The members of X13 stood frozen in place, locked in stalemate with the Sylvan and his hostage against the dim light of the crumbling townscape. The rising sun was just beginning to kiss the sky, not yet illuminating the scene in full, but sending a tinge of golden-red throughout the violet hue of the morning’s first scattered clouds.

A droplet of sweat tickled the side of Argent’s neck as he held his hand fixed in place alongside his waist, so close and yet so far away from a grasp upon his weapon. He locked eyes with the man before him. Teo looked to be on the verge of breaking into manic laughter, his eyes glittering dangerously as he held the knife against Eophi’s skin. His expression dared them to reach for their weapons.

Julie screamed, Izadura remained glued to the spot, and Argent’s mind moved a million miles an hour. He saw Izadura’s hand inching towards a drawing position, eager to test the relevance of their opponent’s threat. Would they be able to do something in time? Izadura was fast, but it seemed unlikely. There was a high chance that even if the swordsman killed Teo in a single exchange, Eophi would still be harmed in the process. Argent had to buy them time to think. He could only hope the swordsman would play along until they could find the right answer.

“What is this about, Teo? What do you want?”

“Hoh? Perhaps we aren’t so clever.”

Argent glared back at the Sylvan, and the man sneered.

“I told you once already; It’s time for you to leave.”

“But why? Why would you summon a witch into your forest? Why would you corrupt your own ancestral home?”

“...Corruption has its uses.”

Teo spoke with a cold resolution, but it was not without the faintest hint of regret. Summoning a twisted deepfae creature into his beloved forest realm was clearly not something the man relished. A revelation which furthered Argent’s line of questioning, providing him something to continue making jabs with.

“A Sylvan would bleed his forest for power? What could possibly have been so important?”

Lauteo Shaiye, son of the deep woods, raised the arm not threatening Eophi to gesture at the village around him.

“Is that not obvious?”

“There’s nothing obvious about putting your own home to the torch.”

“This is not. MY. Home!”

Teo lashed out, his voice a pained growl.

“This village is a parasite on the underbelly of our forest! One that never would have been permitted if not for the softness of my Grandfather! ‘Live and let live’, he would say. Allow the humans a place to settle, and teach them to love the forest. Lunacy! Absolute misguided lunacy!”

His eyes were wild with furor behind the sheen of blood which leaked from them, the whites of his eyes stained red. The gore trickled down his face like a river of warpaint as the strain of his broken bloodlink showed clearly in the spasms of his facial muscles, as if his very lifesource were convulsing in agony beneath.

“Always a new request, a new expansion– never an ultimatum. Never a final line. Even now, this one–”

He shook Eophi violently.

“--Constantly complaining, speaking of ‘improving’. Goading the Elder to change the way of the village. These people have turned their backs to the forest, after they cut it and domesticated it, pruned it into orchards that no longer know the wilds. The trees and fields cry out for care, yet these dross would sooner abandon them for a life of steel and smoke..”

Argent watched as the sylvan’s body began to tremble from the passion of his rant, and tightened his fist. The urge to draw his pistol struck him, but he hesitated. Something told him that the timing wasn’t right. Looking sidelong at Izadura, he knew the swordsman would be fighting the same urge, and so he shook his head. He could feel the apprehension of his classmate, but saw his shoulders lower as he ceased his intent to attack. Argent gave him a slight nod of gratitude for his trust.

“I needed that hag.. I needed her mixtures and powders. Surely you don’t believe me powerful enough to dominate an entire village with my arts alone? Yes, I formed a pact with the deep ones, but It was to save my forest! Is corruption not preferable to destruction? Beneath decay, there is still life! With control of this place, over time it would fade to soil and vines– reclaimed by nature itself.. It was all proceeding accordingly…”

Lauteo reeled with disdain, glaring with killing intent at Argent and his classmates.

“I had Brandubh under my thumb, I controlled everything in and out! I don’t know WHERE or HOW you got that contract, but it shouldn’t have existed! Yet in you come, and I have to play along– after all, what could two kids do? Defeat a few lesser fae and go home none the wiser? No! I should have killed you from the start!”

He was positively ranting now, screaming and hissing with absolute indignance. The edge of his knife bit into the edge of Eophi’s skin as he swung her carelessly in his rage, and Julie screamed out in helpless panic once more.

“As soon as you refused the drinks I ought to have known not to risk it! I should have ended you then and there!”

Argent’s mind paused for a moment at that statement, and the Sylvan saw the hesitation in his thought process. Gratified by another opportunity to disparage Argent’s foresight, Lauteo lashed out spitefully with a smirk on his face.

“Yet another thing you didn’t quite catch, I see! Not that it matters, but I do hope you anguish in knowing you weren’t as smart as you believed. Of course, harmonizers in the ciders wasn’t enough to touch everyone– like annoying brats who don’t drink.”

Between the screaming voice of her sister and the seeping cut in her upper shoulder, Eophi was breaking from her trance. Her eyes regained their life as she suddenly began to struggle, fear overtaking her as she screamed and fought against Lauteo’s grip, but it became apparent as she moved that her wrists were bound behind her back.

“J-julie?! Argent! Teo?? What’s happening?!”

“Eophi!”

“Silence!”

Lauteo shouted over their cries, striking Eophi hard in the face. The blow dazed the girl heavily, her body slumping over part way as she struggled to catch her breath. Something in her skin tensed and then writhed, lurching upwards towards the cut between the base of her neck and clavicle. Skittering, twitching black legs emerged from the edges of the cut as the flesh around it buckled and stretched, revealing the head of a hideous insectoid creature reminiscent of a centipede.

Argent's eyes narrowed, as he immediately understood why Gauge's senses had viewed the girl so negatively. The creature, a scáthapede, was not something which existed naturally in the world. They were grotesque summons, created to be informants and controllers. While predominantly used to scurry about in the dark corners of the world and gather intelligence, higher level ones could burrow in to living creatures and impose their master's will upon the host. What Gauge had been disturbed by was not Eophi, but the reflection of Teo's influence inside her.

“This one I had to bug, but you I should have given the blade! That mistake is done. Your little farce is over. You will be leaving now, and I will be destroying that troublesome waypoint behind you. This place will fall off the map, retaken by fae and forest.”

From the distance behind, the masses of controlled villagers came shambling from every alley and street. Having either been freed perhaps by Lauteo or having broken loose themselves, they surrounded the group on all sides with torches and tools. Argent looked around at their expressionless stares, grimacing as he noticed how many of them appeared gravely wounded on top of everything else. Some had arms which hung by shreds, many were bleeding or otherwise maimed. If one didn’t know better, they could nearly have been mistaken for a horde of undead.

Eophi let out a pained whimper as the upper portion of the scáthapede emerged from her shoulder, chittering as it swayed and cleaned droplets of blood from its antennae. Argent grit his teeth as Eophi and Julie’s terrified sobs mixed together. Lauteo was laughing now, his voice echoing between the remains of shattered houses as his madness finally let loose. Argent felt something inside of him shift. Eyes cold, he made up his mind to take the shot, but no sooner than he reached for his pistol–

“--Fools! Die, then, just like this girl!”

Teo’s dagger flashed, and a spurt of blood filled the air. Julie let out a mortified scream, and as was becoming unusually common for the alchemist, Argent cursed. Time slowed as his eyes fought to make out what was happening beyond the veil of crimson liquid. His hand still moved to raise his weapon, finger ready on the trigger as he aligned the sights. Eophi was dropping forward towards the ground as he brought the pistol level. Julie was screaming behind him. His eyes settled his front sight post on his target.. And Lauteo..

Lauteo had no head.

“Sit the fuck down, knife-ears. I’m done with this shit today.”

Time regained its speed all at once, a flash of incandescent light pulsing into backsplatter as it tore through flesh. The sylvan's body slumped backwards to the earth with an unceremonious thud, his head spinning several times through the air before rolling acrost the ground like an off-balance soccer ball. His eyes were wide and spiteful, a manic grin still fixed on his motionless face.

“Gauge?!”

The rogue emerged from the shadows, energy fading from his bow as he lowered his weapon hand to his side. The glint Argent perceived in those harrowing seconds had not been the movement of Teo’s dagger, but rather a reflection of [Soul Weapon]’s light. Julie ran crying to her sister, the two of them falling into an embrace as the insectoid within Eophi dissipated in a cloud of black mist. With the witch and her contractor both dead, the last remnants of deep influence fell away from the village. Those under the effects of [Dominate] stumbled and held their heads as though severely drunk, gradually seeming to come back around.

As the veil of the Sylvan’s deception fell away and the haze of deepfae magicks faded; The village broke into despondent cries of alarm and pain as people became cognizant of the situation around them. The shambles of their homes, the wounds on their bodies, the casualties who’s corpses littered the earth. Argent’s heart tightened abruptly as he looked out over the scene, something inside his spirit twisting uncomfortably. He watched, unable to look away, as the people awoke to a world of horror, flame, and blood. A young man in his early teens cried obscenities against the sky as he rushed towards the remains of what could only be his mother, her body split cleanly in two, and from the corner of his eye Argent saw Izadura turn away.

In the midst of it all, Gauge looked like hell. Blood caked and dirty, his clothing was in tatters, ripped and scorched, with heavy blood stains seeping from the shoulder he had bandaged with his cloak. He would have fit right into the crowd were it not for his cold eyes, their depths filled with an unsettling mix of exhaustion and anger rather than pain or regret; His brow furrowed into a crease of hate and discontent. He pushed past the villagers and walked on unsteady steps over to Argent, joining his classmates in the middle of the square.

“I have no idea what the hell is going on, but I’ve had enough.”

Looking over his shoulder at the surrounding mob, he gripped his bow and manifested the beginnings of [Soul Weapon] with a threatening glimmer of inner light.

“Now, does anyone else need to die today, or can I get paid?”

He growled menacingly, glaring around the village at the confused and now terrified townsfolk as his display drew the attention of many. Argent moved quickly to halt his friend, pushing down the weapon before it could be raised. He put his shoulder under the rogue’s arm and forcefully shook his head, helping Gauge stand but also silencing him.

“Easy, easy! That’s not necessary.”

The Alchemist insisted under his breath. Gauge let out an angry huff but allowed himself to be placated. They looked to Izadura and Kotomi, and together the four of them solemnly nodded. It was time to get out of Thrylld.

***

The small team made the jump back to the Endless Horizon without incident, the vertigo hitting Argent hard as always, but this time he had Izadura, Kotomi, and Gauge there to hold him up. They had started the excursion as little more than classmates by acquaintance, but now Argent felt confident in calling each of them friends.

As they stepped out into the lower floors of the bar, Miss Eliza Shepherd, or ‘Eli’ as most called her, stared at them in shock. Immediately she began to fuss over them, drawing what little attention there was to be had from inside the establishment. The place was empty aside from two older patrons sitting at a far table, each nursing a cup of coffee whilst making small talk with old man Walt; the proprietor of the place.

“Oi, now! You lot are a right mess! The hell’ve ye been up to out there, lad?”

Walt spoke up, the hairs of his silver mustache bristling as he turned his attention to Gauge. The rogue frowned and shrugged his shoulders, giving the old man a pitiable look.

“Work’s a real grind, you know?”

Old Walt shook his head, but let out a grim sigh of agreement.

“I suppose that’s true for us all.. Still, I’ve never seen ye so roughed up ‘afore today.”

“It was a ride, I’ll admit that much.”

“Aye, I’ll bet it was.”

The older gentleman rubbed his hands together, looking the haggard group of kids over from top to bottom before moving back behind the counter and beginning to shift around utensils and mugs.

“You lot have yourselves a seat, it’s nye the crack of dawn ye know? We’re about to have a little breakfast. Settle in and take the load off. Eli? Fetch them a few bandages and such so as to keep them from bleedin’ on my floor.”

Eli smiled at his gruff approach, but nodded happily all the same.

“Of course, Walt. You kids relax, I’ll be right back.”

The group from X13 expressed their thanks as they pulled up their seats. Exhaustion, hunger, and all forms of aching pains seeped into Argent’s body the moment his tired muscles let his weight shift off of his feet. He felt like he could have fallen asleep on his face, right there on the table. The others didn’t look any better, heads bobbing occasionally against the pull of fatigue, all but Izadura, who sat proudly upright and kept his attention directed towards Kotomi as though concerned she might fall off her chair.

Some amount of life returned to them all as Eli provided them with supplies and Walt brought them a morning meal of coffee, ham, and eggs. They made friendly small talk with the staff, joking back and forth with smiles, grateful not to be pressed for the details of their adventure. Once the plates were clean and the coffee pot dry, they expressed their gratitude and made to leave the rustic old establishment.

“You lot come back soon, now. I’ll tell Rahndall not to hassle you.”

“Thanks, Walt. We’ll be back before you know it.”

Gauge responded with a wave, holding the door for his classmates as they filed out. Argent cast a look back as he made his exit, smiling at the sight of Eli waving at them as Walt stood at the counter cleaning a glass. As he moved towards the steps, he turned to the side and caught a glimpse of the signboard. It was still covered with contracts, all of different types and ranks. For the briefest moment one caught his eye, something about a need for healing ointments and potions at the academy, but before he could discern the name on it Gauge stepped in alongside him.

“I’m never setting foot in that damned village again.”

Gauge stated darkly as they descended the steps, running a stack of Eldan silvers through his hands with gentle metallic plinks… Despite the currency jingling between his fingers, the rogue still seemed sour. The timing of his arrival may have been a godsend for his classmates, but to the rogue, it had been nothing more than a grueling ordeal. His return had been delayed by the fact that he had dragged back both his own pack and Argent’s, their camping equipment, and everything they had left in the forest while simultaneously fighting off haphazard encounters with creatures disturbed by the unbalance left in the Faewitch’s wake.

After exerting all the effort only to find the town in flames and his friends facing down a hostage negotiation, Gauge had had enough. By the time he realized the Elder was dead as well as Lauteo, the rogue’s patience had worn so thin that he vehemently insisted on claiming their reward themselves, storming into the deceased Elder’s home to claim their wage from the wreckage. Needless to say, he had seen fit to ‘pay’ them for both the Vitra and Black Argonite pieces.

At the end of it all, they had obtained seven pieces of Vitra Argonite and ten pieces of Black, resulting in a payout of thirty-four Eldan. In terms of equivalent Tenebrian value, it was about twelve silvers with some copper on the side. Certainly no King’s bounty, but a modest sum for two upstart academy students.

“That’s.. Probably for the best.”

Argent replied quietly to his friend’s sentiment, recalling the faces on some of the villagers. Right, wrong, or indifferent, the entire scenario that played out in Thrylld had escalated so far beyond control that there really wasn’t any clear winner. Everyone had lost something.. Everyone but them. That singular divide had been enough to build a certain level of hostility towards them as outsiders, even if their involvement had been in good faith. It was likely that out of the townsfolk, only Lea, Dakker, and the apothecary sisters would still consider them in a favourable light.

“Forget it. We tried to help them, none of that was our fault.”

“You’re only saying that because it’s convenient.. When we first arrived, you stressed it differently.”

“What?”

“You said we weren’t there to help. That we were there to do a job.”

“Yeah, well–”

“Gauge, we got involved in something more than we understood, and it turned into a disaster. People died. That whole village practically burned.”

Argent’s mind returned to the town, to the final moments of horror they had witnessed as they walked through the streets. People mourning their homes, livelihoods, and kin. He thought back to the tear stained eyes of a sobbing woman holding the body of her husband, or maybe it had been her son. The way she had met his gaze as they passed, her expression twisted with uncertainty and grief. He could picture vividly the lifeless head of Elder Brandubh rolling to a stop near his feet. The pain in Julie’s eyes when he told her to keep the book of rites, and promised that he would still try to teach her arts, if she wanted.. The way Eophi had clutched her arm and turned away from them when she had sadly expressed it would be better if they didn’t come back.

“What’s the point of something like that..? Did we even.. Do any good?”

Argent looked down at his feet and shook his head.

“If that’s how things are going to play out.. Maybe the less we touch, the better.”

“..Argent.”

“I disagree with your assessment.”

Izadura spoke up, causing the alchemist to jump. He had almost forgotten the swordsman was still with them, he had been so silent.

“Do not turn your back on your good work. Morality and conscience may have been a thin basis for your involvement, but such concepts are not wrong. Rather, I would venture that the world stands to benefit from more of them.”

“We escalated what should have been pest control into decimating an entire town.”

“Would it not have happened eventually, regardless? Would it have been worth trading a few more months or years of peace for an ultimately worse outcome? Who is to say that the Sylvan’s plan would not have grown more violent and dreadful over time? He clearly intended for the village to come to an end.”

“Yes, but.. We could have known more.. We could have dug deeper, prepared better! If we had known.. Understood what was happening, really.. We could have done so much more to stop it.”

“..Did you do what you felt was right, at the time?”

“Huh?”

“At that moment, with what knowledge you had– Did you act as best you could?”

“That’s not..”

Izadura rested a hand firmly on Argent’s shoulder, squeezing.

“The situation turned against us, but you acted with genuine intent. The things you chose to do aligned with your inner self. There is nothing for you to regret.”

Argent glanced at Izadura, frowning. The swordsman nodded.

“It is understandable to mourn such things.. But you must not let them sway you. There is no way for a man to know every outcome of his actions… And looking back will never fail to drag one into an abyss of endless doubts, questions of what could have changed..”

The Kyotan’s voice trailed off slightly at the end of his statement, as though his mind wandered far from the spot where they stood. There was a sadness there, hidden in the stoic undertones. An empathy that made Argent remember he was talking to the last survivor of an entire bloodline.

“Argent.”

“Yes?”

The two looked at each other, and Izadura’s face became stern. Even more so than usual, as he stared into the depths of the younger alchemist’s verdant eyes.

“At risk of repeating myself, let me say only this much more… Experiences like this, we learn by reflecting upon them, that much is true. But you mustn’t allow them to become chains, lest over time you become so entangled that you forget your willingness to act.”

“..Right.”

“Today you chose action. As all actions do, they came with unforeseeable consequence. I too chose action, and my hands will forever carry the weight of blood added to them today.. But my resolution is this; I would much rather shoulder the burden of blood I chose to spill, than that of blood which spilled because I chose not to act.”

Argent stared hard at his Kyotan classmate, unable to speak past the lump in his throat. His chest swelled with a vast array of emotion, threatening to force tears from his eyes if he squeezed them down.

“I believe we have a duty in this world to be, and not merely to seem. There are many who speak grandly in public, casting a veil as they would like to be perceived; Yet they do nothing once safely out of sight.. They speak as if their actions and solutions would be perfect, but never make any effort to implement or execute. They avoid the true burden of action and responsibility.”

The Swordsman looked down at his hands, flexing them as his gaze rested at the ends of his fingertips, trailing down to the callouses which marred his palms from the constant use of weapons.

“By my actions, I give life to my intents. As my hands carve my beliefs into the world around me, I show myself for what I truly am. I bear the accountability of those beliefs, proving that I am worthy to have them… This is the way of my people. It is my way.”

“Isn’t it difficult?”

“All worthwhile things are.”

~End of Vol. 2~