35th Fragment: -INVITATION-
Markus walked into the infirmary; his heart was boiling with uneasiness. The first person he met was Elisabeth sitting on the bench by herself. As soon as the man saw her grimace, it was clear that the amber-eyed woman had learned the truth - the real identity of the Disciples' monster. However, before Markus could initiate the conversation, Elisabeth got to her feet and popped the question first, "What’s going on? I could feel the entire realm shook.”
“Oh, um,” Markus briefly stumbled over his words as he was expecting a different kind of question. “It’s just Miss Strelitzia – she had a…very bad day.”
“A bad day?” Elisabeth sighed. “You know, Markus – you are a great leader, but by God, you are very, VERY bad at lying. So, let’s just cut to the chase, alright?”
Markus exhaled. How could he have forgotten that the person in front of her was no longer a child? “Okay. I’ll only tell you what I know so far. Sounds good?”
“Fair enough.”
“This morning, we were awaiting a daily update from the Opal Sun Kingdom’s Overseer, particularly regarding the situation of last night’s Raid. It was supposed to be the usual things: the number of enemies they encountered, their classes, and civilian casualties. But all we received was silence – which sounded similar to your case.”
A line instantly appeared between Elisabeth’s brows. “I’m sorry, Markus, but…are you saying that the Opal Sun siblings and the Captain of the Royal Guard went missing?”
“I’m not sure yet, but it is a possibility. Ever since he was appointed as the Overseer, Mr. Helians has never skipped a day in performing his obligation – the same can be said about his sister and Mr. Stark.”
“Now, I can see why Marie is a bit cranky today,” Elisabeth grumbled. “So, what’s the next step?”
“The next step,” Markus paused before clearing his throat. “Is for you to undergo your operation and take a few days off to recover.”
Elisabeth stared at the man in disbelief; her lips parted midway as she quickly slammed them shut as a question suddenly crossed her mind. “Did you know?"
Taken aback by the sudden question, Markus silently locked eyes with the woman for a couple of seconds. Taking a deep breath, the Captain of the Deathstalker simply answered, "Yes."
Elisabeth's scowl deepened, and both of her fists began to tremble from anger. She wanted to scream at the man for keeping such vital information a secret, especially from her. "You think I couldn't handle the guilt, do you? That's why you lied to me about what had transpired on that day?" Elisabeth further inquired.
Markus shook his head in response. "You went through something that a child shouldn’t have, Miss Rosier. By the time we brought you back here, you were inches away from being permanently catatonic. So, I hid the truth and also demanded the other participants to do the same."
"And how long were you planning to keep the truth from me, Markus? I put my friends in danger. If it wasn’t for Edelweiss, I could have…I could have…,” Elisabeth couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence.
“But, you didn’t,” Markus swiftly retorted. “All of you returned safely to the Tower with only grit-filled boots and tiny scratches on your bodies.”
“Out of sheer luck – which I’m convinced will only happen once,” Elisabeth ranted. Feeling slightly nauseous, she sat down at the end of the bench with her arms crossed together. “If you know what I am, then why did you vouch for me? Why did you encourage me to become a Faceless?”
A tiny smile appeared across Markus’s face as if he had anticipated those questions. “Because, Miss Rosier, I believe you are a good person, and I’ll surely be damned if I don’t give you a second chance.”
Elisabeth glanced at her former mentor - she could tell just from his voice that the man was speaking the truth. “I’m thankful for what you did, but that still doesn’t change the fact that I could have killed Edelweiss and the Nightingales. It would not bode well for either of us if the trio died on their first quest - let alone killed by a Faceless."
“I have the utmost faith in their skills, Miss Rosier. Sure, they can be a little chaotic at times, but there is no doubt in my mind that they will succeed in their missions. Given enough experience and self-discipline, they might one day be able to surpass everyone in the current Council of Eight – myself included.”
Elisabeth’s forehead creased from hearing Markus’s bold claim. It was not often for her to see the man speak highly of someone else. “For the Captain of the Deathstalker, that is a lot of trusts you put on a group of novices,” Elisabeth remarked. “Unless you have another reason for doing so?”
Markus remained silent - a reaction that caused the woman to grimace. “Oh God, Markus…you used it, didn’t you? You of all people should know that there are always consequences in trying to change the natural course of fate. Always.”
“I’m fully aware of the ramifications, Miss Rosier and if my action can put an end to this ceaseless war, then I’ll be willing to pay the price.”
Unable to contain her frustration, Elisabeth started to pinch her forehead. “Sacrificing your lifespan is a pretty steep price to pay. Then again, I have no right to dissuade you considering our line of work forced us to face death on a daily basis. Just...one more question, if you don’t mind?"
“Sure,” said Markus, turning his head toward Elisabeth.
“When you found me in the Disciples’ Lair, was there a girl in my arms?”
Markus immediately dropped his gaze to the floor as he began to recall the incident. Even after a decade, the images were still vivid in his mind. The bloody wall and the torn corpses of the scientists scattered on the floor – the entire Complex was so contaminated with bodily fluids and decaying innards, so much so that a single breath could suffocate anyone in the vicinity. Then, he saw her. He saw an amber-eyed girl with her waist fully submerged under a pool of blood. In her wobbly embrace was another girl whose petite body was covered with horrible gashes.
“Miss Rosier…”
“Was there a girl in my arms? Yes, or no?” Elisabeth angrily repeated.
“I don’t think this is a good time…”
“Markus! Tell me!”
The atmosphere grew thicker at the mere sound of Elisabeth’s outburst. As soon as she realized what she said, the amber-eyed woman pleaded to Markus, albeit with a much softer tone, “Please, I beg you. I need to know what happened to Anemone.”
Markus let out another heavy sigh before deciding to take a seat on the nearby bench. “Please do me one little favor, Miss Rosier.”
“What kind of favor?”
“Send my regards to Mr. Achillea and his mother.”
Elisabeth jumped off her seat; her eyes sparked with joy. “She was buried in the Realm of the Tree Dancers?”
“Yes, she was,” Markus returned before slowly rising to his feet. “You can ask Mr. Achillea about the whereabouts of the cemetery. Just so you know, it wasn’t easy to convince Thomas to give your friend a proper burial. But I got the feeling you will try to find out about her sooner or later – so, I guess everything works out in the end.”
Moved by her former mentor’s deed, Elisabeth’s eyes glistened with tears. She wanted to thank him, but not a single word escaped her mouth as her chest started to tighten up.
“See? I told you this is not a good time,” Markus calmly stated.
qs********************************************
[Meanwhile…]
[The Training Hall]
As Sam slowly pushed the door open, the faint scent of camellia slipped out from between the crack. The trio paused - exchanging looks to make sure they were not imagining it. Their prediction was quickly confirmed after they entered the hall and saw a slender woman checking out the weapon rack.
“There you are! We’ve been all over the place looking for you!” Lucy spouted.
"And you found me, at last," said Marie before turning around to face the trio. "Also, judging from your pouting faces, I would assume that Markus told you about the cause of the little earthquake.”
“He did,” Sam nodded his head. “So, what happened?”
“What happened, huh?” said Marie as she placed her hands on her hips. “Sorry, fellas. Can’t tell you – it’s classified information.”
“Even after we got this?" Sam showed Marie the gold badge in his hand.
"Ah, I see all of you are finally official members of the Order. Congratulations, but the answer is still no."
"Oh, come on, Marie," Lucy interjected. “We know it’s about Jason and the others.”
“All the more reason why we can’t discuss such a matter out in the open. Everyone has been on edge ever since Cindar’s sudden disappearance. Take Markus for example – he disregarded the protocol by handing you those badges without Thomas’s knowledge, thus putting himself in a rather precarious position.”
"Cindar again, huh? The man's gone, yet he is still being a nuisance to us all," Rupert commented while scratching the back of his head.
"Yes, he has a knack for doing that. Actually, it came as no surprise considering the investigation on the death of his teammates concluded yesterday."
“Why is that?” Sam inquired even though he could already guess the answer.
“As you may have guessed, it wasn’t an accident. The cave-in was actually a cover-up – both of Cindar’s partners were already dead by the time they were buried underground. Their throats were slit open by something sharp – like a sword,” Marie gestured her finger at her neck.
“He did not…Seriously? He killed them?” said Lucy with a hint of anger in her voice. “What the hell is wrong with that guy? It’s bad enough that he assaulted the little fledglings but murdering his companions? I never thought Cindar will be that far gone.”
“That is not the most baffling thing that he had done. Somehow, he managed to tap into the Dimensional Network without the aid of a Rift Gate WHICH is only possible if he had similar power as mine, or if he knows someone like me.”
"So, Cindar know an Accursed that is not affiliated to the Order? Hang on," Sam blurted out, recalling the hooded figures he saw in the Disciples' lair. "Did you guys remember? The people talking to the leader of the Disciple - one of them had a similar ability as Noah. Could they be the ones who helped Cindar escaped?"
“So, you’ve seen an Accursed who is not a Faceless?” said Marie, her brows snapped together.
“Two, actually. Both of them wore a black mask,” Lucy countered. “I don’t know about you, but I felt like they were trying to mimic us or something.”
“A black mask? How interesting,” Marie muttered as she slightly tilted her head downward “These two – what happened to them?”
“No idea,” Sam shrugged his shoulders. “By the time we reached the leader of the Disciples, they were already gone. Even after we got out of the Complex, there were still no signs of them – it was as if they disappeared into thin air. Do you think…?”
“Hm,” Marie murmured. “I’ll look into this – see if these two mysterious figures had something to do with Cindar’s breakout. As an exchange, I would like to ask a little favor from the three of you."
"A…favor?" Lucy stuttered, glancing at Sam and Rupert who had the same reactions as her. "We're basically novices, Marie, so I don't think we could be of any help to you."
"Quite the contrary. During your…visit to the Desert of the Ashes, Markus spoke quite highly of you - said that you are the best group he ever had the privilege to teach. Naturally, I became quite curious, and I would like to test his claim – unless you are busy, of course.”
"Are…are you inviting us to spar with you?" said Rupert, his voice slightly cracked.
“Oh, don't worry, dear,” Marie chuckled. “Here – to make things fair, I won't be using my power. The three of you, on the other hand, can come at me with everything you got. So, shall we begin?"
35th Fragment: -INVITATION-
Markus walked into the infirmary; his heart was boiling with uneasiness. The first person he met was Elisabeth sitting on the bench by herself. As soon as the man saw her grimace, it was clear that the amber-eyed woman had learned the truth - the real identity of the Disciples' monster. However, before Markus could initiate the conversation, Elisabeth got to her feet and popped the question first, "What’s going on? I could feel the entire realm shook.”
“Oh, um,” Markus briefly stumbled over his words as he was expecting a different kind of question. “It’s just Miss Strelitzia – she had a…very bad day.”
“A bad day?” Elisabeth sighed. “You know, Markus – you are a great leader, but by God, you are very, VERY bad at lying. So, let’s just cut to the chase, alright?”
Markus exhaled. How could he have forgotten that the person in front of her was no longer a child? “Okay. I’ll only tell you what I know so far. Sounds good?”
“Fair enough.”
“This morning, we were awaiting a daily update from the Opal Sun Kingdom’s Overseer, particularly regarding the situation of last night’s Raid. It was supposed to be the usual things: the number of enemies they encountered, their classes, and civilian casualties. But all we received was silence – which sounded similar to your case.”
A line instantly appeared between Elisabeth’s brows. “I’m sorry, Markus, but…are you saying that the Opal Sun siblings and the Captain of the Royal Guard went missing?”
“I’m not sure yet, but it is a possibility. Ever since he was appointed as the Overseer, Mr. Helians has never skipped a day in performing his obligation – the same can be said about his sister and Mr. Stark.”
“Now, I can see why Marie is a bit cranky today,” Elisabeth grumbled. “So, what’s the next step?”
“The next step,” Markus paused before clearing his throat. “Is for you to undergo your operation and take a few days off to recover.”
Elisabeth stared at the man in disbelief; her lips parted midway as she quickly slammed them shut as a question suddenly crossed her mind. “Did you know?"
Taken aback by the sudden question, Markus silently locked eyes with the woman for a couple of seconds. Taking a deep breath, the Captain of the Deathstalker simply answered, "Yes."
Elisabeth's scowl deepened, and both of her fists began to tremble from anger. She wanted to scream at the man for keeping such vital information a secret, especially from her. "You think I couldn't handle the guilt, do you? That's why you lied to me about what had transpired on that day?" Elisabeth further inquired.
Markus shook his head in response. "You went through something that a child shouldn’t have, Miss Rosier. By the time we brought you back here, you were inches away from being permanently catatonic. So, I hid the truth and also demanded the other participants to do the same."
"And how long were you planning to keep the truth from me, Markus? I put my friends in danger. If it wasn’t for Edelweiss, I could have…I could have…,” Elisabeth couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence.
“But, you didn’t,” Markus swiftly retorted. “All of you returned safely to the Tower with only grit-filled boots and tiny scratches on your bodies.”
“Out of sheer luck – which I’m convinced will only happen once,” Elisabeth ranted. Feeling slightly nauseous, she sat down at the end of the bench with her arms crossed together. “If you know what I am, then why did you vouch for me? Why did you encourage me to become a Faceless?”
A tiny smile appeared across Markus’s face as if he had anticipated those questions. “Because, Miss Rosier, I believe you are a good person, and I’ll surely be damned if I don’t give you a second chance.”
Elisabeth glanced at her former mentor - she could tell just from his voice that the man was speaking the truth. “I’m thankful for what you did, but that still doesn’t change the fact that I could have killed Edelweiss and the Nightingales. It would not bode well for either of us if the trio died on their first quest - let alone killed by a Faceless."
“I have the utmost faith in their skills, Miss Rosier. Sure, they can be a little chaotic at times, but there is no doubt in my mind that they will succeed in their missions. Given enough experience and self-discipline, they might one day be able to surpass everyone in the current Council of Eight – myself included.”
Elisabeth’s forehead creased from hearing Markus’s bold claim. It was not often for her to see the man speak highly of someone else. “For the Captain of the Deathstalker, that is a lot of trusts you put on a group of novices,” Elisabeth remarked. “Unless you have another reason for doing so?”
Markus remained silent - a reaction that caused the woman to grimace. “Oh God, Markus…you used it, didn’t you? You of all people should know that there are always consequences in trying to change the natural course of fate. Always.”
“I’m fully aware of the ramifications, Miss Rosier and if my action can put an end to this ceaseless war, then I’ll be willing to pay the price.”
Unable to contain her frustration, Elisabeth started to pinch her forehead. “Sacrificing your lifespan is a pretty steep price to pay. Then again, I have no right to dissuade you considering our line of work forced us to face death on a daily basis. Just...one more question, if you don’t mind?"
“Sure,” said Markus, turning his head toward Elisabeth.
“When you found me in the Disciples’ Lair, was there a girl in my arms?”
Markus immediately dropped his gaze to the floor as he began to recall the incident. Even after a decade, the images were still vivid in his mind. The bloody wall and the torn corpses of the scientists scattered on the floor – the entire Complex was so contaminated with bodily fluids and decaying innards, so much so that a single breath could suffocate anyone in the vicinity. Then, he saw her. He saw an amber-eyed girl with her waist fully submerged under a pool of blood. In her wobbly embrace was another girl whose petite body was covered with horrible gashes.
“Miss Rosier…”
“Was there a girl in my arms? Yes, or no?” Elisabeth angrily repeated.
“I don’t think this is a good time…”
“Markus! Tell me!”
The atmosphere grew thicker at the mere sound of Elisabeth’s outburst. As soon as she realized what she said, the amber-eyed woman pleaded to Markus, albeit with a much softer tone, “Please, I beg you. I need to know what happened to Anemone.”
Markus let out another heavy sigh before deciding to take a seat on the nearby bench. “Please do me one little favor, Miss Rosier.”
“What kind of favor?”
“Send my regards to Mr. Achillea and his mother.”
Elisabeth jumped off her seat; her eyes sparked with joy. “She was buried in the Realm of the Tree Dancers?”
“Yes, she was,” Markus returned before slowly rising to his feet. “You can ask Mr. Achillea about the whereabouts of the cemetery. Just so you know, it wasn’t easy to convince Thomas to give your friend a proper burial. But I got the feeling you will try to find out about her sooner or later – so, I guess everything works out in the end.”
Moved by her former mentor’s deed, Elisabeth’s eyes glistened with tears. She wanted to thank him, but not a single word escaped her mouth as her chest started to tighten up.
“See? I told you this is not a good time,” Markus calmly stated.
qs********************************************
[Meanwhile…]
[The Training Hall]
As Sam slowly pushed the door open, the faint scent of camellia slipped out from between the crack. The trio paused - exchanging looks to make sure they were not imagining it. Their prediction was quickly confirmed after they entered the hall and saw a slender woman checking out the weapon rack.
“There you are! We’ve been all over the place looking for you!” Lucy spouted.
"And you found me, at last," said Marie before turning around to face the trio. "Also, judging from your pouting faces, I would assume that Markus told you about the cause of the little earthquake.”
“He did,” Sam nodded his head. “So, what happened?”
“What happened, huh?” said Marie as she placed her hands on her hips. “Sorry, fellas. Can’t tell you – it’s classified information.”
“Even after we got this?" Sam showed Marie the gold badge in his hand.
"Ah, I see all of you are finally official members of the Order. Congratulations, but the answer is still no."
"Oh, come on, Marie," Lucy interjected. “We know it’s about Jason and the others.”
“All the more reason why we can’t discuss such a matter out in the open. Everyone has been on edge ever since Cindar’s sudden disappearance. Take Markus for example – he disregarded the protocol by handing you those badges without Thomas’s knowledge, thus putting himself in a rather precarious position.”
"Cindar again, huh? The man's gone, yet he is still being a nuisance to us all," Rupert commented while scratching the back of his head.
"Yes, he has a knack for doing that. Actually, it came as no surprise considering the investigation on the death of his teammates concluded yesterday."
“Why is that?” Sam inquired even though he could already guess the answer.
“As you may have guessed, it wasn’t an accident. The cave-in was actually a cover-up – both of Cindar’s partners were already dead by the time they were buried underground. Their throats were slit open by something sharp – like a sword,” Marie gestured her finger at her neck.
“He did not…Seriously? He killed them?” said Lucy with a hint of anger in her voice. “What the hell is wrong with that guy? It’s bad enough that he assaulted the little fledglings but murdering his companions? I never thought Cindar will be that far gone.”
“That is not the most baffling thing that he had done. Somehow, he managed to tap into the Dimensional Network without the aid of a Rift Gate WHICH is only possible if he had similar power as mine, or if he knows someone like me.”
"So, Cindar know an Accursed that is not affiliated to the Order? Hang on," Sam blurted out, recalling the hooded figures he saw in the Disciples' lair. "Did you guys remember? The people talking to the leader of the Disciple - one of them had a similar ability as Noah. Could they be the ones who helped Cindar escaped?"
“So, you’ve seen an Accursed who is not a Faceless?” said Marie, her brows snapped together.
“Two, actually. Both of them wore a black mask,” Lucy countered. “I don’t know about you, but I felt like they were trying to mimic us or something.”
“A black mask? How interesting,” Marie muttered as she slightly tilted her head downward “These two – what happened to them?”
“No idea,” Sam shrugged his shoulders. “By the time we reached the leader of the Disciples, they were already gone. Even after we got out of the Complex, there were still no signs of them – it was as if they disappeared into thin air. Do you think…?”
“Hm,” Marie murmured. “I’ll look into this – see if these two mysterious figures had something to do with Cindar’s breakout. As an exchange, I would like to ask a little favor from the three of you."
"A…favor?" Lucy stuttered, glancing at Sam and Rupert who had the same reactions as her. "We're basically novices, Marie, so I don't think we could be of any help to you."
"Quite the contrary. During your…visit to the Desert of the Ashes, Markus spoke quite highly of you - said that you are the best group he ever had the privilege to teach. Naturally, I became quite curious, and I would like to test his claim – unless you are busy, of course.”
"Are…are you inviting us to spar with you?" said Rupert, his voice slightly cracked.
“Oh, don't worry, dear,” Marie chuckled. “Here – to make things fair, I won't be using my power. The three of you, on the other hand, can come at me with everything you got. So, shall we begin?"
