Traitor

The rains had ceased a few hours ago, and a thick morning fog covered the expanse of an old brick manor house, it was perched on the northern hills of the town of Parte. It was 2:00 in the morning, and a dim light was shining from its 1st-floor window. Dewdrops started to condense on the glass and on the vines covering the aged manor's walls. The droplets shimmered as light reflected on them.

A silhouette of a woman and a sleeping child on a bed can be seen through the hazy window. It looked like a mother was watching over her child as he slept soundly into the night. It was Sagitta and she had lulled Athos into sleep with a Ward, she then covered his body with a clean blanket to keep him warm.

"Finally, he's resting... His wound should close up and his blood level should return to normal in a couple of days." A sigh of relief escaped Sagitta as she watched Athos sleep soundly.

She knew that Athos' condition was still grave and he needed to recover both physically and emotionally. The little prince's Mana was almost depleted and his Divinity leaked out unconsciously from his body.

Sagitta then disabled the illumination spell she had cast into the room and took out a small mana stone lantern from her spatial inventory. She activated the illumination enchantment on the lantern and placed it by the night table beside Athos' bed.

"Hopefully, this is dimmer than the illumination earlier… it would be troublesome if the townspeople here discovered that their landlord has returned."

Sagitta groaned as she contemplated what would be her best course of action while they await Athos' recovery.

She had thought of reaching out to her old connections in the Town of Sequi, which was a week away from Parte. She wanted to collect information on the current state of the continent. Now that the Palace had fallen, it was likely Moirais shall be persecuted and condemned. It would be a pincer attack from both the Church and Seditio should they expose themselves carelessly.

'Hmm… If that's the case then we'll have to head east and escape, to the neutral territories of the eastern continent.' Sagitta scratched her head in frustration. 'I guess it's no use, we'll need to go to Sequi regardless.'

A gentle knock on the door took Sagitta's attention, she then turned her back to see Omri entering the room.

"Mother, I'll keep watch on the prince now. Please rest as well."

Omri walked and grabbed a wooden chair by the door and placed it by Athos' bedside, just across Sagitta's. He had just got out of the bath and had changed into warm clothes.

"I never thought, those clothes… would fit you like a glove, Omri." Sagitta giggled as she saw Omri's clothes.

Omri was wearing a wool turtleneck, his black trousers were a bit short, exposing his ankles and feet. He had set aside his shoes by the door with a drying enchantment and was walking around barefooted. A towel on his shoulder hangs loose as he wasn't yet done drying his damp brown hair.

"Do I look funny in these clothes, mother?" Omri asked as he sat on his seat with a puzzled expression.

"It's fine Omri… It's just that I didn't expect that those clothes would fit you." A gentle smile appeared on Sagitta's face. "Those are your paternal father's clothes though."

Omri's widened. "Then… this house… it is true?"

"Yes, this was where you were born, Omri." Sagitta's jade eyes had reflected melancholy but her lips showed a gentle smile.

"This was your mother's childhood home where she grew up from infancy up until her youth. This was also where your paternal parents… met and fell in love with each other." Sagitta then patted Omri's back. "I and Turris had kept this place safe after the fall of House Fidelis."

Sagitta then grabbed the loose towel on Omri's shoulders and helped him dry off his damp hair.

"Dry your hair properly Omri, we can't risk anyone getting sick due to the cold." Sagitta gazed at Omri with a doting face. Her eyes were filled with concern and a hint of annoyance.

Sensing Sagitta's irritation, Omri grabbed her hands. "I can do it on my own, Mother… I'm no longer a child." He then vigorously stroked his brown hair with the towel. He knew that Sagitta was a doting mother and she would nag endlessly until he followed her instructions.

"Mother… Is the prince going to be okay?" Omri inquired as he thoroughly squeezed his hair dry.

"Yes, he should be able to regain his strength in two days. He just needs complete rest."

"Also… is father Turris alright?"

Sagitta's face darkened, her jade eyes reflected sorrow and her mouth quivered. Omri noticed the change with Sagitta's demeanor and he held his breath as he anticipated her reply.

"Omri, promise me one thing… Don't let your emotions control you. Ever… Please." Sagitta stared at the pale green eyes of Omri with a forlorn expression.

Omri's fists clenched, he was getting nervous, there was a sense of dread at the back of his head.

"I promise, mother." He reluctantly replied.

Tears fell uncontrollably from Sagitta's face, she then embraced Omri tightly and whispered to his ear that Turris' Bond was terminated when Athos and Omri left the watermill yesterday. Sagitta cried and sobbed as she wasn't able to feel Turris anymore and that their connection had been forcefully cut.

Omri knew that when a person's Blood Bond is severed, it meant that The End had retrieved the soul of the one who initiated it. Turris was the one who proposed to Sagitta for her hand in marriage and was the one who made the Bond that linked both of them.

Turris had died.

Both Omri and Sagitta wept as they remembered him. A father that will be terribly missed and a loving husband that will never return home. Their tears and wails seeped into the foggy night until dawn.

***

A man decked out in a Green hooded cloak sat before an ornate dining table, The man ate his lunch unhurriedly and elegantly as he sliced a piece of a tender, medium-rare steak on his plate, he then forked the piece to his mouth and chewed with gusto. His lips arched into a satisfied smile as he tasted the juicy bite and savored it before swallowing. He then swirled his wine glass and sipped the red wine that was paired to his main course.

"Hmm… so Docere was killed?" The cloaked man asked in a low, calm voice.

His henchman was kneeling in front of him, he looked nervous and was fidgeting as he relayed the tragic news to their leader.

"Who killed him?" The man asked as he emptied his wine glass.

"Big Brother… according to our surviving brethren, he had been killed by the Calamities that were summoned by the Emperor and the Empress… And..."

"And?" The robed man then took a bite of another piece of meat from his plate.

"...Our fellows from the Church who survived informed us that Docere had asked to hunt for a pair of brown-haired siblings, the strange thing was, Docere had warned them to be careful."

"And why is that?" The robed man set aside his fork and gazed inquisitively on the kneeling man.

"Uh… Uhh… Docere mentioned that the siblings were capable mana users." The henchman flinched as he felt the fierce gaze of the hooded man.

'Capable mana users? It can't be…' The hooded man pondered. He is aware that every being in the continent possessed trace amounts of mana by birth, however, it is only Moirais and children of the Fae who are capable of wielding and controlling it.

"Hmm… looks like we have survivors then." The hooded man chuckled. "Did our brethren manage to secure them?"

"Unfortunately… they weren't able to do so, Big Brother."

"Now that's a problem… If we let those two loose, they are a risk and a threat to our Brotherhood." The robed man then sat up from his seat and fixed his cloak. He then walked towards the door and opened it for his subordinate.

"You may leave." The robed man then gestured to his henchman to vacate the room. "I will be meeting the Enlightened One shortly."

"O-of course, I shall bid you farewell Big Brother." The kneeling man stood up and hurriedly left the room.

"Survivors… tsk, and I thought I had erased them all back in the Palace…" The robed man clicked his tongue with annoyance and slammed the door shut.

"Wow, steak for lunch… Isn't that too fancy for a meal in the daytime?"

The robed man was startled by the voice, he turned back towards the dining table and saw a black-haired 20-year old man, his blue eyes glinted as the sunlight hit his face. His eyes had bags underneath and he wore a tired expression. He sat on the dining chair comfortably as he used his red cloak as a blanket to cover his body.

"...E-enlightened One! M-my apolo-"

"Irae Praeter, can you please stop calling me with that shitty nickname?" The man scratched his head. "I'm not that old enough to be called like an ancient being or something… Or do you want me to call you by your nickname too? 3rd Brother? The Nameless One?" The man clicked his tongue with annoyance.

"Don't do that, please." Irae massaged his furrowed brows.

"Let's call it quits then, call me Cassius, little brother." A tired smile appeared on his face.

"A-alright… Cassius." Irae stuttered. He then removed his green cloak as a sign of courtesy and hanged it on a cot, next to the door.

Irae's appearance was now exposed, his long white hair was tied in a neat bun, his fair face had several wrinkles near his brows and chin and his malachite-tinted eyes remained sharp.

"To think… Only I have the right to see your face and call you by your name." Cassius chuckled and sat up from his chair. He then approached Irae and cupped his hands on his cheeks and inspected his visage.

"Also, you aged? That was fast, I didn't see those wrinkles when we met last time! Aren't you Moirais supposed to age slower than mortals?"

"Shut it, Cassius, you're not even a damn mortal nor a Moira. In fact, I find it strange that you, despite being a decade older than me, still looked like a kid." Irae hissed as he spoke with the Enlightened one casually.

"Don't remind me of my age, you bastard." Irae clicked his tongue.

Cassius smiles back at him and then released his hands from Irae's face. "You've heard about Docere, and his fugitives right?"

"Yes, apparently the men said they escaped." Irae scratched his head. "And now, we're trying to locate them since if we let them loose, it's going to be a headache later on...."

"I have good news for you though... I did manage to find them and identify them." A gentle smile appeared on Cassius' face.

"Wanna know, little brother?" Cassius' smile then turned into a sinister one. "Little bro, I swear, you'll enjoy hunting for them once you get to know them." Cassius cackled.

"Who were they, then?"

"It's the bastard child you failed to erase." Cassius scratched his head as he recalled. "Oh and also, the prince tagged along with him…"

Irae's eyes dilated in shock. "Omri Fidelis and Prince Athos? They lived?"

"Yeah, and also, it seems that both of them were saved by the woman who escaped my swordsmanship. What was her name again... Cura? Sagica? The wife of the man you cut off recently." Cassius sighed. "Man, your names are too damn confusing! Back in my worl-"

Irae abruptly grabbed the collars of Cassius. "Where did you last track them?" His eyes were filled with raging hatred.

"Woah! Calm down Irae, I lost them at the eastern district back in Anima. The Cura woman used a Ward. I couldn't track where they had gone to!" Cassius panicked as this was the first time he saw Irae in an agitated state.

"Hmm… if Sagitta is alive, and that bastard child too, there is a way." A cunning smile formed on Irae's face.

"Cassius, allow me to hunt them."

~~~~~

To be Continued.

~~~~~