Author's Note:

So here it is. This is a chapter which I liked very much because it showed Ace's personality in a bit different light when his usual playful self. I hope you enjoy it too. Leave your comments :)

****

Most of the players stood on opposite sides of the road like two giant snakes. They were eagerly waiting for the general's return and knew he'd say the news only from his stand. It was annoying but good at the same time. At least they could hear everything together without anyone able to flaunt their knowledge about what was going on.

The addition of two people hadn’t passed anyone's eyes. They followed a few meters away from the beauty and her knight in shining armour to where the stand stood. There Monthu jumped down from his horse and gave its reins to the worried knight who petted his horse with great relief.

Monthu stood up on the platform and seeing everyone here, even his friends and brother, explained the situation. "The army whose representatives came here promise to stay away from us and leave the moment their business is finished. These two are the leaders and our guarantee of their distance so make sure they don't escape accidentally with no one to blame"

The paladin looked like he was going to say something at that but the girl put the hand on his shoulder and whispered something in his ear that calmed him down instantly. "I tell you all this so take care" Monthu said and stepped down. There was no reason to say all the unimportant details to the crowd who stood for a moment before thinning out relieved.

Only his friends stayed and came to him. They made sure to take a big circle around the two strangers before coming to him.

"What did you see there?" Par asked coming to his side.

"Lots and lots of tired people, like we were after breaching the wall."

Par made a sound of discontent for not hearing anything interesting and looked at the two newcomers who were eyeing him with hope. He heard Monthu talking with the others but he didn't really care about it. He wanted to know why they were looking at him like that.

"Who are they?" he asked cutting Monthu in the middle of his sentence. The guy looked at the sky but replied. "I suppose we should better get it over with. Come Par."

Together they went to the pair who were waiting eagerly. The moment they were only a few meters away, the female couldn't take it anymore and ran towards them. Right before Par she stopped and lowering herself at his height asked in a sweetest voice possible. "Ang is it you?"

Par took a step back hiding behind Monthu's back. The female's forwardness wasn't to his liking. She was scary. It was something only a kid could say.

"Hey, don't be afraid. I'm Vera, don't you recognize me?" the girl asked trying again.

"My name is Par" the kid said, not leaving his hiding place behind his brother. "And I don't know you. Tell her that, brother!"

"What? You're brothers?" Vera asked straightening up with a crestfallen look on her face.

"Yes" Monthu said calmly.

"Why didn't you say so before? We’re only wasting time here. Let's go, Vera" the paladin said angrily. He was clearly a very short-tempered person.

"You wouldn't have believed me" Monthu said all-knowingly and the two had to agree. They would have thought he was hiding Ang from them.

They were turning to leave when Vera remembered something. "Wait, what about the other kid? Is he your family too?"

"No, we picked him up in a forest and he stuck with us since."

"Can we see him?" the girl asked, a slight hope returning to her heart.

"He's unavailable at the moment" Monthu said, calming down his brother who didn't want to face the female again.

"When will he be on?" the guy asked.

"He's even now" Hawk said in a sad voice noticing a good opportunity. "He just managed to get stuck in a castle full of goblins and heartless players by himself while we can't get in."

"You mean you let a lone kid go there without anyone to protect him?" Vera asked in disbelief and horror at what she was hearing.

"It was more like he sneaked away in the middle of the fight and we noticed he was gone only when it was too late" Hawk said truthfully. Ace had the habit of doing that all the time.

The two looked at each other and then at Hawk. "How does he look like?" It was a stupid question as Ang could have changed everything in his appearance so much that no one would recognize him. But he might have left at least a single thing to know him from.

"He's small. Doesn't wear armour..." Hawk said trying to remember the kid well.

Vera rolled her eyes and looked at Aurora. "I hope you can give me a real description."

The priestess laughed. "I'm sure I could. He's around ten years old while being quite small around one meter and a half. He has very beautiful golden hair and big eyes. He's thin and likes to play around all the time. You'd never be bored with him. Also he's sweet and nice. A little angel, you could say."

Vera's eyes shone brighter with every word as Hawk's grew darker. The girl was almost a hundred percent sure it was Ang. The world could hardly have another such a perfect boy.

"That's him!" Vera said happily and hugged the paladin who returned her happiness. Both of them looked as if they've won the jackpot.

"Don't believe her. Her opinion is biased" Fenek said from nowhere where he had overheard the conversation.

"What do you mean?" Vera asked with suspicion.

"The kid is a monster without a drop of humanity. He almost killed all the rogues for simple entertainment. He's nothing but a spoiled brat who thinks his dad can buy him everything. We shouldn't have believed that bullshit in the first place" he said spitting on the ground in anger. He couldn't believe the kid had used them and then abandoned like trash.

"Did he really say that?" Vera asked with tears in her eyes.

"Uhm.... Yes?" Fenek said uncertainly. Why was the girl on the verge of crying?

"Poor Ang! I never thought he felt like that! His parents are always away and he says he's okay but I should have known he'd put a strong cover. He's such a sweetheart not wanting to worry anyone!" she said a single tear running down her cheek.

"....." everyone was at a loss for words. Even Aurora who saw Ace in a better light than others couldn't believe the things that were said. Ace caring about others' feelings? That didn't sound like him at all. He always did what he wanted without a care for who would suffer like what happened to the rogues. When he left them half of them died while a few others managed to escape with a drop of life.

"Is there a way we can get to him somehow?" the paladin asked with a steely expression, concentrated on a single purpose of getting to Ang.

"None. The barrier protecting the castle must be brought down before anyone being able to enter or leave."

"So you mean he's all alone among the enemies being scared and hiding in a corner while you're doing nothing?"

None of the five, Par included, believed Ace could be reduced to cowering in a corner but Monthu pretended to have forgotten the fact. If they would help him remove the spell, he was ready to forget many things. "We're looking for a high levelled mage that could do it but haven't found anyone suitable. If you have, we'd be glad to let him in."

Vera and Kev knew they were being used but they told ten best mages of their guild to hurry here and help in any way they could. It was all worth it, if it helped Ang.

"His name is Ace" Par said suddenly and ran off. Monthu blinked a few times before hurrying after him. The kid was moving swiftly through the crowd making his older brother wonder where he had learnt it. Soon he got swallowed by the people in the merchants’ district and Monthu was lost. 'Where did he run off? And why?' he questioned himself while darting from one dark street to the another even darker one.

He had no idea where he was when he heard a child crying. Silently he walked closer and saw his brother sitting on some steps and bawling his eyes out. Without thinking more he sat beside him and sat him in his lap.

He rocked his brother slightly until he tired himself out and fell asleep. Monthu could have stood up and taken him to the camp but decided against it. The day was still warm and it was better to let the kid rest.

While he had time he contacted Ace.

/You know you're a liar?/

After half an hour a reply came.

/What did I do now?/

Monthu wasn't sure how to take it. It could be an agreement with a laugh or an ironic response from someone who supposedly is always at fault. In Ace's position it could be both and still be true.

/The army you said you knew nothing of came here specially to find you/ he wrote in a neutral tone, deciding it was the best choice.

/Don't tell me.../ That line portrayed horror and Monthu guessed that Ace wasn't really waiting for them.

/A girl named Vera and her knight paladin Kev is sending their best mages to get you out of there/

/God no! How the hell they got from Lavana to here in less than a month?! I thought I had some time to prepare!/

/Prepare for what?/

/Haven't you seen them? They're monsters! They want to turn me into a doll!/

/Fenek said something about you being a spoiled brat and she found out you're missing your parents so much/ Monthu wrote deciding he deserved to know everything.

/Kill me now... How am I supposed to meet her tomorrow like this.../

/What do you mean meet her? The barrier won't fall for at least a week/

/Real freaking life. Tomorrow she's taking me to the beach with Kevin and his gang in tow. How am I supposed to survive it?/ Ace said in a wine making Monthu smile. He reminded him of Par at times.

/Like you did it every other time. Besides you still have a few days here to prepare mentally for that/

/Thanks a lot. And by the way tell Par I'm not leaving no matter what. He's my friend and I'm not going to leave just because they came./

/Can I ask you a question?/

/Yes..?/

/Do you really think of Par as a friend? Or do you use him as someone to pass time with? Tell the truth. /

There was silence from the other end for a long time. So long that Monthu had almost given up on receiving anything.

/As I said before, I became friends to have an upper hand on you but things change. He's a very bright kid so I don't think it's a nuisance to talk to him. How far am I going to go with him, I haven't decided yet. It all depends on how this plays out, to tell the truth. There's just so much I can do to keep them at bay. Want it or not, they have the power over me/

Monthu was about to ask him to explain when the chat was cut off. He noticed that Ace loved to be the one who leaves first.

He sat silently for a long time before his brother woke up trying to figure out Ace's and the two's relationship but there were too many unknown factors. It looked like the girl would do anything to find and protect him while Ace made it look like she was a prison warden. Was either of them in the right? Or was there a place where all people were crazy in their own way?

Par moved slightly stealing Monthu's attention and opened his eyes. They were clear but full of sadness.

"Ace is going to leave, isn't he?" was his first question.

"That is still unknown" Monthu said. He didn't want to give his brother an unfound hope but he looked so forlorn now... "It all depends whether he can make those people let him stay with us or not"

"Are they his family?" Par asked wide-eyed.

"They're someone from real life but I'm not sure they're family" Monthu said thoughtfully and then whispered to his brother. "Do you want to hear a secret?"

Par nodded eagerly, his whole body moving.

"Ace doesn't really want to go with them leaving you here. He said so himself."

"He did?" Par asked happily. Now he could be sure Ace was a true friend.

"Yes, he did. So come now. You be a strong warrior too. Don't let them see you crying again, okay?"

"Yes" Par said putting his right hand on the heart in a promise.

Then hand in hand they returned to the camp. Aurora was the first to notice their approach and ran towards them. She hugged Par making sure he was okay now and nodded at Monthu for taking care of him.

"What happened?" she asked.

Par looked distraught so Monthu answered instead.

"Par wanted to walk around a bit. He was bored standing all the day with you, right brother?"

"Right" Par said with a solemn nod, thanking his brother with his eyes for keeping the secret.

"Okay..." Aurora knew there was more to it but if Monthu had resolved it there was no need to bring it back. "Vera has invited us to their makeshift camp to talk about Ace and I agreed. They want to know everything about him so we're the ones who can shed most light on his life here".

"I'm not sure they want the light we can shed" Hawk murmured off-handedly coming to stand with them.

Monthu agreed with him inwardly but Aurora had already accepted the invitation so they had to go.

"Do you want to come?" he asked Par. The kid thought for a moment. "Will I be able to sit with you?"

Monthu nodded. There was no questioning that.

"I'll be right back then" Par said running off to where their house was. Inside he picked up the staff he had found. It was chipped in many places but still contained a lot of magical power. The fact that it was higher than him only appealed to the kid more.

But that wasn't all that he did. He opened his chat menu and found Ace among his friends. /Can you talk now?/

Few minutes later there was a reply. /Yeah, sure. Anything interesting happened?/

/We're going to the two monsters' place to talk about you/

It took some time for a reply to come. /You mean Vera and Kev?/

/Yeah. They wanted to hear about your life here and Aura agreed. My brother and Hawk weren't so happy about it/

/Thanks for telling me/ came an answer before the chat was cut off but that didn't stop Par from creating a new one.

/I wanted to know if you'd like to listen./

/Wait, what?/

/You're so smart and Monthu said you don't want to go with them. So I thought if you heard what they were talking when you're not around, you'd be able to find a way to stay with us./

There was silence for a long two minutes before Ace finally wrote back a very short message. /Do it/

***

Ace didn't like the plan at all. He knew what they were thinking about him and there was no good reason to pour salt on his wounds. But Par gave him a legitimate reason to do something without even knowing it.

Ace had agreed to understand what the group will be thinking after hearing things from Vera and Kev. If there still will be a reason to stay with them, or will he have to get away alone. There was not a chance he was going to stay with the overprotective duo more than a necessary second, that was for sure.

"Where have you been?" Caro asked when he returned to his study. "You ran off as if there was a fire"

"Tree" Ace said sitting in his spot against the wall.

Caro blinked a few times trying to figure out the meaning. Goblin talk was so simplistic that it was a genius created one. They used a very small amount of different words but managed to understand each other just as well. Soon enough the meaning came to him.

"Oh..." he said and returned to his papers.

Ace looked through his pockets for some dried meat. Popcorn wasn't obtainable anywhere where he could get it so that was the second best thing. He managed to find a few small pieces but that was all. He was clearly running out of edible things for watching or hearing good shows. This time barley bread will have to suffice. Ace promised himself to look for new supplies when he had the time. Now he just made himself more comfortable and waited.

The sounds of a battle camp were in his ears but it wasn't what he was waiting for. First had to come the quietness of a small room, then the soft sounds of people going to a room and then the dreaded voices of his caretakers.

'An army of one thousand and more, huh? Where did they even get enough people that were crazy enough to join them? I should probably be careful around them and there's still the getting away thing. How should I run away that they wouldn't ban Regal Dream for me in real life?' It was a tough question so he pondered it for a little while until the sounds of large crowds of people went to the background and then disappeared altogether.

"Welcome! And the kid came too! I'm so glad!" Vera's voice came through the chat and Ace closed his eyes for a second. He really didn't want to spend his game time listening to her too. But he needed to see where he'll stand after this evening. It was a miracle he even got a chance at that.

"Hi" Aurora said in a cheerful voice. Ace could almost see her wide smile stretching from one ear to another. "How do you like it here?" she asked.

Vera's answer was muffled down by the sounds of chairs being pulled.

"I think you've done it quite well" Kev said.

"Thanks" Monthu said in a friendly voice that lacked any kind of affection.

"What are your names? I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Vera and this is Kev. We've been friends since childhood. What about you?" Vera asked.

"Well, I'm Aurora and this adorable kid is Paradox." There was a grumbling sound right in Ace's ear. "You already know his older brother Monthu. The last guy is Hawk. He's very closed mouth so don't expect anything from him" Aurora said with a laugh. "And you could say we know each other since we were born too."

"Oh, so you're not a randomly formed group?"

"Not at all. We started together from the beginning" she said.

"How did Ang come into this equation then? I doubt you'd want someone unknown joining you" Vera asked interested.

"Uhm..." the silence continued for a little while because Aurora didn't want to lie but how could she say he forced them into it?

"We found him looking like a wet rat and feeling generous we picked him up. We couldn't get rid of him since then" Hawk said in an annoyed voice. Why was he doing that anyway?

"Did he now? Sorry about that. He's very affectionate" Vera said with a light tone making Ace clench his teeth. What right did she have to say sorry for his actions? He wasn't feeling anything of the like!

"It's no problem. He's a sweetheart!" Aurora said.

"That he is" Vera said agreeing. "Anyway were you okay with him in quests? I hope he wasn't creating trouble for you?"

"No! Not at all! He was very nice and even helped us with his unique spells!"

"Really? What did he do?"

"He has a small flame always circling his head. At times when he's in danger it bursts out into millions of tiny sparks that blind everyone around beside him. It's really a great spectacle!" Aurora said enthusiastically. She had seen the spell while hiding in a wagon and loved every moment Ace was using it.

"Is it like a pet?" Vera asked intrigued. She had never heard of anything alike.

"I'm not sure... I thought it was a simple Flare spell but when he used it that way... I'm no longer positive" Aurora said in a thoughtful voice.

Ace wanted to laugh at that. A ball of fire as a pet? This game was better than giving inanimate objects personalities and turning them into living beings. If that wasn’t the case, soon enough people would be running around with stools bouncing after them.

"Is he that innovative in real life too?" Aurora asked interested to hear more about the kid.

Now it was Vera's time to fall silent. She had to think of what to say about her little brother that would explain things but still keep him safe. It was the moment of truth Ace had been waiting for and dreading at the same time.

"Has he said anything about himself before?" she asked quietly.

"A few things... Is there something we shouldn't know?" Monthu asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I suppose that means he'd told you about it." Vera's face became very worried. But after a moment she shook it off and schooled her features into business like one. "Can you please tell me what exactly did he say to you? It'll be important for his medications. He had no reason to talk about anything concerning it" she said in a level voice that was very convincing.

Ace grit his teeth and smashed at the wall. He hated when she said that like he couldn't think for himself. Like his every step had to be monitored. Like he was a nutcase who couldn't take care of himself, not even talking about keeping relationships.

"Weren't your eyes green previously?" came a voice from somewhere nearby and Ace looked around. His eyes refocused on where he sat. "Why are they flashing red now?" Caro asked.

Ace just shook his head and taking deep breaths relaxed against the wall with his eyes closed. The other side was quiet giving him a moment to recompose himself. He decided to keep his eyes shut and not too long after that he heard heavy steps getting away from him. Caro had returned to his work and Ace could return to the conversation he no longer wanted to hear at all.

"So what did he say and why? What brought it out?" Vera asked again.

"He was acting way beyond his age so Monthu... He accused Ace of being... Uhh... Well, someone who only... kind of picked a child's appearance..."

"He did what?" Kev asked in outrage, interrupting Aurora's shaking speech.

"So I did. He wasn't a normal kid and I know what one is like. Listen. I accused him but instead of laughing at my words he sneered saying he didn't change anything. That years might say different but that was who he was and he was ready to defend it with weapons" Monthu said in a firm voice trying to calm everyone down. There was surely something going on that Ace hadn't told them. Now they were in a middle of it all which looked like it was going to end in a family feud or something close by.

"You don't understand! Ang's position is very precarious! If there are symptoms of him changing, he must be sent to a hospital immediately. So tell me for sure was he a normal child of eleven or not?" Vera asked angrily, her face becoming sharper and losing its delicateness.

"You could say so. But shouldn't he have become smarter over the years even if his body stayed the same?" Aurora said getting annoyed by Vera pretending to know it all.

"He's sick! It's not only his body that stayed same but his brain too! His mind hasn't passed the level of a young child! It's been proven by medical tests so don't try to pass it as if you hadn’t heard it! I warn you! Don't try and make a bigger problem of what it already is!" Vera said in a threatening tone having stood up somewhere in her talk. Half of her body was bowed over the table, her eyes under the big lashes glaring at Monthu.

‘She has beautiful light blue eyes’ Monthu noted absent mindedly.

"Do you hear me?" she asked once again repeating herself.

"Yeah. He's your little toy and we shouldn't interfere. Fine by me. Bye" Monthu said standing up. While the female stood with her mouth wide open, he left with his brother in tow.

The scene stayed for a long while before anyone was able to talk again. Even Aurora and Hawk were stunned by Monthu's sudden leave with such hurtful words.

"I'm sorry! He didn't mean it! He's just stressing about this quest, what with him being a leader and all! Please forgive him!" Aurora said pleadingly. She was taught that you had to keep good relationships with everyone no matter what because this way you'll have many people in your time of need. And she believed it wholeheartedly.

"How did he dare to say something like that? Doesn't he have a soul?" Vera asked fuming.

"I'm sorry, he didn't mean it. He's just..."

Ace no longer listened to what was being said. Blind rage was clouding his mind. How did she dare to come and destroy everything he worked so hard to gain? Why? Why did she have to spout the nonsense of him being a kid? It was a laughable matter! He couldn't even remember the time when he felt like a kid the last time!

That witch! I wish I could kill her again and again for every little thing! Twice!

His eyes from raging red became bottomless pits of blackness, empty voids that couldn't be filled with anything. But he wanted to. He needed to see her pay for what she did. Every time he created something she came and stole it away! There was no forgiveness in his heart. Nor for her, nor for anyone else.

He stood up catching Caro's attention but instead of saying anything took out his daggers and attacked with all he had. The guy managed to block it but knew it wasn't going to last. Ace's attacks lacked strength but were extremely quick and absolutely unpredictable. Fuelled by anger he was out for blood and nothing else mattered. He wanted her to pay.

[Fear of the Hungry] was activated and Ace lost himself in the movement. He was slashing, stabbing, jumping around and evading all the attacks coming his way. The man couldn't even touch him.

Random kick to the shin while pretending to go for a slash. A man fallen. Dagger in his back. Red blood oozing out, a hand grabbed.

Wait, what? Ace looked at Caro who had grabbed his left hand but he was already becoming a grey cloud. Good riddance. But Ace still felt full of rage. He needed to pay her back. There was nothing else that was important or worth noting.

He left the room and with an unhurried step went to look for someone. Goblins that met him fell silently, making it their resting place. Nothing stood between him and the next room.

A human with twenty goblins stayed there. He turned to face and laughed at him saying something. Yet Ace's ears didn't register the sound. There was no reason to hear a dead man talking.

He walked in and in slow motion stabbed the nearest goblin killing him in one hit. That made the man's eyes widen and an order to kill him get shouted out. Ace didn't mind. He had Fear active and it was all he needed.

Round slash here, dodge there, punch and head-butt. It made his vision swim but [Instincts of a Predator] made eyes an unnecessary addition. Turn left, right and backwards, move like you're made of light and nothing can stop you.

Ace laughed as he stabbed a goblin in the eye. They had nothing on him. He was the king, the emperor and the god. His rage was a natural disaster like a flood or a hurricane. Unstoppable and deadly yet so fascinating. He was the one who decided who lived and who died. He had let them live and now was taking it back! They should be bowing before him!

Dark blood sprouted on his face. He stopped for a second as if feeling it with his skin before resuming his mad attacks. There was no order in it. Pure instincts were dictating his movements; logic and reason having been kicked out to farthest corners of the world. Another laugh escaped his lips.

Everyone was dead. Ace was angry. How did they dare to die so fast? Couldn't he find a challenge anywhere? With a twisted smile he left in search of something else.

Walking around he pondered why his skill was called Fear. Wasn't it more like rage? It was a stupid idea to call it fear. Slash. Didn't they know better? People don't fight when they're afraid. They do that when they're filled to the brim with anger that's threatening to burst out. Stab.

There were a lot of movements around a certain area so Ace's legs took him there. Inside the remaining humans with their goblin units were huddling together. It was exactly what he needed.

A shout of joy and he was among them dancing with his blades held tightly.

"Ice Field" he said smiling and the entire floor was covered in a thin layer of frozen water. Everyone fell on the slippery floor while Ace jumped on their heads. He produced the daggers from his boots and went for a more active approach to battle. He jumped in all directions from one body to another kicking and slashing at everything that moved. Sometime later he remembered to use another ability [Flame Step] that he had learnt not too long ago.

It was a massacre to say the least. Like a grasshopper he was swiftly jumping around, not giving a chance for a counter attack. Bored he took out some poisons and threw the opened bottles up. The things sprayed out covering everyone around, Ace included.

Yet the crazy smile stayed on his lips. He was taking them with him. None were going to escape his revenge, his hatred for their freedom.

Death. All around. No one alive but him. He was still moving. Somehow. That was unbelievable. His shaking legs still held his weight and were taking him away. Leaving death behind.

'Where am I going?' he wondered waking up from his daze. 'Rampage, huh?' he thought laughing and pushing the gates before him open. Bright sunlight shined, blinding him for a moment.

What arose before his eyes was a magnificent thing. Dozens and dozens of people stood ahead in beautiful lines prepared for battle. They all raised their weapons towards him and the attack on the castle began.