PLEASE READ MY SOMEWHAT LONG AUTHORS NOTE

I’m a bit late, but…

Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, merry Kwanza, happy holidays, happy new years, and merry winter break!

There, I think that should cover all the bases.

I’m so sorry it’s been so long. It’s been exactly two months since my last update. November was NaNoWriMo, which took up a good deal of time (although I suppose I actually wrote all 50,000 words in about a week’s worth of days. I was cranking out 10,000 words a day for a while there, and I ended up reaching my goal on the very last day. I can’t recall what I did during the rest of November. I’m sure reading fanfiction was involved, as well as playing Phoenix Wright 3 and 2, as well as playing Phantom Brave. School was a distraction too). As for December, school really helped to effectively kill the moth. Two final projects that both required research, and then three final tests. It was not at all fun. Work was the other killer of everything fun, but thankfully we finally have a full staff again, so I won’t have to work so much anymore. Yay!

But anyway, I can’t guarantee any sort of natural updating schedule. My motivation comes and goes, it seems. If you guys really want me to try, we’ll have to decide on something together. I’m willing to conform if enough people really want me to.

Thank you for the reviews. I really like reviews (though I suppose that’s obvious). I hope this chapter has a good turnout seeing as how it took me forever to write it. This is one of the longest chapter, clocking in at twenty-one and a half pages and over 13,000 words. How do you like that? This is my holiday present to all of you.

Okay, this chapter is a little different, so let me explain. At first glance, it may not seem relatively important to the overall story, but there’s quite a bit of information. This chapter basically has some of those wonderful moments where Matt proves he’s somewhat incompetent, some very light and not too obvious foreshadowing, some stuff about Salel, a lot of introspective angsty stuff, a somewhat gory scene (the first of many to come, sadly), and for all you Lith and Salel fans, they have a moment as well. I think that about covers it. This chapter is a bit different from what I’m used to, but I think it sets the overall mood for what’s to come on the western continent. I just hope it’s written better than I think it is.

Also, in accompaniment to this update, I’m also going to post the first chapter of the story I worked on for NaNo. If you have the time, please take a look (it’ll go up sometime later tonight or early tomorrow).

For mindset, I was listening to the song “Feel It Now” by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (I heard the song on the first season of Bones and absolutely loved it). It’s racked up 707 plays on my iTunes playlist. I just think it really fits the last half of this chapter.

Without any further adieu, onward! I hope you enjoy the chapter!

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CHAPTER 71
All That’s Left Behind

The port city of Kyris: one of the largest cities on the western continent and the most popular place to get on and off a ship. The dock was huge and was lined with boats, big and small. Some were used solely for fishing while others were meant to cross the ocean as passenger or cargo ships. They all had a purpose, and each one was built expertly. The captains of the ships were all out, inspecting their vessels. That sight was the first one seen by the people on board the Madina as it pulled into the port. The ship came to a stop and a plank was set up so that the passengers could get off. After a long trip across the ocean, they had finally reached their destination.

The crew made it off the ship first, followed by the captain. The old man glanced back and saw that his five passengers were right behind him. He couldn’t help but smile at the sight of them. They looked completely drained, and yet they trudged along as if nothing were wrong, as if they hadn’t just been through a storm unlike any the sea had ever seen. They didn’t look at all like they had almost lost their lives while sailing across the ocean. For the most part, they weren’t even that soaked despite the rain that had poured down on them. The captain had to admit that he was impressed. He hadn’t thought they had it in them.

Once they were all safely on the dock, the old man turned to them, smiling.

“Welcome to Kyris,” he said. “Probably one of the biggest cities you’ll ever see here on the western continent.”

“Thanks for getting us here,” said Matt, brushing his wet hair out of his eyes.

“Might not’ve made it if it hadn’t been for you, boy. I certainly’ll have quite the story to tell my fellow sailors.” He placed his hands behind his back, relaxing a little as his smile fell. He took in the young people before him, a question on his mind. “So where do you plan on goin’ from here?”

“We don’t really know,” said Sarah. “We don’t actually have a plan.”

“We’ll come up with something,” said Matt. “We’ll probably just go from town to town until we find a lead.”

“Sounds like it’ll be a tough job, but I’m sure you kids can handle it. Oh, and don’t worry about how long it’ll take. Me and my crew’ll wait here for you lot.”

“You mean,” began Lith, “you’re just going to wait here for us?”

“Of course. My ship is on service to the Celentis family. Always has been. Even if it takes you half a year, we’ll still be here waitin’ for you.”

“Thank you,” said Matt, bowing a bit. A slight smirk crossed his face when he met the captain’s smile. “We’ll try to be back before then.”

“You just focus on taking care of your own business. I hope to hear a story of success when you all return.”

“You can count on it.”

“I’m gonna hold you to your word, boy.” The old man turned around and began to walk back up the docking plank. “I’ll see you all when you get back. Take care.”

“We will.”

“Thanks for everything,” said Sarah as the five of them turned and began to walk across the dock, heading into the city. When they set foot onto the streets, they all stopped once again, knowing that they had to decide where to go from there. The day was already half over, so continuing forward wouldn’t help them much. However, at the same time they couldn’t really waste a moment. Their enemies were undoubtedly a few steps ahead already. Still though, they would most likely end up waiting a day before heading out. After all, they were still missing two members of their group.

“So where to now?” asked Salel, looking to Matt for an answer.

“Well…I suppose we can’t really leave Kyris today,” he said while looking up at the sky. “The sun’ll be setting shortly, so it’d be pointless to take off. I guess we should try to get some rooms at an inn and then maybe restock our supplies.”

“We also have to stay here so we can wait for Davin and Kayal,” added Sarah. “They told us they’d meet up with us here.”

“They sure have been gone awhile,” said Lith. “I hope everything went alright.”

“I’m sure they’re fine,” said Matt. “Besides, it’s not like they can die while they’re in heaven.” The sorcerer began to move forward, wanting to get into the city. Not only did they need to find a place to stay for the night, but they also needed to buy enough supplies to last them for a long while. Even if they could estimate how long it would take them to get to the next town, city, or village, their estimations were rarely ever accurate. There was no telling what kind of trouble they’d run into along the way or how many detours they’d end up taking. It was imperative to be prepared, although the shopping could always be saved for the morning as well. It was simply something to help pass the time.

“…Atticus,” began Raetus, causing the sorcerer to stop and glance back at the hybrid. He had almost forgotten he was there since he hadn’t said a word all day. He also hadn’t said much on the ride over either. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll take my leave. I have a lot to accomplish while I’m here.” To emphasize his point, he adjusted the heavy bag he had slung over his shoulder.

“Are you sure?” asked Sarah, seeming a little concerned. “You still don’t look all that well.”

“I appreciate the concern, but now that we’re back on land, I’m feeling much better.”

During the trip on the Madina, Raetus had literally spent the full two weeks confined to his room. The hybrid had suffered from sea sickness and had barely been able to move. He had hidden himself away in the ship’s cabin area, only coming out for the necessities, including forcing food down his throat that he had known probably wouldn’t stay there for long. The man still didn’t look too healthy, although it was hard to tell. His skin was often pale and sickly. That was simply his natural hue.

“I can’t believe that after everything you’ve been through, a ship is what managed to do you in,” said Matt, a hint of amusement playing in his voice.

“We all have our weaknesses, Atticus,” Raetus stated. “It seems the sea is mine. Now if you’ll excuse me, I believe it’s time I took off.”

“If we need to contact you, where should we go?” asked Sarah. The hybrid would most likely be traveling the entire time, so tracking him down would prove difficult, if not impossible.

“Once I’m through with this errand, I intend to visit a village I had heard about.”

“A village?”

“Yes. One consisting entirely of hybrids.”

“Hybrids?” questioned Matt, confused. He glanced back at Salel. “Is there really a village like that?”

“I don’t know,” she said, scowling. “I didn’t even know what a hybrid was until I met you guys. However…there is a small village up north that was established a few years ago. The people there are apparently a little…different in appearance. It was called Licentia, if I remember right.”

“Yes, I believe that was the name. If you need to locate me, that’s where I’ll be once I finish my errand.”

“Alright,” said Matt. “We’ll make sure to come get you before we leave.”

“I hope that’s a promise, Atticus. I don’t wish to be left here.”

“Don’t worry,” said Sarah with a smile. “I won’t let him forget.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” With that said, he turned away from them and began to head off in his own direction. “Take care. I pray that our reunion is a happy one.”

“You take care too, Raetus,” called Sarah as she waved him off. They all stood there and watched as the hybrid walked off down the street and disappeared into the crowd. Now that that departure had been taken care of, they were still left with decisions to make. The first order of business was finding an inn.

“Well Salel,” began Matt, “it’s time for you to prove useful.”

“What?” she said in a rather low, somewhat angry tone. There were so many ways to take that statement. Just what was he implying? Was he trying to say that she had yet to be useful, or was he simply proving once again that he wasn’t always the best with words? Sometimes what he meant to be a good intention turned into an insult all because of the way he worded it. It seemed this was just another one of those times.

“From now on, you’re going to be our guide,” he stated. “You’re the only one here who knows how to get around this continent.”

“What about him?” she asked, pointing to Lith. She wasn’t entirely sure if she liked the idea of acting as a guide. So far their journey had consisted of Matt leading them around. That way he had been responsible for everything that went wrong along the way. That responsibility and the blame that came along with it would fall on her if she chose their destinations and the paths to get there.

“What about me?” asked Lith, seeming the slightest bit nervous.

“He used to live here too,” she continued, completely ignoring his question.

“The key word being ‘used to’,” Matt stated. “Somehow I doubt this continent has stayed the same for the past thousand years. There’s no point in having a guide who doesn’t know his way around the continent.” That statement earned him a slight glare from the dragon, although it went unnoticed. Salel simply snickered a bit at the comment while Sarah only sighed. Matt apparently wasn’t aware of the effect his comments were having. The man was brilliant but at the same time so very incompetent.

“Salel,” began Sarah, earning the slayer’s attention. “Seeing as how this is your home, you’re the logical choice for a guide. You might not like it, but from now on you’re the one who’s going to lead us.”

“Fine,” she sighed before mumbling “it’s not like I really have a choice in the matter.”

“How well do you know this city?” Matt asked as he looked around a bit. He was actually pretty amazed with their surroundings. The buildings were all tall and made of stone, extending into the sky. The streets were full of people, but unlike the main continent’s largest city, Darik, there weren’t many street vendors. Most of the people were actually going into stores instead of spending their time on the merchants. One would expect a lot of business from a port city, but the street stands were getting very little. It was a bit strange to him.

“Well,” she answered shortly. “I’ve been here plenty of times.”

“That’s good since we’ll probably be here for a while. Once we take care of the necessities, you’ll be able to show us around the city.” He gave her a smile, but the slayer was anything but pleased. She clenched her fists tightly at her sides, but instead of verbally lashing out, she simply turned around so that she was facing one of the streets.

“Fine then,” she said, sounding much calmer than she looked. “First things first, I should probably lead you to an inn. I’ll make damn sure it’s the most expensive one I can find.”

“What? Why?” He didn’t like the sound of that. It’s not like he couldn’t afford it, but he wasn’t too fond of being taken advantage of due to his wealth.

“Because I never get to stay in them when I’m here. Consider it the payment for making me act as some two-bit tour guide.” And with that said, she began to walk down the street, her hands still clenched at her sides. Matt was just standing there, somewhat shocked at what had just taken place. He hadn’t expected her to get so mad about it.

“Come on,” said Sarah, trying not to laugh at the expression on her fiancé’s face. “Let’s go before we lose her.” She stole a glance at Lith and saw that he was already making his way down the street, a smile on his face. It seemed like he was doing all he could to keep from laughing at the sorcerer as well. Matt really did have a problem when it came to tact. He was a bit clueless in that sense. The whole exchange had certainly been amusing though. What made it even better was that he had no idea what he had done to make the slayer so mad.

The four of them made their way down the streets in silence, simply taking in everything that was around them. They were surrounded by people and buildings, the structures stretching into the sky. They had never seen normal buildings that were so tall. Castles, sure; mansions, yes, but never just your everyday buildings. These were restaurants, houses, inns, shops, etc. The fact that they were tall was only half of what was so amazing about Kyris. The other was that there were so many. This was by far the largest city they had ever seen. Meril and even Darik paled in comparison. If this was what one of the port cities looked like, they couldn’t wait to see some of the others. The western continent was so much larger than theirs.

Eventually they managed to make their way through the bustling crowds of people and towards a rather large and decorated structure. They watched as Salel stopped and turned to them, a slight smirk on her face. She motioned to the building, looking quite pleased with herself.

“We’ll be staying here,” she stated, looking pointedly at Matt. “And since the rooms are rather expensive, I’ll be nice and only demand that you pay for two, but each one has to have three beds, understand?”

“Why three?”

“Because if Davin and Kayal come back today, I’m sure they’d like a place to sleep too. One room for the girls, another for the guys. It’ll be cheaper for you that way.”

“Just do as she says,” said Sarah, pushing him towards the door. “It’ll be less troublesome.”

Matt only sighed and walked up to the door. When he walked inside, he wasn’t at all surprised to see that everything looked expensive. There were custom made tables produced from what looked like the finest wood, chairs that were cushioned, and a floor that was covered in furry red rugs. Everything had seemingly been shined to perfection, and not even a single potted plant was out of place. The lobby was absolutely beautiful, and they could only assume that the rooms would be as well.

The four of them walked up to the counter where a woman was standing, all prim and proper. She offered them a kind smile.

“Welcome,” she greeted. “How may I help you?”

“I’d like two rooms, three beds apiece,” Matt said somewhat reluctantly, already getting out his money pouch.

“Very well,” she said, getting out two small keys for the rooms. “That’ll be four hundred gold pieces please.”

“Four hundred?” he questioned, his eyes widening a bit. That couldn’t be right.

“Yes, sir. Four hundred.”

Matt turned to look at Salel, a slight glare on his face.

“You made it sound like this was going to be ridiculously expensive,” he said accusingly. The slayer just scowled and crossed her arms over her chest. For some reason that statement just really seemed to piss her off. She could feel herself getting angry at the sorcerer. Even if he hadn’t meant it like that, those words were an insult to anyone who could hear them.

“It is for normal people,” she stated haughtily. “Though I suppose for someone like you, that’s just pocket change.”

“Um, sir?” said the woman at the counter, waiting for the money she was supposed to be receiving. Matt turned away from Salel and back to the girl. He reached into his pouch and pulled out a small red stone, setting it down casually on the desk.

“I assume this is enough?” he said, wanting to make sure. The exchange rate for a ruby was exactly four hundred gold pieces, but this was the western continent. He had to make sure things were the same there as they were on the main continent.

“Y-yes, that should cover it,” said the woman, her eyes a bit wide at what was before her. She handed over the two keys and carefully picked up the red stone, examining it closely. “You’re the first person, sir, to ever pay with a ruby.”

“I’m sorry if that’s an inconvenience, but they’re about all I have,” he said as he took the two keys and put his money pouch away. He simply smiled at the girl, not fully realizing what he had just said. She was watching him with wide eyes. Very few people were rich enough to carry around rubies. To claim that that bag of his contained mostly those fine red stones meant that he was incredibly rich, but just the way he had said it made it seem so casual. It was as if his wealth was only natural. She had half a mind to ask just who he was, but before she could say anything else, the four of them were already on their way out of the inn.

Once outside again, Matt turned to face Salel once more. This time Lith and Sarah did the same thing, all eyes falling on the slayer. She simply glared at them the same way she always did. Her hazel eyes were narrow and questioning, even though she probably had a good idea as to what they were getting at.

“Well?” she asked, wanting an explanation. “Why are you all staring at me?”

“You’re our guide,” said Matt. “Guide us.”

“What?”

“Until Davin and Kayal come back, there isn’t much we can really do. We should probably hold off on buying the supplies. It’d be better to do it right before we leave. However, this leaves us with nothing to do, so how about showing us around?”

“I’m not a tour guide.”

“Then how about just finding something interesting for us to do,” offered Sarah. “Is there a library or a museum, or anything else that could pass the time?”

The slayer didn’t say anything at first, although she did appear to be considering the suggestion. She put on a thoughtful look, her arms still crossed. Just like that though, her head snapped up. There was a rather confident but at the same time apprehensive look on her face. Obviously she had thought of something but was a bit worried about it. For someone who claimed to not want to be treated like a tour guide, she certainly was putting some effort into it.

“There’s an art gallery,” she offered. “Would that work?”

“An art gallery?” asked Matt.

“Yeah, over there.” She turned and pointed to the right, and the three of them followed with their eyes. What they saw was a building that was a bit taller than the rest and made from very fine, polished stone. It was a beautifully crafted building with windows and a large balcony in the middle. Overall it stood at about six floors. For such a tall structure, it certainly appeared stable. It wasn’t too wide or too thin, and even though it was obviously designed to appeal to the senses, it still seemed expertly built.

Actually, the entire city of Kyris seemed well built yet aesthetic. The colors were bright and the buildings were beautifully created, and yet everything seemed sturdy. Nothing was falling down or crumbling. There weren’t any ruined buildings, and yet everything seemed to be pretty old. The city was magnificent, much the way some of the had-been cities on the main continent had once looked. Vigil had been very much like Kyris before it had been torched to the ground, although most of the houses had been built from wood instead of stone. Still, it wouldn’t have helped any. Reivin’s fire could have burned away anything.

“That should work,” said Sarah with a smile. “I’ve never actually visited an art gallery. There aren’t many on the main continent.”

“Well, this one isn’t all that special, but it’s nice to look through,” said Salel as she turned and began walking off towards the building. She glanced back to make sure that they were all following her, which they were. “It was built in honor of only one artist, so his work is all that’s displayed.”

“Who is it?” asked Matt.

“Zen. Zen Gashu.”

The minute that name left her lips, Lith stopped walking, his eyes widening a bit. He simply stood there and lowered his head. It didn’t take the rest of them very long to notice that he wasn’t there. They stopped and turned towards him, confused as to why he had suddenly dropped back. He was just standing there with a downcast expression, his blue eyes looking almost haunted. It was hard to tell exactly what was wrong, but it seemed like he was worried. His face had grown a bit pale.

“Lith?” questioned Sarah, getting his attention. Apparently he had managed to get whatever emotions he was dealing with under control, because when he raised his head, everything was back to normal. He still looked slightly troubled, but he hid it away rather well. “Is something wrong?”

“No,” he said softly. “It’s nothing. Never mind.” He simply shoved his hands into his pockets and began walking again. Without a word, the rest of them followed suit, letting Salel lead them down the streets and past the other buildings. They pushed their way through the crowds of people and managed to escape from the desperate street venders, and in the end they were able to reach their destination. Standing proudly before them was the art gallery. There were a few stairs that led up to the building’s wide entrance and the rather spacious first floor.

The four of them walked right in, and all of them (minus Salel) were shocked at what was before them. The gallery was beautiful outside but even more so inside. The floor was tiled and polished to the point where they could see their reflections. There were also patches of red carpet in certain areas. The first floor was very much like a lobby that one would find at an expensive inn. There was an area to sit, bookshelves filled with books to read, and a few paintings hanging on the walls. Each one had the same name under it: Zen Gashu.

“Greetings,” said a woman as she walked up to them. She was dressed rather properly, and upon closer inspection, many of the other men and women in the building were dressed in a similar fashion. They all wore tan colored robes with a black trim. There was a smile on the woman’s face, her long hair pulled back in a ponytail. “Welcome to Zen Gashu’s art gallery. All floors are open today, so please feel free to go wherever you like within the building. I hope you enjoy your time here.” She bowed once and then walked away to go and speak to one of her fellow employees.

“Let’s go,” said Salel. “There’s nothing much to look at on the first floor.” She began walking, and so they all followed, heading towards the stairway. They made their way to the second floor, and once they set foot into the actual gallery, they were left speechless. Never had they seen anything like it. They were literally surrounded by paintings. There were multiple pictures on every wall, almost to the point where none of the white stone was visible. Every inch was being taken up by pictures, each one with a title, the name of the artist, and then a brief description. There was art all around them, and it was almost overwhelming trying to take it all in.

“Unbelievable,” said Sarah as she walked through the gallery, glancing in every direction. “Were all of these really done by the same man?”

“Yeah,” said Salel as she walked over to one picture that depicted the ocean. “They say that Mr. Gashu could paint anything. He didn’t have any particular type he liked. A lot of them are landscapes, but there’s a bunch of still life and portraits too. There’s even a bit of abstract art. This floor only contains his landscapes though.” She turned away from the painting and found three sets of eyes glued to her, all watching in what appeared to be an honest astonishment. In some ways it was a bit unnerving. She couldn’t fight the urge to shoot them all a glare. “What?”

“Nothing,” said Matt, still seeming a bit amazed. “I just never thought you’d be into all this art stuff. I guess there’s actually something else you like in the world besides fighting.”

They all watched in fascination as Salel’s face turned slightly red, but she quickly turned around and began walking off. The three of them just stood there, confused. As far as they knew, that was the first time they had ever seen the girl blush even slightly. Whether it had been out of embarrassment or anger, they weren’t sure, but she had definitely been blushing. Was she perhaps self-conscious about the fact that she seemed to like art? For a fighter like Salel, perhaps it was hard to admit liking something that only had an aesthetic purpose.

That or maybe she was just angry with all of them.

They continued to walk throughout the second floor, taking everything in. Like the slayer had said, most of the paintings in the room were of landscapes. There were pictures of the ocean, of fields, mountains, sunsets, and basically any type of scenery one could imagine. The painter had to have traveled all over to be able to paint such a variety of pictures. Some of the settings were even familiar. There were a few paintings of towns and cities mixed in with the landscapes. One of them was of Darik, back when the city wasn’t quite as big. Another was of the castle in Meril before the town had been built around it. They were easily able to recognize the structure and the tall mountain behind it.

All of his paintings were very accurate, but at the same time they were all very old. A lot had changed from the time when most of his art had been painted. That little detail was one of the only ones not noted anywhere. No one had put up any information on when the pictures had been painted. Perhaps no one knew the exact dates. However, judging by some of the pictures, they were at least a thousand years old, some quite faded with time. Most had been kept in wonderful condition, and others had simply been spruced up a bit. However, the style in every picture was the same, which was proof enough that they had been made by the same person. None had been fabricated.

Once making it through the second floor, they ascending to the third and were once again bombarded by images, these ones all of villages, towns, and cities. There were a lot of familiar and yet unfamiliar sights. There were more pictures of Darik and Meril, and there were even some of the city they were visiting, although back then it hadn’t been nearly so grand. There were even a few of Vigil and the once proud mansion of the Celentis family. It seemed like there were paintings of every human dwelling on Daiya. The artist had certainly done a lot of traveling.

“He must have painted these a long time ago,” mused Sarah as she walked through the room.

“He did,” said Salel. “Mr. Gashu existed over a thousand years ago. All his paintings are from then, although some of them were restored recently.”

“So then all these paintings are over a thousand years old?” asked Matt, amazed at how well kept the pictures were. They looked like they had been painted perhaps a couple hundred years ago, not a thousand. Certainly some had been restored but others were untouched.

“Yeah,” the slayer responded. “They don’t look it, but everything here is an original. He used to be really famous back when he painted these, and so everything he made was taken good care of. When he passed away, a gallery was built for his paintings, and then about a hundred years ago, this place was built and everything was moved to Kyris. Mr. Gashu is still really famous on the western continent, so it only seemed natural to build a place like this.”

The slayer turned around and continued to the other end of the room before stopping.

“Come on,” she said as she made her way to the next staircase. “There’s still three more floors.”

They walked up the next flight of stairs and found themselves in a very spacious and un-crowded room. Every floor they had been to so far had been crammed full of pictures, but this one was quite different. The walls were practically empty, and there was also a large doorway in the middle of one of them. It led to a balcony outside where people could stand and view the city. The sight was probably breathtaking.

“So what’s this room for?” asked Lith, earning him everyone’s attention. The dragon had been rather silent since they had entered the building. He hadn’t asked a single question or made a single comment, although that wasn’t entirely unusual for him. He was often quiet, but what was odd was that his voice had a little bit of apprehension in it. It was almost as if he were waiting for a weight to fall off his shoulders, but they hadn’t even been aware that he was carrying one.

“It’s been reserved for Mr. Gashu’s favorite works,” said Salel. “Some of his paintings he valued over the rest, and so they were given their own floor in the gallery. Most of them are of people, but most aren’t the originals. Apparently he repainted all the ones he really liked so that they were larger than the rest. No one really knows what happened to the original versions.”

The slayer began to guide them through the room, moving between the large walls that had been set up. Each piece was in its own location against the back wall, surrounded on both sides so that the paintings were on their own, displayed individually. The first one they came upon was of a wealthy woman, the next a large snake demon. The third one, however, was a familiar sight. It was a picture of a man decked in pure white robes with silver hair that fell to his shoulders. His eyes were a vibrant blue, and looking into them almost felt like peering into an ocean.

“Isn’t that Xystus?” asked Sarah while Matt went over to the picture and bent down a bit to read the description below it.

“It says here that this is the ‘dragon king,’ so I guess it would have to be Xystus,” he stated. “It also says ‘I had the pleasure of meeting the king of dragons during a visit to the Argon Valley. One of the kindest leaders I’ve ever met’.”

“This guy really did travel everywhere,” she said, impressed. “He really accomplished a lot in his life. It’s hard to believe he was able to paint all of these.”

They walked a little further and saw a few more pictures—some demons and humans—before another picture really caught their attention. It was of a man standing in a forest, which wasn’t odd in-and-of itself, but the features of the man were anything but normal. His attire was simple, consisting of a tan scarf, a blood-red shirt with long sleeves that seemed two sizes too big, and a pair of black pants accompanied by brown boots. His hands couldn’t be seen due to the long sleeves of his shirt, but a small portion was visible, and it showed that he was wearing gloves of some kind. What was truly strange about him though wasn’t his clothing or the simple way he was standing, but the features of his face.

He had pale skin, dark violet hair—almost black—that hung to his mid back in a single braid, and one yellow eye. The other was hidden behind his bangs.

“A demi-god,” said Matt softly as he stared at the picture, glaring slightly. He really wasn’t a fan of the creatures. He paid no attention to the caption beneath the painting, and so Sarah took it upon herself to read it this time.

“It’s called ‘Savior.’ It says ‘A man I met while traveling through the west. He saved my life and taught me a few things while I stayed with him. He said his name was Ko, short for Torinokros, the one left behind’.”

“Well, if he is a demi-god, then at least he’s a decent one,” noted Salel. “Most demi-gods don’t go around helping people, that’s for sure. Besides…even though he looks like a demi-god, there’s something a bit different about him.”

The four of them took a good long look at the picture, and sure enough there did seem to be something a little off about the man. He looked to be about he same age as the other demi-gods, and all the features matched, but there was a soft smile on his face and depth to his eyes that was unrivalled. One of the biggest accomplishments for an artist was to portray everything as if it had life, and the man staring back at them had a certain atmosphere about him. He didn’t look cruel or devious but peaceful and reserved—a very quiet and perhaps even wise person.

“Well,” began Matt, “even if there is something different about him, a demi-god is a demi-god. I have yet to meet one I can trust.” And with that stated, he began to walk off further into the room, and the rest of them followed. Once again they passed by a few pictures that were good but didn’t really catch their attention like the others. There was still a lot left to the room, so they had quite a few more pictures to get through, but about halfway through, they stopped again. Before them was a picture that they knew they had seen before, only this one was the actual painting, not a smaller version that someone had copied and drawn into a book.

It was the picture of a white dragon that Geoff had found in one of his books. It was the painting that had allowed them to learn just how old their dragon companion was. It was that very painting that had eventually allowed them to find out just who their friend had once been.

“You know…” began Sarah as she studied the picture a bit more. The dragon in it had long light blond hair and dark blue eyes, dressed in the traditional robes that all dragons wore. The scene had been painted at night, the colors all darkened for the nighttime effect. “…Even though we decided that this wasn’t you, there really is a resemblance.” She glanced back at Lith and saw that he was also looking at the picture, a somewhat sad and uncomfortable look on his face. “Lith?”

“What?” he asked, jumping slightly as he was knocked from his trance.

“Is everything alright? You’ve been really quiet this whole time.”

“I’m fine,” he told her, lowering his head so that he was staring at the floor. Despite his answer, he seemed nervous…and ashamed.

“Here we go,” said Matt as he managed to locate the title of the painting and the description that went along with it. “It’s called ‘Karma.’ It says ‘I must have done something right in my life or I must have suffered a great deal of hardships, because at the moment this was painted, I truly felt the strings of karma pulling at me. I, Zen Gashu, am the only human being to ever survive an encounter with…”

Matt stopped reading and just stood there for a moment, his eyes wide. He slowly turned towards Lith, but the dragon wasn’t paying any attention. He had only lowered his head further, looking away from the three of them as they stood there, watching him.

“‘…the berserker of the western continent’.”

“You mean,” began Salel, glancing from Lith to the large picture before them, “this is actually you?”

“Lith?” said Sarah softly. “You’ve known all along, haven’t you. You didn’t say anything back in Meril, but you knew that this was a painting of you, and you even knew the artist. That’s why you’ve been acting so strangely. Why didn’t you…?”

“I should go,” he said suddenly, still not willing to face them. The dragon looked so sad all of a sudden…vulnerable, even. He obviously didn’t want to address this discovery or the meaning behind it. “I should leave before someone who works here recognizes me. Enjoy the rest of the gallery. I’ll wait for you outside, alright?” He didn’t even leave them a chance to respond. Instead he ran right to the balcony, spread his wings, and took off.

Sarah, Matt, and Salel simply stood there for a while, not really knowing what to do. Even though he had told them to continue with their sightseeing, they had to wonder if it was really alright to just leave him like that. Lith wasn’t very good at dealing with his problems. He always buried them so that instead of being resolved, they’d just keep growing until they overwhelmed him. He really hadn’t offered them anything about the circumstances of the picture that had caused all this, leaving them to try and draw their own conclusions. It seemed he never offered anything about what had happened while he was a berserker.

“Do you think if we were to ask later, he might explain what happened?” asked Sarah, looking to Matt for an answer. The sorcerer just sighed, shook his head, and began walking through the room again.

“I doubt it. He’s never told us anything. The only reason we know who he is is because Davin went behind his back and told us, and even he didn’t know much about it. I don’t think he’ll ever tell us himself. I doubt there’s anyone who knows what happened to him.”

“I’m sure he’ll talk about it eventually. We just need to give him time. It can’t possibly be easy for him, and I doubt it’ll be easy to hear it either.”

“What I’d like to know is how it happened. What could possibly make him so angry that he’d lose himself like that and stay lost for over a thousand years? He’s pretty passive, so what could have triggered rage like that?”

You’re wrong. Those were the words echoing in Salel’s mind as she listened to Matt and Sarah converse. The questions they were asking, the subject they were talking about…they were wrong on all accounts. It wasn’t rage. It was pain. It was the rush of painful emotions that came from losing someone important. It was pain so great he ended up drowning in it.

She knew exactly what had happened. She had all the answers they were looking for, but she couldn’t say anything. She wasn’t supposed to know, and she owed it to the dragon to keep her mouth shut, because he didn’t want them to find out the truth. The pain she had caused him that night from drawing out his story was something she deserved to pay for. She had meant to hurt him, but not even a worthless dragon like him deserved to suffer so greatly. He probably would have been in less pain had she simply gone over and stabbed him with her kirosu instead.

Because of that night, she knew something that no one else knew about the dragon. She was the only one who understood the circumstances. For some reason, he had chosen to confide in her, and she had an obligation to keep it confidential. No matter what, she wouldn’t repeat what she had heard. It would take a lot to get her to spill even a piece of his story. All of them had parts of their lives that were best left in the past, and there were just some stories that weren’t meant to be told.

And so as Sarah and Matt continued their discussion about the white dragon waiting down below—no matter how badly she wanted to tell them that they were wrong—she could do nothing but listen…and remain silent.

---

The streets of Kyris were still just as busy as they had been earlier in the day. Even though the sun was setting, painting the sky in bright hues, everyone was still going about their business, trying to get those last few things accomplished before the light died out. A good majority of those people were travelers but there were also a few locals that were just trying to buy food or pick up other necessary supplies. It had to be hard for them to combat day in and day out with the hundreds of tourists and other travelers that continuously came and went. It was amazing that there were enough resources in the city to supply them all with what they needed.

Standing outside of the art gallery, Lith simply watched the people that passed him by, musing through his thoughts. He was doing what he could to keep them simple, trying to focus on what was in front of him, but the more he watched everyone going about their routines and carrying on their mundane tasks, the more lost in thought he became. He found it difficult to focus on anything other than what had occurred in the building he was leaning against. He had known there was a possibility that they’d come across that picture upon entering it, but he had gone in anyway. He was just thankful that no one had recognized him. That would have posed a problem and would have placed his companions in an awkward situation. The last thing he wanted was to cause them any trouble.

That painting was just one more piece of his past that he wanted to erase, but it was something that would never leave him alone. Just like every other memory he had about his time as a berserker, that one was also crystal clear. He could practically hear the painter’s voice echoing in his head. He was ashamed of that encounter just like he was ashamed of everything he had done back then. Would he ever be able to escape it? He hadn’t even been on the western continent for half a day and he was already being bombarded by memories he wanted to forget. He was certain that things would only get worse the further along they went. The question was…would he be able to handle it?

“…Lith!”

The dragon’s head shot up at the sound of his name, and he turned in the direction it came from. A small smile crossed his face when he saw two familiar faces. Making their way through the crowded streets were none other than Davin and Kayal. Both of them returned his smile, looking pretty relieved to have found a member of their group.

“Finally,” said Davin, heaving a sigh. “We’ve been looking all over for you guys. I was starting to worry that you’d already taken off.”

“No,” said Lith. “We got here not that long ago. Your timing was perfect.”

“That’s a relief,” said Kayal. “Our task took us a lot longer than we thought it would.”

“So where is everyone?” The half-breed looked around a bit, but he couldn’t see hide or hair of their other companions.

“Inside,” said Lith, motioning to the building behind him. “We already rented some rooms at an inn, so Matt wanted to kill some time by sightseeing. Salel ended up bringing us here.”

“What is this place?”

“It’s an art gallery for the artist Zen Gashu.”

“So then why aren’t you inside?”

Lith simply sighed. He had known that question would come up, and he wasn’t quite sure how to answer it.

“I…”

Before he could say anymore, the door to the gallery opened, and Matt, Sarah, and Salel walked out, all looking a bit tired in their own ways. Davin and Kayal just smiled when they saw them.

“Hey,” the half-breed greeted cheerfully, catching their attention. He watched as both Matt and Sarah perked up and ran over. Salel simply walked at her usual pace, although her expression had lightened a bit.

“Davin, Kayal, welcome back,” greeted Sarah. “I trust your trip went well?”

“Yep. We had no trouble getting there.”

“How did your errand go?” asked Matt.

“Fine,” said Kayal. “We were able to force the spirits back beyond the barrier, thanks to Retharl.”

“So what was the cause? Was there anything really significant about it like you thought?”

Kayal swallowed a bit hard and glanced over at Davin. The half-breed met her stare, and a silent message passed between them. Before returning, they had had a long discussion about what they would do after getting back. They had known that they’d be asked about the mission and about the circumstances, and so they had decided on what could be mentioned and what shouldn’t be. They had both agreed not to mention anything about their encounter with Reivin. They wouldn’t repeat a word of what he had said unless they had to.

For the Devil’s Advocate, the topic of Reivin was a difficult one. Just mentioning that name would put him in a somber mood. If they were to tell him that the demi-god had appeared in heaven to relay a message of impending doom, the sorcerer would just become even more depressed. There was so much weight on his shoulders. He had so much to deal with, and even though he tried so hard not to let it show, it was rather easy to see. His life would decide the fate of Daiya. There was so much for him to worry about that they couldn’t bring themselves to throw him any more problems. They would hold onto this one. It would be their burden to carry. They would accept Reivin’s message and the weight that came with it. From now on, they would try to spare their friend from any more unnecessary burdens.

“No,” said Kayal as naturally as she could. She really wasn’t used to lying, even if it was for a good cause. “Some of the spirits simply got together and broke through, which ended up releasing some of the others as well. Retharl said he’d make sure to set up a stronger barrier this time so that it doesn’t happen again.”

“That’s good,” he sighed. “I’m glad it was nothing too serious.” Davin and Kayal said nothing to that. They couldn’t risk giving away the truth behind their crafted lie.

“Let’s head back,” suggested Salel seeing as how the conversation had fallen away. “It’ll be dark soon.”

“Alright.” Matt turned around to face the street. “Let’s go. I’m pretty sure I remember where the inn is.”

He only managed to take one step before a voice stopped him.

“Wrong way,” said Salel, a slight smirk on her face. The sorcerer simply turned and glared at her as she tried to stifle a snicker. “This city is big, so you should probably follow the lead of your tour guide so you don’t get lost. I have no desire to go searching for you later.”

The slayer turned and began walking in the right direction, followed in short by everyone else. Matt, muttering to himself, brought up the rear. He really wasn’t used to this. Never before had he been led around like this, but Kyris really was a large city, one where a tourist could easily get lost. He was an experienced traveler, but he was also used to the places he normally visited. The western continent was completely new territory for him, and he was quickly realizing of how little use his directional skills would be here. He had no idea where anything was. If he went off alone, he would surely end up lost.

For the first time, he was being led. From now on they would be relying on the slayer to get them from one place to another as quickly and efficiently as possible. All of them were at the mercy of the twenty-year-old dragon slaying prodigy, Salel Winters.

---

Blood.

There was blood everywhere. The scent of it hung heavy in the air, saturating it. For as far as the eye could see, all there was was an ocean of crimson. The ground was covered in it. There wasn’t even a single patch of grass left untouched by the red liquid. The dirt had soaked in as much as it could, but there was too much for it to absorb, and so it simply collected into one large puddle that spanned miles in every direction.

Accompanying that ocean was also a sea of corpses. There were humans, demons, dragons, and even a few animals. All of them were bathed in blood, and it continued to leak from their battered, dismembered bodies. Not a single one had been left in tact. There was no chance of any of them surviving through the attack that had taken their lives, and with that came a deafening silence that enveloped the spattered field. There was no sound from someone sobbing over the death of a loved one or from the pain of their wounds. There wasn’t the desperate gasping for air or the cries for help. There was no twitching or grass rustling; there was only nothing. Silence and the smell of iron were the only things that resounded across the field.

At the very center of the destruction stood one lone man. His feet were planted firmly on the ground, his boots covered in blood as he stood in a puddle of it. He was the last one left standing, but the look on his face suggested that he would have rather been one of the corpses lying at his feet. His blue eyes were wide and filled with an unspeakable horror, mixed with pain and disbelief…and self-loathing. His lip trembled as he took in the sight around him, tears streaming silently down his cheeks.

Slowly he raised his arms and looked down at his hands. They were covered in blood. Not a single spot of pale skin could be seen, and his skin was indeed pale. However, all he could see was red. Everything was red. His pure white robes were soaked with crimson, and it ran down his arms and dripped from his hands. His ashen blond hair was dotted with red, hanging down in streams since it had long since fallen from its holder. Every inch of him had been splattered with blood, and the very sight of it was making him sick.

His blood-covered hands came up to his face, and soon he was gripping his head as the pain came like a flood. Images washed through his mind, voices and screams filled his ears, and the smell of smoke, blood, and burning flesh stung at his nose. All of his senses were being overwhelmed, but what made it worse was that it wasn’t just something he had witnessed.

It was something he had caused.

Everything was so vivid and it came so fast that all he could do was stand there and stare blankly at what was before him. He tried to register it but he couldn’t. His eyes wouldn’t focus. All he could see was red, the color he was soaked in. He knew exactly why it was there. He knew exactly how it had happened.

That blood wasn’t his.

It belonged to the ocean surrounding him.

It had come from his sea of corpses.

---

Lith’s eyes snapped open and he shot up in his bed. For a moment he was unable to breath and his eyes could see nothing that was before them, but eventually his vision brought him back into a dark room and air began to enter his lungs at a rapid pace. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest with every fiber of his being, and it was beating so rapidly that he thought it might burst. He could barely inhale enough oxygen to keep it working properly, much less keep it pulsing at such a fast pace. He was gasping for air, and yet his labored breathing came silently. He barely made any noise as he tried to recover from such a rude awakening.

Once his body was under control, he found himself just staring at the far wall of the room. Everything around him was dark and silent. He noted half-heartedly that his companions hadn’t woken up, which he was thankful for. The two of them needed their rest. He didn’t need to be responsible for waking them at such an unreasonable hour. Besides, if they had been awoken, they would have instantly started to question him. The last thing he wanted was for his friends to start prying.

It didn’t take long for him to realize that even if he were to lie down and try to go back to sleep, he wouldn’t be able to. Something told him that sleep wouldn’t come for him again, and so without a sound he pushed the covers down and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He didn’t even bother to pick up his discarded robe and instead walked across the room towards the doorway that would lead him to the balcony. Almost every room at the inn had an outdoor balcony with drapes that could be pulled over the entrance at night. He simply slipped past them, shivering a bit as he stepped into the cool night air. Even though he wasn’t a fan of the cold, he had to admit that it felt good. He had broken out into a sweat due to his nightmare, but the gentle breeze easily lulled the heat away, comforting him a bit.

Lith walked over and stood by the railing, peering out at the city before him. There were no longer any people walking the streets, and not a single light from a candle could be seen. Everyone had turned in for the night, and the city was left to sleep until the sun rose in the morning. It was a typical routine, one of the few things that was a part of everyone’s life. Everybody had to make time to sleep. When the sun went down, it was as if all active life disappeared with it. It was something to take comfort in, something that was normal…something that made every living being remotely the same.

It was especially comforting for someone like him, who was so far away from the rest of the world. Someone like him who didn’t fully deserve to be a part of that routine…someone who didn’t really deserve anything. He had no right to be called a person, to exist in the same light as everyone else. He was barely even half a person.

There was so little of him left.

He leaned over the ledge a bit, his elbows propped up and his head resting in his hands. Images from his dream began to filter in. It would have been fine if that’s all it had been: a dream, a nightmare. However, it was so much more than that. The scene was exactly as he remembered it. That was the first thing he had seen after waking up, after regaining his sanity. Never before had he been so overwhelmed with the desire to die. He had wanted to just drop dead, but he had been too afraid to commit the deed himself. He was still too afraid. After attempting to commit suicide so many times, he had never once come close to dying. He had never been able to inflict any sort of drastic injuries upon himself.

He had certainly given quite a few people in the Argon Valley a good fright though. Back when he had been unstable, there had been times where someone had to monitor him by order of Xystus. They had been charged with keeping him from inflicting pain upon himself, and God knows he had tried. He had never been fond of pain, but he could take it if he had to. Back then death had seemed like a necessity…but after too many close calls, Xystus had added to his sentence. He had told him that he wasn’t allowed to do any intentional harm to himself. He wasn’t allowed to attempt to kill himself.

His sentence had been completely lifted though.

If he wanted to, he could die. It really wouldn’t take much.

“…I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Lith jumped, startled out his thoughts. He began to glance around but he didn’t see anyone. He knew that voice too. It had to be coming from somewhere, but he couldn’t seem to locate the owner no matter how hard he tried.

“Up here.”

He turned around and looked up towards the slanted roof. Sure enough, lying on the overhang above her own balcony was Salel. She had her arms behind her head, one leg propped up. Her attention was turned upward on the sky above them. From the looks of her, she had probably been there for a while. Had the slayer even tried to get some sleep, or was she simply going to lie there all night?

“What are you doing out here?” he asked her, drawing her eyes to him. There was a rather indifferent expression on her usually scowling face.

“I could ask you the same thing,” she shot back, watching him for his reaction. The dragon didn’t say anything though. When she realized that he was going to just stand there and wait for her to answer, she heaved a sigh and sat up. “I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to come out here instead.”

“How did you even get up there?” As far as he could tell, there was no way to really climb up onto the roof. It was too high above the balcony. Certainly he could jump up there without any problem, but Salel was human. The only way he could think of would be for her to have gotten up onto the thin railing of the balcony and then to have jumped up onto the roof. That still involved a decent leap though, one that he wasn’t sure she could make. However, she had gotten up there somehow. Perhaps the little slayer really was capable of such maneuvers.

“I used the railing,” she said as she stood up. “It wasn’t that hard.” She began to walk towards the edge of the roof, but instead of jumping down onto her balcony, she went over to his, landing just a few feet away. “So why are you out here?”

“…It’s none of your business,” he said, looking away. He turned his attention back to the city, staring out into the darkness. He didn’t want to tell her about what had happened. There was no reason to, and she’d probably just make fun of him anyway. He had already told her more than enough about the sins of his past. It was pointless to delve any further into it. She didn’t need to know.

“Fine,” she huffed, leaning against the railing. “Be that way. I don’t really care anyway.” That was only half-true. In some ways, she was a bit curious as to why he was standing out there, staring off at nothing. It sort of reminded her of the way he had been on the ship when she had first approached him. There was a distance to him, as if he wasn’t really there.

However, it was a lot worse this time. It almost looked like he was regressing, as if the dragon she had come to know was slowly disappearing. It was an odd feeling, but that’s what she felt when she looked at him. His eyes were glazed over, his expression completely blank. However, there was a certain sadness about him.

Standing there like that, he wasn’t really a dragon. He wasn’t human either. He was just a man who had seen far too much in his long life. He was someone broken and tired, who wanted nothing more than some kind of cathartic release. He just wanted it all to end. He was weak.

But at the same time he was unbelievably strong. She just stood there and watched him, realizing that despite his thin frame and somewhat sickly complexion—which was often hidden by his robe—he had enough strength to kill her easily. If he wanted to, he could probably decimate the entire city before morning. With just his hands, he could tear apart the metal railing on the balcony, and with only a flick of his wrist, he could ignite the whole inn. It really wouldn’t take much at all for him to destroy something or kill someone. For him, life was fragile and easy to break. He knew that better than anyone.

Which was probably why he tried so hard and why it hurt so much more when he failed. He was broken. There was barely enough left of him to call him a person. He was more like half a person, maybe even less. However, that didn’t mean it was right for him to give up. That didn’t mean he could just wallow in self-pity. Even if it was hard to, he needed to move past what had happened. He needed to try and live a little. Living wasn’t so bad. It was the duty of those still alive to enjoy the time they had, because there were so many who hadn’t gotten the chance. It wasn’t fair to them if the people left behind wanted nothing more than death.

“…You’re staring,” Lith said monotonously, not even turning to look at the slayer. She was a bit startled by his sudden statement, and so she quickly looked away, choosing to lean against the railing in a fashion similar to his. Even though she was no longer watching him, she still continued to steal glances. The dragon wasn’t moving at all. His eyes never even flickered; they only stared straight forward, having a glassy appearance. It was like he was only half there.

Salel heaved a sigh, trying to come up with something to say. It would be easy to just leave and head back to her room, but at the same time it didn’t feel right to leave him out on the balcony alone. His state of mind didn’t seem quite right. Something about him felt a little off. Besides, she had a question for him. It was something that Matt and Sarah were probably also wondering, but if there was anyone who stood a chance at getting the answer, it was her.

“Hey,” she began, trying to draw his attention. He didn’t move at all, but she was certain he was listening. “That painting at the gallery… Care to tell me about it?”

“What?” he asked, finally snapping out of his reverie. He turned to her with slightly wide eyes, and she just met him with an indifferent gaze.

“That painting of you by Mr. Gashu,” she elaborated. “I know there’s a story behind it, so why not tell me?”

“But I…”

“You’ve already told me a lot of the story. What’s one more piece?”

“But it’s…” He looked away from her, lowering his head a bit. It wasn’t a story he wanted to tell. It was something he had never mentioned to anyone before. In some ways he was embarrassed about what had happened. He had been so arrogant back then.

“Well?”

He glanced over at the slayer. She was watching him with curious, waiting eyes.

“…Fine,” he sighed, taking in a deep breath. “Mr. Zen Gashu and I met once a long time ago. It happened when he was traveling at night. He came across a clearing I was in and woke me up. I had intended to kill him. He had looked so scared at first, but in the end he tried to make a deal with me. He told me he was a painter and a famous one at that. He said that if I let him live, he’d paint my portrait.”

“Well, obviously you let him,” she said, “but I don’t really understand why. You were a berserker. Why would you care about a picture?”

“Because he told me that he’d bring it everywhere he went and show it to everyone he’d meet. He said that eventually everyone would know who I was…and that they’d all fear me. I had liked the idea, and so I had him paint his picture, and in return I spared him. I never saw him again after that, and I don’t know if he kept his promise or not. What he said though about that painting was accurate. He’s the only human I ever came across that I let live.”

He sighed again and leaned down a bit, staring out into the darkness.

“I was…so arrogant back then.”

“I see…” She didn’t really know what else to say. There wasn’t much she really could say. He had just told her about another piece of his life that he wanted to forget, and just like before, she was going to have to keep it to herself. He probably trusted her to keep quiet, even though it wasn’t logical for a dragon to place any trust in a slayer. They were companions though. There had to be a certain level of trust between them. Companions who couldn’t trust or rely on each other would end up dead. She was well aware of that now.

A smirk slowly crossed the slayer’s face as a new idea came to her. She had gotten the dragon into a somewhat talkative mood, and so perhaps if she asked him a question, he’d slip up and give her the answer. There was still one more thing she wanted to know, and he had refused to tell her earlier. Maybe now she could draw it out of him.

“So, why are you out here again?” she asked as casually as she could, and just as she had hoped, the dragon didn’t seem surprised or skeptical about the question.

“Because I had a nightmare…” The minute those words left his lips, his body froze up. He turned to the slayer with wide eyes, although they thankfully weren’t accusing. He simply looked shocked and a bit scared, as if he couldn’t believe he had said that and was now afraid of the response he’d get from her.

Salel just watched him in partial confusion. She hadn’t really been expecting an answer like that. Most grown men didn’t get up in the middle of the night and start brooding due to a nightmare. They usually just toughed it up and went back to sleep.

Although the dragon wasn’t really much of a man. He was more like a boy—perhaps half a man at best.

And the things he had seen and done in his life could never be equivalent to the stereotypic nightmares of most.

So when that word came out of him, she had a good idea as to what he had witnessed. He had been surrounded by blood and corpses—by death—and he had been in the middle of it. He had probably even been the cause of it. His nightmare was probably a memory of something he had done as a berserker. It was the type of dream that could ruin a person or destroy what was left of one.

In some ways it was nothing short of a miracle that he was still sane.

Despite how often she yelled at him and how much she hated his self-loathing and wallowing attitude, she had to admit that she did feel just a little sorry for him. There was just the slightest pinch of sympathy when it came to the dragon. There was so much blood on his hands. He was carrying the weight of so many lost lives. For the slayer, a small part of her died every time she took a life, regardless of the reason behind her actions. There wasn’t an excuse for killing someone, but it was inevitable in a life like hers. Her profession was a murderous one. For a lot of people, the rule was kill or be killed. Sometimes there just wasn’t a peaceful solution, but at the same time there was always a choice to be made. When choosing to kill, the survivor had to accept the weight of that death. That didn’t mean they had to suffer continuously because of it, but it was important to always remember that the weight was there. Sometimes her shoulders felt so heavy.

She couldn’t even begin to imagine what it had to feel like for someone like him, someone who couldn’t forget that it was there. It was amazing that he could still stand. Even though she didn’t approve of his outlook, she still had to admit that he was strong for someone so broken. He was one of the few people she knew who was both strong and weak at the same time. It was his strength that made him weak.

It was because he chose to endure everything that there was so little of him left.

“Don’t worry,” she told him, looking away from the worried dragon. “I won’t ask for details. I have a pretty good guess as to what happened.”

With that said, a silence settled over them, and she was aware that he had finally gone back to his previous position. When he opened his mouth to speak, however, her eyes widened as the words registered.

“It was a nightmare about the day I woke up,” he said softly, refusing to meet her shocked expression. “There were bodies everywhere, all drowning in their own blood. Everything was silent, and the air was thick with the smell of iron. I was in the middle of it all…soaked in crimson. None of it was mine. As I stood there after finally waking up, everything suddenly came back to me at once. I was able to remember every face…every scream. Every scene flashed through my mind, and it just kept repeating—over and over—until I wanted nothing more than to die.”

It hurt thinking about it. Glancing down at his hands, he almost swore he saw blood on them. They had been saturated with it. There had been so much that it had dripped down in rivulets. Certainly his nightmare wasn’t quite the same as what actually happened, but it had been close enough. The feeling had still been there. It had been years since he had had a dream like that, perhaps a couple hundred or so. He had thought that he would never have to deal with it again, but now it seemed that they were coming back. How many more would he have? How many sleepless nights would there be from now on?

I’ve only been here for a day, he mused, and I’ve already reverted. I’m already being reminded of the reason I left in the first place. It isn’t going to get better, only worse. Nothing will ever get better. There are still so many people left who can’t forget. I’m never going to get through this. Is it even possible…for me to repent? Will I ever be forgiven? I never should’ve returned…

“Y-you didn’t have to tell me,” said Salel, sounding just slightly uncomfortable. “I was gonna drop the conversation. You didn’t have to say anything.” She wasn’t some snoopy person who tried to pull information from people. She didn’t want anyone to get that kind of image of her.

Lith turned to the girl next to him, and after studying her for a while, he just couldn’t help himself. He allowed a small smile to cross his face. She looked a bit flustered, which was a word not commonly associated with the slayer. She was always so bitter and arrogant, occasionally vulnerable, but never flustered. The girl looked a bit nervous, as if she felt bad about the fact that he had told her something so personal. It’s not like she had a reason to though. She hadn’t pried at all. He had offered the information to her of his own freewill. In order to learn about someone, you had to offer up a bit of yourself in return.

“I know,” he told her. “I just needed to tell someone. I feel a little better now, actually. To be honest though…I hadn’t intended to tell you anything, not even about that painting.”

“Oh? Then why did you?”

He smiled a bit more after hearing the bitterness return to her voice. That was the Salel he knew.

“I figured it was only fair to mention something about myself…seeing as how I learned something new about you.”

“Wait, what? What are you talking about? I didn’t tell you anything.” She just glared at him, which only made him smile more. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and her hazel eyes were narrowed in scrutiny. She was obviously waiting for an explanation, and he had every intention to give her one.

“You’re a young, bitter, battle-hardened slayer…and yet you like art. You don’t just like it either. You have an appreciation for something that’s purely aesthetic and has next to no practical purpose, only an emotional one. More than that, your favorite artist is Zen Gashu. You even researched him, and I’m sure you’ve visited that gallery multiple times. That’s why you know so much about him.”

“So? Is there something wrong with that?” She sounded somewhat offended but embarrassed at the same time. She was refusing to look at him, her head turned towards the city. He had to admit that it was kind of fun seeing her so unguarded. He almost felt like laughing, but he knew that would just make her mad.

“No, not at all,” he told her. “I just never would have guessed that someone like you would appreciate art. It just makes you seem a little innocent, and for lack of a better word, it’s kind of…cute.”

No matter what calamity he may have just brought upon himself, he wasn’t going to take his words back. He meant it. There was a certain childlike quality to the slayer, despite her angry bitterness. Every once in a while, he was reminded of how young she was and how very much like a child she could still be. Despite her profession, she was an innocent young woman, and it was perfectly fine for her to act like it every so often.

Salel, for the life of her, couldn’t keep from staring at him in utter shock. She wasn’t quite sure what the appropriate reaction was, but she felt her face suddenly grow warm from embarrassment. It was all because of that one word. That was not a word to be associated with her, and yet he had said it so shamelessly. She wanted to glare at him, to tell him he was wrong and that there was nothing innocent or cute about her behavior or about the fact that she liked art, but yet the words wouldn’t form on her lips. Instead her whole face flushed a bright red. She was blushing.

She never blushed.

In a vain attempt to keep him from seeing her flushed face, she turned her back to him. She took in a deep breath to try and fight off her blush, but her face still felt warm. She really had no idea why she was reacting like that. It had been a long, long time since she had felt so embarrassed. Usually she just got angry instead, but for some reason her body wasn’t listening to her. It had simply reacted. Perhaps it was because he had said it so simply with that innocent smile of his. Whatever the reason, it wouldn’t change her reaction. She couldn’t turn back time and get angry at him instead. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever live this moment down.

From behind her, she could hear him laughing softly. She glanced back, being cautious so that he wouldn’t notice. There was a rather amused look on his face. He seemed almost cheerful, if that was even possible. It was completely the opposite of how he had been earlier. Something so ridiculously simple seemed to have changed his whole mood. He was enjoying himself at her expense. Just this one though, she wouldn’t hold it against him. Everyone deserved the chance to laugh like that every once in a while.

She continued to watch as he finally stopped laughing, but his smile remained. He spared her a glance before putting his hands in his pockets and then taking a step towards the door.

“I think I’ll get back to sleep now,” he said. “Thanks for keeping me company.”

“Yeah, whatever,” she mumbled as she walked up to the railing. He watched as she effortlessly jumped and landed on top of the thin frame, not even faltering. She then turned and jumped towards the roof. Not only did she clear the distance, but she managed to land perfectly. Slayers were pretty agile, it seemed. He was certain that it was due to her training that she was able to move like that.

He was just about to head for the door and return to his room when she stopped him.

“Hey dragon,” she called, catching his attention. She didn’t say anything at first though. Once again she looked just slightly nervous. “Don’t…don’t go having any more nightmares tonight, alright? I can’t afford to keep you company again.”

If it were possible, his smile grew just a bit wider. Is that her way of saying “sweet dreams?”

“I won’t,” he assured her. Satisfied, she walked over towards her balcony and jumped down. With one final glance in his direction, she disappeared into her room, leaving him alone once again.

However, he felt remarkably better than he had before. For some reason his body felt a little less heavy, and his shoulders weren’t so weighted down. It seemed like talking to Salel had actually helped him.

Perhaps it wasn’t so bad having someone around who knew about him, someone to confide in. Maybe someday she’d realize that he could be trusted in that way as well. He knew that there were things she wanted to say; memories that she had locked away somewhere that continued to weigh down on her. Maybe someday she’d choose to confide in him. If things kept going like they had, it would happen eventually.

He would simply have to wait and be patient without trying to pry. She’d tell him someday.

“Goodnight, Salel,” he whispered, even though she had long since left his presence. “Sweet dreams.”

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I knew this would probably come up in a question, so I’ll put it down here. Yes, the names I used all have meanings, as is typical with me. So here we go.

Kyris – It’s Greek. That’s all I know. I’m not really sure about the meaning.

Licentia – It’s Latin. It’s a loosely used term for freedom.

Zen Gashu – His name is Japanese. Zen has a ton of meanings, but I chose for it to mean “good” in this case. Gashu is a word for artist.

Torinokros – God, this name was hard to come up with. It was Japanese before I tweaked it. The word was originally torinokosu, which means “to leave behind.” I changed it a bit. I have my reasons.

That’s about it. Hope you liked the chapter, and please review :)