The Red Priest

"Master, what do you mean?" Ella hurried to say, clenching her blade with both hands. Terrified, she turned to the Young Lord. Having never seen such a perplex grimace laid bare on the young Lord.

Stepping in front of everyone, he frowned as his eyes began to glow, only to fade away. "I will lead." He firmly replied, not willing to peer into the unknown. Licking his lips, a hint of anticipation gripped his heart. "This appears to be a room of torment. We should leave and see what is out there. I will fight alongside you all."

Pressing ahead without anyone agreeing, the echoes of falling water continue to resound. However, there was something off as the water trickled endlessly. It was off, and faint but Zireael could hear it.

"Screams," he muttered, glazing around at the hallow bones dimly lit by the screams.

"Help me! Kill me, please! End it all!" He heard from a faint drop continually from various voices that echoed with each passing ripple. " Make it stop! Make it stop."

Slightly amused by the tormented voices, Zireael shot a glance from the corner of his eye towards the faint glimmer of darkness around the eldritch staff. Narrowing his gaze, he suddenly came to a halt before a large door-iron carrying the crest of a dragon on its helm. It was large, possibly fitting an entire carriage inside if one wanted. However, the doors were open.

Looking down at the scuff marks at the frames entrance, he noticed the parting of dust.

"There is someone here, but I do not know how much there are." Said Zireael.

"I'm ready," Sionn whispered, attempting to mask the fear echoing.

Discerning the faint tremble of their little bodies. The Young Lord did not comfort; he did not see a reason to. Fear was understandable, this was the unknown, and not even he knew what lay ahead.

The air was foul, and visibility was poor, but no one complained. They were scared, but there was a budding flame, Zireael liked. Curiosity was what he wanted to build; it's what made a good adventure, even when death was all but assured.

Steeping past the threshold into what seemed like an underground temple, the blade within Zireaels hands suddenly flickered with the shadow of darkness, shattering the wooden arrow flying at his head with ease.

"HALT! It's just children!" A voice from the darkness resounded.

"What child could find the entrance? They are obviously some type of monster!" A feminine voice shouted, "Put an arrow through their heads and be done with it.

Noticing the three people, Zireael ignored the two irrelevant teens and rested his hollow eyes upon the man dressed in long red robes. His eyes were closed, but the young LLord felt their eyes had just met.

Holding a golden shakujo with seven rings, he stepped in front of the two teenagers by his side, carrying a kind expression. "Duke Blackwater." He announced with the ringing of his Shakujo.

"I don't believe I have the honor of meeting you." Said Zireael when a silver Arcana began to glimmer like flames from his body.

Pushing his crimson Arcana frow his body, the man stepped into the light before Zireael, bowing with grace, "You may call me the Red Priest, and I wish for no trouble."

"Zireael?" Aurelia called with a slight tug upon his tunic.

"You are not from the kingdom of Ferrum, yet you know of me." Zireael probed. There was something off about this man. Merely from his stance, a glint of forwarning touched upon Ziraels heart, setting off ominous warnings.

"When you entered the Realm of Alos, many felt you land and investigated myself included. Know you were but a child we left you alone." Said the Red Priest gripping his shakujo tighter.

Noticing the slight movement, a flicker of both sides appeared as the echoes of two clashes appeared, blasting everyone away in an instant, including both the Red Priest and Lord Blackwater.

Skidding over the floor, Zireael gazed icily towards the red priest, who spoke with a smile, "Forgive me, I was interested."

"Like the ways of Arcana, everything comes at a price," said Duke Blackwater.

"I am sure we can come to an agreement," The Red Priest joyfully said, "If we battled here, many would die."

"DUMB-DUMB! What are you doing!" Aurelia screamed, pushing the rubble off her. Choulgign up a mouthful of smoke. She glared indignantly, pointing her staff towards the young Lord.

Twitching eye once more, the flicker of two firebolts shot towards his head. Weaving through, he glared fiercely, "Stop trying to kill me! Those damn spells move faster than sound."

"Aurelia is angry! Look, you knocked out Ella and Sionn!" Aurelia rushed ahead, glaring daggers into the young boy.

"Just a few bruises; they will live." He complained, getting a vicious right hook upon his nose. Shocked by what happened, he touched his bleeding nostrils, baffled by what had just happened. He was always on guard, yet he was injured— Injured by a child, no less.

Glimmering, Aurelia looked down at her flist, with a hint of blood upon them, "Aurelia did it! YES YES!!! ELLA!! AURELIA DID IT!"

Holding his nose high to stop the bleeding, Zireael held his budding rage, waving off the red priest watching in amusement, "You all should go."

"But of course," the Red Preist said, lifting the two unconscious teens with him before walking away without a care.

Feeling his presence vanish, Zireael frowned, looking down at Aurelia, who was now becoming puzzled by the way the Young Master was behaving.

"Can't you heal yourself?" She hesitantly asked, noticing a faint shake of the head,

"I need objects to heal me. Healing magic cannot work on me. My body is different; it has to heal naturally." He said, pulling out a vial of ether water. Pouring it upon his nose, the bleeding began to stop before he sighed, "How the hell did you hit me?"

Ignoring his question, Aurelia's eyes widened when she looked down at her staff, "So if I hit you with a firebolt, I could kill you?"

"Aurelia, I have defenses up against surprise attacks, but none of them went off." Siad the young Lord with silver glowing eyes.

Noticing the faint silver gold weave entangle, his eyes widened in horror when all of a sudden, an aura that did not belong flickered by forcing everyone within a radius of the boy to faint.

Dropping like a bag of bricks, Zireael caught her body, "What is the meaning of this! I did not form this connection. She nor I was ready? Master, what is this?"He called out but received no answer.

Breathing angrily, his eyes widen and narrow. He dropped the young girl raising his sword to sever the weave. Growing pale as a ghost, his blade fell to her neck with the intent to sever her life and the weave. Only to stop at the tip of her neck.

"The Weave is weak, but I will keep it... For now." He viciously shouted, shattering the ground, pushing his thoughts to contemplate the benefits. Glaring fire into the dark skies, with such a grimace that scared the very darkness." I will find whoever did this, and when I do. Death will be your salvation." He forcefully claimed, resting near his comrades in complete silence.

Oblivious of the lurking deep cardinal eyes, oozing amusement.