"I will rest here," he told himself, "where I will not be any trouble to the people of this village." As soon as he finished his sentence, he fell again into the blackness. His unconscious form had laid there for only minutes before it was scooped up and carried off to a safer place.
"You should have taken my advice, friend." Came a familiar voice as Kronik slowly opened his eyes. Blaze Alias stood over him, a look of concern across his face.
"Why do you care?" asked a groggy Kronik.
"You could have killed me, on the road when we first met." Replied Blaze. "yet you didn't. I feel as if I owe you this, at least." He smiled as he looked back on their meeting on the forest road. Could he have killed me? He thought. He knew that he wasn't as weak as he seemed, but did the man lying in front of him know that? He only chuckled, and left the man to his rest. He stopped in the doorway, and looked back at his new friend. "Three weeks at least, before you will be at full health. I want you to rest for at least one." He then proceeded to leave.
"Friend?" Kronik said aloud in the empty room. The man, blaze, most certainly seemed to be a friend. He had saved Kronik, in a sense. He just shook his head and closed his eyes, as a new wave of pain rolled over him. As sleep took him once more, a new series of questions filled his mind. As he blinked one more time before loosing consciousness, one word escaped his mouth, just as blaze returned into the room. "Tess."
[xxx{=======>
Skaith stopped in the middle of the road. He had been traveling for days, and now stood in Haltara, his home. He reached to the back of his neck, noting for the third time that day, the sharp pain he felt there, but there was something else, something pleasant about it. Kronik, my friend, what is happening to you? He looked ahead of him, to the grand structure that marked his destination. The Mage's Tower loomed before him. Quickly he made his way to the base of the magnificent building. There was no door, as only those of magical skill were allowed to enter. He place his hand on the center of the wall, and uttered a simple yet powerful phrase, as a small gap appeared in the stone. Skaith entered the building, and the opening closed as quickly as it had appeared. A man stood waiting for him, a black tunic and fiery red flowing robe marking him as Gordon De'flare, Mage of the fire element, and third ranked mage of the tower.
"Akuma Mahou, you return early." Chided the extravagant man, whose age could not be determined by his appearance, for he looked fifty years his junior, and he acted it as well. He swept over to greet his former student, but was surprised to see the familiar smirk replaced by a look of concern.
"You are not here for further training." The man stated more than asked, "What troubles you so?"
"I have much to explain, and more questions than answers. I came here for guidance."
"Wouldn't Artemis be of more use than I?" he asked with a smile. The look that skaith now wore told him more than he needed to know. "I see. Come then, we will meet with the rest of the Thirteen Arcane, and you will tell me the fate of my dear friend Artemis. Skaith nodded silently as Gordon quickly strode over to the glowing orb that sat in the center of the room. The bounce in his step completely gone, he placed his hand over the orb, as twelve shadowy figured erupted from the sphere.
"My fellows, I must request an emergency meeting."
"And what could be important enough to call for such a gathering?"
"The details are unknown to me, however," He paused, choosing his words carefully, "it has led to the death of Artemis, one who each of us owes our lives to many times over." Before he even finished his sentence, the shadowy figures were replaced by their real bodies. The Thirteen Arcane had assembled completely for the first time in over sixteen years.
[xxxx{=========>
One full week had passed since Kronik had lost consciousness. Slowly he rose; his body sore, but the poison and the wound had completely healed. Huger and weakness were all that pained him now. The door burst open, and a smiling Blaze bounded in.
"It's about time you awoke! I was about to call the mortician to remove you from the room!" he laughed, as he helped Kronik up from the spare bed. "I'm sure you are hungry!" he laughed again, as Kronik stood on his own. "Come with me, I know where we may find a good meal."
He led Kronik into the streets, chatting constantly, as Kronik silently listened, offering a nod when appropriate. They arrived at Uri's Tavern, where Kronik paused, to watch as the beautiful woman, Tess, passed by. Their eyes met, and she quickly changed her expression to a scowl as she turned and walked back in the direction she had come from.
"…So anyway, this is…" Blaze stopped suddenly, when he realized that Kronik had not entered behind him, and he popped his head out the door, just in time to see the woman turn and leave. Kronik quickly ducked as Blaze's hand, which was aimed for the back of his head, swung harmlessly by. Before the dodge even registered, blaze found the assassin at his back, his own arm he had swung with wrapped around his throat.
"Hehe," he laughed as he was released, "I see that you still have your reflexes, even if you haven't eaten in a week." With that a grumble from kronik's stomach made them both burst into laughter.
"Why did you swing at me?" Kronik asked as he followed blaze through the door.
"If I didn't, you would still be watching the spot where she was standing!" followed his laughter filled response.
They entered through a second door, and into a large room. Kronik stopped and looked at his surroundings.
Instead of the dusty, damp place he had known to have been called taverns, this place stood out as a radiant and welcome sight. Against the far back wall there was a single bar, at which three elderly gentlemen sat laughing and seeming to be having a good time. Beside them sat a surly fellow, whose size seemed more fitting to a gorilla than a human being. The two empty seats between the huge man and the solitary patron who sat at the end of the bar afforded Kronik a good look at the magnificently crafted stools atop which lavish velvet pillows crested. A fine place to sit, he thought, however he was led to the far right corner by blaze, who seemed more impressed by the wonderfully spacious sitting area where sturdy and smooth, eloquent tables adorned the center, surrounded by couches that seemed as inviting as the bar stools, if not more so.
"This is Uri's Tavern, and this," He exclaimed as he pointed to a slender woman tending to the order a smiling young man, "Is Uri, the hostess of this most beautiful of places." He beamed, as the woman made her way to the newcomers.
"Mr. Alias flattery won't get you any more free drinks," she smiled, as she passed by. With a raised eyebrow the man spun around and let loose a reply slightly louder than he had meant.
"I mean to say most beautiful bedside's yourself!" many laughed, as blaze sat down on the comfortable couch, blushing more than a little.
"Now I might be having to charge you double, Mr. alias," She laughed, as she passed by again and delivered a small cup and a bottle to the young man who she had been attending to before the two hand entered.
"It is a good pass time of mine to antagonize her at every moment," he explained to the smirking assassin who sat beside him. "But I'm sure she'll come 'round to liking me sooner or later."
"Later will be my guess," she said with a smile to rival that of Blaze's, as she set a small bottle on the table between them.
"I thought you said no free drinks?" he asked as she turned away.
"That's for your friend, and not for you." She said with a stern look. "And don't doubt that if I catch wind that you drank even a sip of that bottle, I'll be sure you won't even find a drop of water within a hundred miles of ya." As she finished she burst into laughter, joined by the men at the bar and the other patrons across the room. Despite her laugh and innocent smile, Blaze didn't doubt her claim in the least.
Time passed quickly that day, as the two spent the hours talking to each other and to the many visitors that passed through the tavern daily. As the sky began to darken, and the number of villagers in the building began to wane, Kronik took his time to survey the comfortable room once more. Simple decorations formed a unique look about the walls, many of them reflecting back the mood of enjoyment, seemingly adding to the allure of the place. The three old men had gone, now replaced by a pair of younger boys, who seemed to be the same age as Kronik. The surly man had relocated to a couch away from the hustle and bustle of the room, and the solitary man from before still sat alone, in the same seat, apparently sleeping.
"What's his story?" Kronik interrupted Blaze in the middle of a long winded joke.
"Who?" asked the now curious man.
"Him." Kronik nodded to the lone figure motionless at the bar. "He isn't sleeping. As a matter of fact, he has been following our every word intently. Who is he?"
"Nothing gets by you, does it?" sighed Blaze. When Kronik didn't respond, but kept his eyes on the sleeping man instead, Blaze continued.
"That's Ajnin, he's a regular here. He's no threat to us, don't worry. As a matter of fact, I think he may be here to see me." And before Kronik could reply he rose and began to make his way toward Ajnin. "Now be a good boy and wait here, ok?" was all he said when Kronik rose too. He watched as Blaze roused the man, and together they made their way into a private room to the side of the bar, followed shortly after by three more figures who not even Kronik had noticed were in the room.
"Don't you be worrying about him," a knowing voice stole his attention. He turned to regard Uri who was now sitting in alias's seat.
"That man may be a flirt, a fool, and annoying to boot, but he isn't the head of the guards for his looks. He can handle himself."
"Looks?" asked the assassin, as a smirk found it's way on his face.
"At last, he smiles!" She laughed. After he offered only a confused look, she continued. "You've had something on your mind since you entered my tavern, no doubt, and I'll not have anyone dampening the spirits of my customers."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring such an effect to your bar," he began, but she cut him off.
"Don't be apologizing for anything, but there's something on your mind, and it's a problem for my customers. And any problem of my customers is a problem for me.
"It's nothing I can explain to you, because it's something I don't understand myself."
"If you love her so much, then tell her so." She said forcefully, the shock of her bluntness sending Kronik back on his heels.
"How do you think I…" He began, before she cut him off again.
"If it's love that's sinking your heart, it's because you're weighing it down trying to cover it up. Let it in the open, and your heart will rise again."
"I honestly have no clue what you're talking about, but I thank you for your advice none the less."
"We'll see, but remember, let it in the open. It's the only way for that smile to see the light of day again." She stood and left without a word to Kronik, and returned to the now empty bar.
"Tess, you may be a fool for wanting him away from here and away from you, but he's a bigger fool for not knowing that he wants to be here, and to be with you." As a new patron entered her tavern, she smiled and made her way to greet her new guest, purposefully passing by the assassin, who was now lost in thought.
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