“Confirm your full name.”

“Keldon Astria”

“Date of birth?”

“28th of the third month, 1305 P.D”

“Contean or the Teluu calender?”

“Neither, Brolian Calendar actually.”

The unamused doctor paused briefly, looking up from his clipboard to giving Keldon a stern look, however when Keldon stared at him blankly back. He quickly shifted attitudes.

“My condolences, Age then?”

“On this continent? 20. I consider myself 21 though. Weird how the people here don’t consider the months when you’re being carried by the mother as born. Say, are you new around here? I haven’t seen you around before.” Said Keldon

The doctor nodded and tucked his clipboard underneath his arm, taking off his glasses. He wiped them down with a small cloth that he pulled out from his fresh coat's pocket. His eyes were tired and his hair white and whispy. His thin lips accented the impervious frown he wore, the kind of frown that only a doctor of the Hissings could have.

"I've just been transferred over,” he said casually. “How is your arm feeling now? Any aches or sores still?”

Keldon flexed his arms a few times.

“A bit stiff, but otherwise fine”

“ Very good. That means the skill is working.” Said the doctor, checking a box on his sheet.

“You’re actually quite lucky, Mr. Astria, Truly rare is it that I have the capacity to heal those who’ve been face to face with an Aberrant. Even more so that I even have the opportunity to treat those people at all.”

“Because they end up dead…” Keldon said slowly.

The doctor nodded again.

“By the time the Divine Ruhiel had arrived, there were still a few of you left unconscious.” He paused for a moment, letting the nuance of his words linger in the air for a bit as he stared at Keldon, raising an eyebrow at him. “a surprising amount of you unconscious. Alive.”

“How many?”

“10 I believe.”

Keldon’s heart sank as he swallowed a lump down his throat.

“J-Just 10? Weren’t some moved to the side for safety?

“Oh yes them, unfortunately, one of the nearby trees had toppled over onto the pile, killing the lot of them."

Keldon’s stomach churned into a knot. He had tried to save them but he gotten them killed.

Again.

“The reality is, however, to have 9 sifters and a guard survive an aberrant attack, you should consider yourself blessed. It’s typically much lower than that.” the doctor said, trailing on. But that gave Keldon no comfort.

“Also, amongst other things, Divine Imperial War Angel Ruhiel has requested you report to her with the details as soon as you are fit to speak. It is of an urgent matter of security that she has as much information as you’ve able to give.”

The doctor leaned in, looking around the room.

“Betwixt us two, however, it seems that there are rumors going around that illegal magic was involved.” He said in a hushed voice.

Keldon’s blood ran cold.

“I-Illegal magic?”

And the doctor nodded once more.

“Give it a thought young lad, between an old soldier and the sad litter of new pups to the Hissings, it quite frankly doesn’t make any sense that any of you would be alive. Even if it happened to be that the old soldier is Bertram the Bloodied himself.”

“Just isn’t a reasonable explanation for the death of an Aberrant unless some sort of foul magic was involved. Especially because later that night, the body was dissected and it seems they found traces of foul magic coursing through its body."

“So then… why are you telling me?” Keldon asked.

“ Simply… because it’s already bad enough I have to see a young meddlin’ like you mixed in with the other raffle. I’d hate to see you dragged through the streets by a War Angel and vaporized.”

Through the door, the nurse suddenly burst in.

“Doctor! One of the tar-eyed is up, we need more sedative!!” she said quickly, before turning back around.

“I’ll be there right away,” he called back. As the doctor reached the doorway, he paused for a second, turning back towards Keldon.

“Get your story straight by the way lad, and get out of here while you can. The Hissing’s director is quite upset and they're looking for some poor sap to pin the blame on.”

“And what about payment?”

“Taken care of already.”

“Taken care of?” Keldon asked, “By who?”

“By-“

“DOCTOR!! “Shrieked the nurse, the loud clang of a metal bedpan rang through the air as struggle and restraint echoed through the bare-bones walls.

The doctor rushed off, leaving Keldon without an answer.

Keldon huffed, slumping back against his hospital bed with a sigh.

“Just when I feel like I’m about to get somewhere, I’m always cut off at the last seco-“

“Keldon Astria?” an authoritative voice said, from the doorway.

Keldon shot back up; as the war angel strode into his room in all her terrifying glory. Confident and commanding; her mere presence gave pressure to the room as her boots clicking along the floor reminded Keldon of the sound of approaching Devoidlings.

Encroaching death.

Her fiery orange hair waved in the wind, as its luster was only outmatched by the cold, icy stare that radiated from her bright yellow eyes. She bore three swords at the hip as all war angels did; the first was a ceremonial sword in a golden scabbard, modeled after the great blade of Sun-K’aal-Sun, who had received it as a gift from the Archon Prime for pushing back the Skulking Sea in our country, Idraver’s darkest hour. The second was a sword made completely out of silver and quenched in her own blood, this one Keldon heard was mainly to deal with aberrants. The final blade was dull and grey, as unremarkable as the iron pipes that ran around the Hissings. Nobody really knows the real reason why the Divine War Angels use the dull sword rather than anything half-decent, but the war-angels typically only use that sword against mortal men. Some speculated that it was because mortal men weren’t worthy enough for a proper blade. Some say the sword is there to be used as a reminder of a War Angel’s strength, a reminder of the natural disparity between the mighty and the meek. But to Keldon, whether dull or divine the blade didn’t matter, either way, there was a monster worse than any possible aberrant holding the hilt.

Keldon eyes shot to the floor. Don’t look in a War-Angels eye unless you’ve got permission or a death wish, especially for someone in Keldon’s position.

He kept his eyes glued to the floor as a pair of unnaturally pristine sparkled boots stepped into his field of view. You’d think for an Aberrant-slaying battle angel, they’d have a little more scuff on their armor.

“You may lift your head.”

Keldon slowly met her gaze. For a moment, it felt like she could see right through him. Read him like a book.

Doubtful.

If she could, maybe she could tell him why Tianna had to die.

Tch.

He had gotten careless. He had managed to avoid meeting her face to face for years now, but looking into those cold yellow eyes bubbled up long-buried anger and frustration.

“Greetings Divine Warangel Ruhiel,” Keldon said, trying his best to suppress the anger in his voice.

“No need for the formalities, Divine will do,” Ruhiel said, condescension oozing from her voice. “Are you well? I came across Doctor Lazdel coincidentally on my patrol, He seemed in a hurry but he told me you had just awakened.”

Lies. You should be in the western sector by now. You’ve been waiting for me.

“Yes Divine, thank you for your concern.”

“But of course, you’re an integral part of society after all. We wouldn’t be able to create skill orbs without the contribution of you and your crew members.” she said, lips curling into an uncanny smile and putting a hand on Keldon’s shoulders.

Keldon stiffened, he wanted nothing more than to rip her hand off his shoulder and give her a piece of his mind.

But he wouldn’t.

He couldn’t.

“Yes Divine.” Said Keldon, gaze drifting to the floor.

“However, that brings us to the matter at hand.” Said Ruhiel, softly squeezing Keldon’s shoulders.

“After the flare was lit and I arrived at the scene, I expected to find myself a fight and a field of dead men.”

Keldon felt a sharp twinge in his chest. It was my fault… I could have saved more if I had just been a little more careful in my placement

“But most curious of all, would you happen to know what I also found dead instead?”

“...”

“An Aberrant. Now Mr.Astria, Would you happen to know what events unfolded prior to the Aberrant’s demise? Because you didn’t seem to be surprised when Doctor Lazdel told you that the Aberrant was dead before I had arrived.”

The implication of that sentence curdled Keldon’s blood.

She was listening in on my conversation earlier. Keldon’s mind raced, thinking of a way to try to spin what had happened without revealing everything.

“Now now, no need to be nervous. I simply would like to know the truth is all. If you’re willing to testify, I’m sure I could put in a good word for you. Talk the inquisitor down from an execution,” said Ruhiel slyly, fingers tightening around Keldon’s shoulders. It seems she thought he was involved somehow.

“Some of the other crewmates told me that they had seen illegal magic used in the fight. However, I haven’t detected any outsiders who have entered the Hissings without me knowing. That is… unless they had some help from someone who had plenty of experience at the hissings sneak him inside perhaps…”

Her tone fell, growing deep and dark as she began to slowly crush Keldon’s shoulders.

Pain surged as his mind raced.

“I…” Keldon began to say, when suddenly it hit him in a moment of clarity/

Wait...No one was conscious when the Aberrant died. He slowly looked up to Ruhiel, meeting her gaze. And the look on her face said it all. She’s bluffing.

“I’m innocent Divine.”

Her threatening face turned into a scowl.

“Do explain.”

“I took my crew on a small expedition as normal, Divine. Upon reaching the destination and setting up a small scent-warding barrier, we set out to work. Partway through the collection, two crewmates had ended up knocking over the barrier, releasing the scent into the forest. My guard Bertram fought off the aberrant for as long as possible as I gathered up the unconscious crewmates who were knocked out by its initial attack. However, he was unsuccessful in fending it off, and as I thought I was going to die, the aberrant suddenly collapsed before me.”

“Aberrants don’t suddenly die.” Said Ruhiel through her teeth, “I personally searched the surrounding area, there were no others around. And if there were no others around, perhaps… you were the one that invoked illegal magic.”

Ruhiel's eyes flared up with a sun-like intensity, but Keldon didn’t drop his stare.

“Respectfully Divine, I am incapable of magic”

Adrenaline coursed through his body, as his heart slammed against his ribcage while Ruhiel maintained her intense stare.

“…Is that so. Admin Hilda?”

Around the corner of the door, Hilda cooly stepped into view, keeping her gaze on the floor.

“It is Divine Ruhiel. His previous two administrators and I have been confirmed records indicating that he is indeed incapable of magic.” She said, maintaining a neutral tone.

Ruhiel maintained her white-hot gaze as she stared deep into Keldon’s eyes.

“Which administrators?”

“178 and 61 Divine Ruhiel”

A moment passed.

And another.

Then, Ruhiel loosened her grip on Keldon’s shoulders, giving them a gentle pat before returning her own arms to her side.

“Well then, my apologies Keldon. Your story seems to line up with all the other testimonies so i hope you can forgive me for testing you. I’m sure you can understand my passion in the face of blasphemy,” she said as the flare faded from her eyes.

She forced out a slight smile before turning to walk away. “If you remember anything else, please be sure to inform me.” And as suddenly as she arrived, she vanished in a burst of wind, taking off to the sky.

Keldon trembled, his muscles shaking from the adrenaline as Hilda slowly walked up to him.

“You alright?” she asked, taking out her skill orb and healing the bruise left from that monster’s grip.

“I’m fine. Is Bertram okay? Was he one of the survivors?” Keldon said with a note of worry in his voice.

“Why don’t ya ask him yourself? Come out here Softie.” She said, turning back towards the door.

Bertram hobbled into the room, leaning against what looked to be a cane carved out of the gnarled lumber they normally throw away in the Hissings.

“Shut yer mouth Hilda before I shut it fer ya,” Bertram grumbled.

“Maybe if you catch me first.”

Where Bertram’s leg used to be, a small wire contraption of steel and wood took its place. Keldon’s heart sank, He couldn't do enough, and his powerlessness could cost Bertram his place here at the Hissings.

“Bertram I-“

He whipped his head to Keldon, flipping him off.

“You shut yer trap too, I want none of that pussy shit about how yer’ sorry you couldn’t help me.”

Fire flared in Keldon’s chest as he leaned forward. He couldn’t take it anymore

“ No, YOU shut your mouth Bertram!”

Hilda took a step back in surprise.

“Do you have ANY idea about how frustrated I am?!! I have ZERO fucking clue what’s going on anymore. “

“Time and time again, I try and keep the people around me alive, but each and every time I let them down. The only reason i stay at this Gods-forsaken mine because it’s the only fucking place where I can have even an iota of a chance of saving anyone. Still, I’m worthless Bertram. I can’t even save people right, and each time they die, they take a part of me with them.”

Keldon leaned back into his bed and stared at the ceiling.

“I didn’t even ask for their names this time… and now, they’re dead.”

The ancient voice’s words from his vision echoed within his mind. “You must return him, The Master of Names must be returned to rally against the Final Calamity.”

Keldon’s voice dropped to a whisper.

“I can’t even keep a small group of idiots alive. How am I supposed to bring someone back and stop whatever-the-fuck the final calamity is. “

He turned his head to Bertram and Hilda who bore solemn faces.

“Magic or not, I wouldn’t be able to save anyone anyways. My father was right Bertram. If I do something, I need to do it right. So maybe I just shouldn’t do anything at all then anymore. At least that way if they die, they won’t be able to pin it on me."

The three of them sat there, Bertram and Hilda stunned in silence.

“…Hilda, give us a moment will ya?” asked Bertram. She met his gaze and hesitated for a second before nodding and walking around the door, still within earshot.

Bertram pulled up a nearby stool, sighed, and sat down beside Keldon’s bed as he looked away, refusing to meet Bertram’s gaze.

The two of them sat quietly for a few minutes

.

.

“I’m sorry Bertram, that was unfair of me,” Keldon said, finally breaking the silence. He turned back towards Bertram

“I just can’t do anything right, and I-I’m SEEing things Bertram, and it’s not just Hissing’s hallucinations this time. I don’t know how to explain it but it’s frightening. And I don’t think they’re just dreams.”

Keldon was rambling and frustrated, something was going on and he was completely powerless in the face of it. Pulled around by someone… something else’s whims like a leaf in the wind. And even if he tried to do anything about it, he was probably just going to get someone killed. Again.

So why bother.

Keldon buried his face into his knees. He should just curl up and die, at least he could join his friends again.

Bertram squirmed in his seat before meeting Keldon’s eyes once again.

“Well… I ain’t gonna understand if yerr gonna keep yer mouth shut.” Bertram said with a concerned look on his face. “Think ya could at least try for me then buddy”

“It’s not going to do anything Bertram, it never has.”

“Didn’t it though?” Bertram said, scooching closer to him.

“ Sure I’m missing a leg, but I’m alive buddy. Doc said that if somebody hadn’t patched up my leg when they did, I would have bled out there on that field. And I’d be damned if a tar-eyed would have patched me up before you did.”

Keldon sat still in silence for a moment.

“…More would have survived without me.”

“Would they have though? Cuz I reckon if you hadn’t moved them out of the way, the same thing that happened to my leg woulda’ happened to their skulls. Fate just had a bone to pick with that lot was all.”

“…”

“Yerr a good man Keldon, don’t let your noggin trick you otherwise.”

“…It’s going to happen again, Bertram. I’m going to get the people I try to help killed again. It’s easier to just go back; back to running away."

“ You're not an easy sort of man, Keldon. You dive into the abyss to try and yank some poor saps out.” Bertram said sternly. “So, if Lady fate’s got em in her sticky black hands anyways, what’s the harm in reaching in and tryna steal a couple out.”

Keldon paused for a moment, before lifting his head to look at Bertram.

“That guilt don’t quit buddy, I know first-hand. It’s like a claw that scratches at the back of your heart. But if you quit now, your never gonna save anyone mopin’ around with your thumb up your ass.” Bertram shrugged, “Plus if they’re dead anyways, they ain’t gonna get more dead if you save em.”

Keldon cracked a smile as he looked at Bertram.

“You’re pretty shit at consoling people, you know that?”

Bertram shot him back a grin.

“It’s a damn shame you have to be right though,” Keldon said with a sigh.

“So ya gonna tell me what’s going on now then?” Bertram asked.

“…Yeah. Okay.”

As Bertram pulled up his stool closer as Keldon began to tell him his story.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

“….. Good Gods, holy shit” said Bertram, finally breaking the silence that was created when Keldon finished telling him the story.

“ So to chalk it all up; you suddenly can use magic, your dreams are trippin’ out and blending together and ya think someone’s giving em to ya to get something done ?”

“Yeah, that’s about the gist of it.”

“So what now?”

“That’s the thing. I really don’t know what to do Bertram, I don’t have control over when I have these dreams and I usually get killed before I can figure anything out.” Keldon said frustrated

“There’s nothing about them in any of the books in Mortimer’s shop and if he doesn’t have them, then nobody else here in Greenhearst is going to either.”

“…so why not leave?”

Keldon paused.

“What?”

“You heard me Varmint. Leave. Get out of Greenhearst; you’ve been in this damned place long enough. Because from what you’ve told me, if these visions you’re telling me have any sorta truth to them, then you’re gonna hafta do a hella lot more than stop these buffoons from sniffin’ fumes to stop whatever the hell’s goin’ on there.”

Keldon looked out the door to the mud pits and ash of the place he had called home for the last 6 years.

"Who'd help the new recruits though?"

"They're pausin' new recruitment 'til they can find out what in the tarnation happened to the Aberration. So they'll be fine for awhile"

“Leaving Greenhearst huh... Where would I even go?”

“Lookin’ for information right? How ‘bout the Grand Academy?”

Keldon eyes widened.

“W-what??! The Grand Academy?? I can’t go there, Bertram! They only take the best of the best and need I remind you, Bertram, that the magic I use is illegal. What am I supposed to say? “Why yes sir, I may or may not be able to use magic skills but if you don’t let me in, there MIGHT be an apocalypse” Which, by the way, we don’t even know if it’s real or not.”

“As an apprentice scribe, shit ferr brains,” Bertram said, shaking his head.

“Only nobility, the ultra-rich, or someone with a hell of a connection can even take the entrance exam. Everybody wants to become an apprentice scribe at the Grand Academy, even if you never get past being an apprentice scribe, you’ll still be set for life."

“I know a brat who'll sponsor you.”

“What do you mean?” Keldon said, turning towards Bertram with a funny look before it clicked in his mind

"You know someone that could get me into THE grand academy?”

“Mhm” Bertram mumbled. “I’ll write him a letter to tell him your comin’ so you best get ready to leave. You’ll live with him for a few months before entrance exams start. He’s a bit of a Slimy Varmint but he keeps his word, he owes me a few favors so he’ll happily sponsor you to get rid of ‘em."

Keldon clutched his sheets, feelings welling up in his chest. Sniffling and wiping his eyes, his voice warbled as he said “Thanks Bertram… for believing me.”.

Bertram shrugged his shoulders in a false nonchalance, “ Saved my life buddy, least I could do.”

“Plus, if it turns out your a loon, ya could always come back and sift through dirt with tar-eyes again.”

Bertram stood up, and took a big stretch, almost stumbling over on his new leg but catching himself at the last moment.

“You got two days. Ya’ leave with the prison cart to the capital.”

Bertram walked out the door, kicking Hilda who had fallen asleep around the corner as she jolted awake, immediately beginning to yell at Bertram about consideration and how he needed to be more gentle as Keldon’s father figure. However, none of that had even registered with Keldon, because he had already lost himself, deep in thought.

I’m fulfilling your dreams after all Luther… Tianna… Baby Aisha.I get to attend the Grand Academy Keldon thought. However, the dark clouds that Bertram pushed back slowly crept back into Keldon’s mind as his mood darkened, thinking about the past.

But... do I even deserve it?