, the masked boy was nowhere in sight.
Terico kept running, kept searching—but he found no sign of the Brotherhood member anywhere. Just like a lynx, the masked boy had slipped away silently, just as suddenly as he had appeared.
By the time Terico got back to the tent, he found a large gathering of civilians and a couple city guards in red and black uniforms looking over the scene. There was no sign of Areo or Febraz, however. People yelled foul comments regarding vampires, and others asked in worried voices about what the commotion was about—and what the danger entailed.
Areo must have ran off with Febraz. Terico turned away from the scene before he would get pulled into a long investigation. His mind filled with morbid images.
Febraz is dead. He is dead because of me.
Turan is a Brotherhood member. He wants me to suffer.
Areo is now hiding somewhere with the corpse of her father. The very day she gained the Rite Nexi... and this is how she is reunited with Febraz...
Questions erupted in Terico’s mind. Why did Turan kill Febraz? Why was Turan a Brotherhood fighter? Was he already experimented on by Augurc? What did that man do to Turan’s mind?
Augurc and Delkol Shire. Two heartless brothers, both doing everything they could to destroy everything in Terico’s life.
Why was this happening? When would it ever stop?
Terico gripped the hilt of his sword a bit tighter.
It will all end when they’re dead. Delkol must die. Augurc must die. The Brotherhood must die. This constant bloodshed and agony... It has to end.
In any way possible, I have to end it!
Terico eventually found Areo at the end of a dark alley, hiding behind a pile of rotten firewood. She had her teeth clamped in Febraz’s neck, and tears trickled down her face. The deep wound in her stomach was healed, but she otherwise looked in a miserable state.
Upon seeing Terico, she let go of Febraz’s neck and wiped the blood from her mouth. She let her dead father drape across her lap and looked up at Terico with exhausted, bloodshot eyes.
They stared at each other for a few seconds.
“I’m sorry, Areo,” Terico said. He couldn’t think of anything more to say. Nothing he could say would make anything better.
“I wanted...” Areo began, but she had to wait a bit before continuing. “I wanted to be with him again... in the sunlight.”
Terico couldn’t imagine how long Areo had been waiting for this day. Putting all her effort into passing the Rite, all so she could return to the world outside of the vampiric city. To visit with her father again, without having to worry about harm befalling Febraz in Istal. And now everything she had worked so hard for was taken from her. In an instant. Without any warning.
“My parents were taken away from me by the Brotherhood as well,” Terico said. “It was also... very sudden.”
Areo wiped her eyes and shut them tight. “My father... Febraz was the only one who was there for me. When I was all alone, just a little child... He gave me something to live for.”
Terico nodded and sat down beside Areo. “Keep living for him. That’s all we can do for our parents. They... tend to place the lives of their children above their own.”
As Terico’s thoughts turned to his parents, he imagined Areo reflecting on all the time she spent with her father. Clearly there wasn’t a perfect relationship between Febraz and Areo, but there was still a strong bond between them, stronger than a simple tie by blood.
Somehow Terico had to keep moving on. Areo was in the same boat as him now, so he hoped he would find a way to help her move on as well.
That night they buried Febraz in a secluded grove outside of Merze. Overcome by exhaustion, Terico fell asleep beneath the trees, and didn’t wake up until it was well past sunrise. He presumed Areo got some sleep as well at some point, since she looked a little better off than she did yesterday.
“Are you going to be okay?” Terico asked as they headed back to the city.
“I... don’t know,” Areo said. “I don’t know what to do now.”
They returned to the marketplace in silence for the most part. Terico just needed to buy some shoes, having lost his in Febraz’s tent. After selling his black Nexi stone to a merchant, Febraz bought some strapped leather shoes and some food for the trip to Edellerston. Terico hoped to find Jujor at the old man’s underground hideaway, but was prepared to go back down to Emoser Helena if necessary. Hopefully Jujor was still alive, and hopefully he still had the Elpis fragment.
It was a lot to hope for, but Terico was still certain there was more to Jujor than met the eye.
Terico and Areo headed back to the ruins of Edellerston. It was a tiring, gloomy journey, and there wasn’t much Terico was able to do for Areo on the way there. He explained his situation with the Elpis, and how he intended to bring down Delkol and his Brotherhood. Areo said her mentor strongly discouraged acting out in revenge, but still accompanied Terico regardless. She just needed someone to be with, Terico imagined, but he didn’t mind. It was the least he could do, considering how it was his fault for her father’s death, to some degree.
Why Turan killed Febra
z was difficult to understand. It was clear Turan simply wanted Terico to suffer, and the best way to do that was apparently by killing everyone Terico knew. There weren’t many people left who Terico knew though, considering how his home village was wiped out.
But what am I supposed to do now? Terico wondered. Turan’s mind has been ruined by Augurc somehow. Is there any way to save him?
Knowing that Lynx was Turan, Terico had to decide how he would act if they ever met again. Would Terico be willing to fight his best friend? Was there a way he could reach out to Turan? And what if Areo is still with him? Would she lash out for revenge? She said it was best for her to never seek revenge, but would she actually follow her mentor’s advice in that regard? How could you live, knowing the murderer of your loved one was still alive and well? What if Areo did decide to have her deserved revenge? What if Areo killed Turan?
What if I kill Turan? Terico thought. Could I ever do that? Could I ever live with myself, having killed my best friend?
Terico gritted his teeth and balled his hands into fists. The fact that I’m even considering this is wrong. I have to save Turan somehow. Perhaps I can use the Elpis to heal him.
It wasn’t wise to count on the mysterious Elpis for so much, but Terico couldn’t think of any better ideas at the moment. It gave him something to work toward, at the very least. One day he would kill Delkol, and at last he would be free from the pain in his heart.
I don’t know what you’ll do in the end, Areo, Terico thought. I’ll help you however I can, though.
A couple days passed before Terico and Areo reached the remains of Edellerston. The journey was uneventful, but Terico was able to hold a bit more conversation with Areo as they worked through the white tree forest. He learned a bit more about life in Istal and some of the difficulties Areo faced as an “unofficial” vampire.
She shared a couple stories about some of the things she did with Jenba when they weren’t training, such as the card games they would play, and the penalties they would dish out to one another upon losing. One time Jenba buried Areo a few meters underground for a week, and one time Areo made Jenba swim naked to the bottom of an icy lake. Terico thought this was all rather cruel, especially for siblings—but apparently they made it through these punishments unscathed, and even enjoyed them in some strange way.
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