A/N: It’s been a while since I updated…these past three months were hectic, but I learned a thing or two about writing and life…Two of the things that man should be thankful for. And now, the continuation of this tale…I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I do…

This one’s for you, Kai…wherever you might be in this damned reality.

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Uncried Tears

Fowl

I smirked “Of course, minister. But before we do duel, I shall give you one last chance to step back and leave me to be. Are you definite that you are willing to face me and the wrath of the tarot cards of the Valencia?”

The Minister began laughing scornfully “You? A Scholar? Never in the name of Arquaiue have I met a man who is overconfident enough to face those who preach. I do not fear you, nor do I fear the knowledge that you know. You shall regret this, boy.”

This man was foolish. Simply, foolish. “Very well, your liege, but before we begin may I request some space.” The crowd moved towards the sides, creating a suitable size for the bout. “And one last thing…”

The crowd eyed me from all the sides. Silence dominated the hall for some few minutes. The cold wind of the night sky blew in from the arched windows. I drew the first card of the deck, the back of the card facing the crowd; the attention of the crowd shifted from me towards the card.

“Minister, this is your fate. The first card which I am holding is what shall happen first, the second is how it shall go, and the third is, ultimately, your faith.” I turned over the card and revealed it to them.

An image of two naked women embracing each other on a garden was printed on the card. A snake traced their contour, it’s color shifting from black to white to blue. On the bottom of the card, a few ornately written words were there. They read Il Ormenta or A Perishing.

“Il Ormenta…Perish? Ha! Maybe it is you, boy, who shall perish.” The minister continued on in his scoffing. I drew the next card, glanced at it, and revealed it to those around me.

From the four corners of the card, four cards each of different colors were placed; their tips meeting at the center of the card: A circle that is divided into two; one for the Sun and one for the Moon. The same ornate words boredered the picture. It read: Il Zubra, Keil Tigmus, Sun Fof, Prlak Heckta: A world, no balance, no justice, no victory.

The Minister stopped at his overly hideous, If I may say so, laughing. He stopped and glimpsed at the card, shrugged his shoulders, and continue on with his laughing. However, the crowd became more and more interested in what these cards had to say. Maybe because these cards have never been seen before by the public; maybe because they want to know the fate of the minister; or maybe they were just bored.

“Minister.” I called “Before I draw this final card, might I know your name, if you do not so mind?”

He gathered himself, trying to project and image that he was a noble, cultured man. “I am Lekun Farama, fifth chancellor of the court of Arquaiue, god of the Everlast. Now, are you done with your rambling? I am getting impatient. I should have killed you a while ago, you know, you wouldn’t have seen me. But being an honorable man, I cannot kill those of…lower status.”

“So those are your final words?” I answered “Very well…let us see what your fate will tell me.” I drew another card, glanced at it, and smiled. I never knew that I would draw this card.

I turned over the card, revealing it once more. There was nothing on it. It was blank. It was black. It had nothing written on it. The crowd started whispering among themselves.

“These, my friends, is Il Vi ,A Void. It seems that our other friend does not have a definite fate. How lucky he must be!” I mocked him, all eyes staring at his plump stature.

“Finished, Scholar? Now let us begin…Il Yeh Veg Gadun!”

The wind became stronger and stronger. The curtains were torn apart. The candle stands soon began to bend and started to fly in all directions. The wind then formed a tornado, with the curtains and the candle stands along with other items swirling around it. The pull of the tornado was strong, as if you were being dragged down towards the ground when you jump off a tower. But it became weaker and weaker, and soon, gone. In it’s place was some sort of metallic golem with burning fists. The pieces of metal became it’s armor but there were still gaps in it. The inside of it was hollow; truly this was an elemental.

“Behold, Scholar! A Yeh Wind Golem! Now please, show me what your flimsy pieces of paper can do against a minion of Arquaiue!” His taunt was more of a display of him being boastful. But still, there was nothing to fear. He did not know what he was against.

I held my staff with both my hands, shifiting it towards my left, and ran towards the eleven foot golem. It began launching an array of strikes and slams against me, sometimes dodging it entirely but ,as we all know, I am imperfect and I did get hit. Minutes passed. I was still dodging the blows sent upon me, running, jumping, ducking…anything just to avoid getting hit. The minister was doing his revolting laughter, occasionally joined by a grunt. I knew this was Il Ormenta, only it didn’t go in my favor.

The minister began another spell. I didn’t hear it entirely, my focus was set on avoiding the golem’s attacks. I glanced at him but felt a strong force pushing me backwards. For a second, my mind was disoriented. Something just hit my by the chest, pushed me back against the wall and now I my right chest was bleeding. The golem was a few steps away from me, but it was getting larger and larger; I knew it was heading towards me and perhaps was about to finish me off. Perhaps.

The Golem was nearing me now. My chest was bleeding profoundly. I was unable to move my legs for my strength was concentrated on the wound. At last, the golem was near me. It raised it’s left arm up high and shaped a ball of blue and red flames. It dropped it’s arm down to it’s body, the ball was still there; floating about an inch from the palm of it’s hand. It pulled back it’s arm, and jabbed it towards me.

I lay there still, It might have been the over, might have…but since the beginning, I already knew what to do. It was simply a plan to make that damned minister overconfident.

I stretched my left arm towards the golem, staff in hand. The tip of the staff went inside the body of the elemental. Just perfect. I began casting the one spell I needed.

“Ach Ish Nadul!”

Blue swirls of intense energy surged from my hand into the staff. The intense amount of it flowing through my arm felt like my skin was being peeled off, slowly, like those that they do in torture. But it was all worth it. Slowly, the golem faded out of the hall. The ball of fire became crystallized. I could feel the energy coming back to me, my wound hastily covering.

I plunged the blunt end of my staff against the floor and pushed myself up, with the crystallized ball in my other hand.

“You fail, minister.” I began “That was Il Zubra, Keil Tigmus, Sun Fof, Prlak Heckta. A common man like you would now know what that card meant. It is the Reversal. One that changes things for the better or worse. Now watch me defy Khrine’s First and Third Laws…” I began to speak a language I never said before, a language that, in the books, was a forbidden one. A language that defies the laws of the world.

My staff soon glowed with a purplish aura, the orb with a reddish one. Soon the orb circled the tip of the staff and placed itself in the middle. The staff began assimilating it inwards, beginning the transformation of the staff. And with that, a flash of purple light filled the hall.

What I saw afterwards was nothing I have ever seen before. A Ebony staff stood in front of me, replacing my old Amber one. The Orb was set in place with hundreds of tiny roots that seem to be drawn to it. Two pincer-like ornaments were on the sides of the staff, each jagged with a blade like insignia on it. Then, I heard something:

Ingiri saru?

“Sere, Ingiri santc” I answered

Ah, yes…yes of course, how come I have never seen this…you, you are not suppose to hold those cards

“But I do, and now…you belong to me.”

Of course, the cards are absolute. Young one, what is your name?

“Ciras Valencia, humble soul…you might be?”

I am Rakuth Il Vin, but in the language you speak, I am Magistrate. Now come, draw me and I shall see to it that those who defy you shall be put to their deaths.

I did as I was told. I held Magistrate in one hand. I felt her strength flow through me. It was nothing I have ever felt before. I examined her for a while, and now headed towards the minister.

He dropped down to his knees, and began crawling backwards towards the wall. Every step I took made him more and more frightened. He eventually reached the wall and began pleading. It was disgusting to see him plead like a beggar on the streets…at least those men had dignity.

I pointed the staff against him; His face was full of despair and fear…he knew he was going to die.

“ should have killed you a while ago, you know, you wouldn’t have seen me. But being an honorable man, I cannot kill those of…lower status.” I repeated his words, mocking him. I heard Magistrates voice in my head once again, saying that I should kill him. But I refused, this man had no honor and was more worthless than a rat. I put down the staff, and walked away from the hall. I heard someone following me. Looking back, I saw Saira and stopped until she reached me.

I went on out, leaving the place with Saira and leaving those men with a memory that they would forever remember.