[17] OWNERSHIP

The puff of smoke drifted lazily from the third floor balcony of Hopevale as Alaric exhaled. "It's all my fault… I let him go all alone…"

He glanced over his shoulder as he heard the glass door slide open.

"Captain," Alaric said, getting onto his feet, only to be stopped by Valisha, who put a hand on his shoulder.

"They're telling me he's been broken," Valisha said, leaning on the guardrails, "both physically and mentally."

Alaric gulped, leaning toward her nervously. "That doesn't mean…you know…"

"No," Valisha said, shaking her head. "But the doctor says that it'll be half-a-year before he can stand again. If his healers work overtime, that is."

Alaric exhaled in relief. "That's better than dying, at least."

Valisha turned, sighing. "What about the search party? Did you contact them?"

Alaric nodded. "I did. The council seal convinced Drivic to call off the search mission. But…"

"One of his own Seekers was also involved in this," Valisha said. "The media does not even care about him. But honestly, it's a good thing."

Alaric nodded awkwardly. "It is…" He cursed at himself internally. "You hate Eljin but when it came to it, he was the one who helped Vyzen, not you. He was the 'only' one."

"That reminds me," Valisha said. "Did you read the second paper?"

"Rillon," Alaric said, nodding. "But I'm sure Ragnaul will protect him."

"He's the one in charge of Sliff too," Valisha said. "I just hope he did not have both of them in the same place."

"What about Iyana?" Alaric said. "I saw that before we left you talked with Ragnaul about Sliff. But what about…"

"She's with Lonnie."

"Will she be alright?"

Valisha nodded. "She will."

Alaric exhaled sideways, nodding. "Hope so."

Valisha glanced over her shoulder, turning afterward, looking through the glass door. "Who was that running just now?"

Alaric shrugged. "Must be an emergency."

Valisha opened the door, stepping inside the room. "They went to Eljin's ward."

"Huh?" Alaric said, walking after her, stopping beside Vyzen's bed.

Valisha walked across the room, going leftward after she left it.

"Everything will be fine," Alaric said, gently tapping Vyzen foot before he left his ward to follow Valisha.

He turned left, following the corridor to the third room to his right.

"Drivic," Valisha said, noticing the tired man sitting on the floor, "something wrong?"

"Is Eljin fine?" Alaric asked as he closed the door to the ward he entered.

"The problem isn't here," Drivic—the first-in-command of Kosmos—said. "It's in Kyubu."

"Is he a messenger?" Valisha asked, pointing at the man on the floor.

Drivic nodded.

"Considering the recent news we got," Alaric thought, "I'm not expecting anything happy."

"So what did he tell?" Valisha asked.

"Not much," Drivic said, handing the man a glass of water. "He just came, you know."

"Right," Valisha said, letting the man catch his breath.

The messenger downed the water in one gulp.

Alaric leaned toward him to accept the glass off his hand.

"So, Evnim," Drivic asked. "What's the message?"

Evnim exhaled softly. "The Onyx Ten has declared war against the Kyubu guilds, so you are needed there for the protection of people."

"The Onyx Ten?" Valisha said. "How? When?"

"Er…" Evnim said.

"Patience, Mistress," Drivic said. "He's tired."

"Just…" Alaric said. "Tell us from where it all began."

Evnim nodded. "It began this morning when 'Onyx' Python attacked the Raven stronghold in Esbara—"

"He did what?" Valisha said.

"Calm down, Mistress," Drivic said.

"Umm… Excuse me…"

Evnim gulped. "Buster stronghold also got hit, Mistress…"

"It did not…" Alaric said.

"Tell me who attacked," Valisha said, leaning toward the messenger.

"Erm…" Evnim said nervously. "The twins…"

Valisha straightened her back, sighing. "They're fine."

"Are they?" Alaric asked the messenger.

Evnim nodded. "No one got seriously injured there, but Raven…quite opposite…"

"How?" Valisha asked. "Where was Ragnaul?"

"Well…" Evnim said. "He was the one who last fought Python."

"So Ragnaul killed him," Valisha said. "Is that why the Onyx Ten declared war on us?"

Evnim shook his head. "They declared war against Kyubu because…"

***

Darkness surrounded Python, the shadowy wings catching him off guard. The hall disappeared, only darkness was visible. But the black dome was where Ragnaul felt the most comfortable. Most aware.

"So you like to do it with the lights turned off," Python said, licking his lips. "But it's useless…"

"Now this is what's going to happen," Ragnaul announced. "I'm going to kill you for everything you just did to my Seekers."

"I would love to see that, my darling," Python said. "But you're not the only one who can see in this darkness."

"A Huricus, are you?"

"Yes, my love," Python said with claps. "I can feel your presence by my Huricasurge, although your alchopulse makes me think I don't need it."

"What can I say, Python," Ragnaul said. "I can't control my anger towards someone who harmed my Seekers."

Python grinned in the darkness. "And I can't control 'myself' anymore! Come on, now! Let's start this!"

Ragnaul felt an alchopulse touching him. It was a soft touch, like a weak breeze. Huricapulse. Python must have pulsated his Huricasurge.

"There you are!" Python said, disappearing from sight.

"Where'd he—?" Ragnaul got slashed deep in his shoulder by the knife swipe meant to behead him, only failing because he jerked to the side.

"Surprising," Python said. "You're even faster than the Voltus I just fought."

"So he defeated Lokius too," Ragnaul realized. "I can't hold back now. After all, it's only my fault that things got this bad in the first place."

"You might be fast," Python said. "But I'm faster!" He swiped at Ragnaul's chest, catching him clean. "What the hell?"

Ragnaul smiled. "Dark Hunter: Black Haze!" Ragnaul's body turned gaseous, the knife going through him as if it slashed just air.

"I don't like bastards like you," Python said, leaping away. "But don't think that I don't know your weakness. That type of alchoskill eats away your Alchos way faster than any other."

"You're right," Ragnaul said. "Perhaps you know someone who can use this type of alchoskill. But knowing my weakness means nothing because I'm going to kill you before my Alchos runs out."

Python smirked. "I just have to stand around and you'll run out eventually. That's effortless—"

Ragnaul slashed open Python's chest with his twin daggers by the attack meant to kill him. "Who's going to let you stand around?" Ragnaul turned around, Python appearing in front of him.

"You bastard!" Python yelled. "You are one with the darkness! That's why you trapped me in here!"

Ragnaul exhaled through his smirk. "You don't seem like the average Desperado. I guess the Onyx Ten are really on a different level."

Python raised his knife. "Thanks for the praise, darling."

"Praise?" Ragnaul said with a chuckle. "I wasn't praising you, for if you were really the fearsome 'Onyx' Python, you would've dodged my attack completely! You're an imposter, right? Just a Waxman creation?"

Python lowered his weapon, standing upright. His smirk stretched to a grin. "You really know how to get under my skin, don't you, my love?" With that he powered up his Huricasurge—

Ragnaul shrugged. "What happened? Feeling something?"

Python looked toward him in confusion. "What did you do? Why is it hurting to use my Surge?"

"Is it hurting when you use your Surge," Ragnaul asked with a smile, "or is it hurting to just Harness Alchos?"

Python's eyes widened when he realized the reason why his Surge pained him to power up. He rubbed a hand against his chest, raising it to his face to smell his blood. "You son of a bitch—"

Ragnaul appeared behind Python, slashing at both of his shoulders before he appeared far away. "That's more Harnessing."

Python smiled. "You also love to play with your opponent, don't you?"

"No," Ragnaul said, appearing behind Python again, slashing air this time. "I just can't let you get away, not after you messed with my Seekers!"

Python breathed heavily, standing away from Ragnaul, pressing the cut on his shoulder. "You bastard—!"

"You Harnessed your alchoskill even faster this time," Ragnaul said. "That's even more load on your Harnessing. So quit running away from the consequences and face them head on. It's not like you can get away, not after 'that' on your body."

Python exhaled through his gritted smirk. "So it is Blood of Banishing, after all."

"That's right," Ragnaul said. "My daggers are covered in that forbidden poison derived from a dark object, and I've slashed you a couple times already. But even after realizing that, you kept harnessing, making the poison deadlier."

"I won't die from a poison, my love," Python said with a smile. "I'm a snake, after all."

"Blood of Banishing does not kill you physically," Ragnaul said. "After getting it into your body, the more you Harness, the more it'll hurt to Harness after a couple hours, until you're rendered unable to Harness Alchos at all."

"D-Does that mean this poison takes away my Alchos?" Python said, smile fading. "I thought it affected only the body—"

Ragnaul appeared behind Python, stabbing him in the heart, before he appeared far ahead. "That's the beauty of dark objects. Even when it kills someone, no one knows how it actually kills."

Python pointed toward him with a forceful smile. "Listen here, my love, take my advice and hide someplace I can't get to you because if I find you—"

Ragnaul slashed Python's bicep, only for him to appear ahead. "It's useless to bluff now."

"I'll kill you and you're family, you bastard," Python said, pointing at Ragnaul. "Mark my words! This is a declaration of war, you understand? After I kill you, I'll go for the other guilds then after their families!"

"He crossed the line," Ragnaul thought, turning into black fog, mixing in the darkness then lunging toward Python, slashing off his neck—

Python caught his hand, the dagger slashed deep into it. "The Onyx Ten will come for you! Live while you still can!"

"What the—?" Ragnaul gulped as the Pulse sent to him by Python turned from a weak breeze to a storm slap. He felt as if he were standing very close to a destructive tornado which was slowing getting closer to him—

His hands relaxed as his daggers freed. He looked around in panic.

Python was gone.

"How does his alchoskill work?" Ragnaul thought. "How far can he jump?" He put his hands in his pockets, the darkness funneling into his back. "Whatever it is…he won't be able to use it for quite some time."

The shadowy dome disappeared.

"Master Ragnaul!" Sliff said loudly, approaching him. "You won!"

"Not really, kid," Ragnaul said. "He got away."

"Got…away?"

"His alchoskill is…weird."

"Alchos…kill?"

"Alcho-skill, kid," Ragnaul said, passing by Sliff. "Not alchos-kill. We don't need to kill Alchos, do we?"

"Right…"

Ragnaul took out his hands, his eyes widening. "Why are you…?"

"Oh," Myrin stood from her knee, Raven Seekers around her. "What's up, Ragnaul?"

"I asked you to accompany Kylix!" Ragnaul said, stomping toward her. "What're you doing here?"

Myrin rolled her eyes, gesturing toward the Seekers. "They fine, not even a single one of them got injured this bad."

Ragnaul composed himself, looking at Lokius. "Is that so?"

"But this is as much I can help for free," Myrin said, stretching her arms. "I'm taking off now."

Ragnaul glanced at the Ravens, their wounds were healed. "I guess you can go… Nothing is stopping you now."

"Nothing can, Ragnaul," Myrin said, walking past him.

The Raven Seekers got up from the chairs they sat on, bowing as the green-haired woman left.

"Thank you, Myrin," Ragnaul said, bowing as she left.

Myrin raised a hand as she passed through the main gate, waving.

The Seekers straightened up, settling on chairs around the main hall to let their wounds heal further.

Lokius stepped toward Ragnaul. "You didn't tell us a Rogue was also helping us!"

Ragnaul turned. "I didn't know either."

"Huh?"

"I met her just this morning."

"What? How can that be?"

"But she did help both the teams. That's something we can't deny."

"Right… I'm just glad she reached here before anyone died."

"You know what they say about them," Ragnaul said, glancing over his shoulder toward the main gate. "In times of need, they show up."

Lokius nodded, walking toward Sliff. "Thanks for running away, Sliff."

"Huh?" Sliff said in confusion. "I…"

"That could've been my dying wish, you know," Lokius said, jabbing lightly at Sliff's chest. "Thanks for not being stupid enough to not run."

Sliff formed a weak smile. "Thank you for protecting me too."

"You're welcome," Lokius said. "But it was only a mission, you know, otherwise I don't really care about you."

Sliff nodded. "Right…"

"Ravens!" Ragnaul announced. "We have to get away from here. It seems things will only get dirtier from here on out. If they want to attack us again, they have to find us first. We must relocate to avoid unnecessary visits before all of you can fully recover."

"Yes, sir!" the Ravens said loudly in unison.

"'War', he said," Ragnaul thought as a breeze made his arm hair stick up. "We have to be prepared… I must call back Valisha and the rest of Kosmos. Maybe it's time for Drivic to become the Master of Kosmos."

***

"I can't become the Master of Kosmos," Drivic said. "It's just disrespectful to Master Dubius."

"Times call for tough measures, Drivic," Valisha said. "It's time and we must take tough measures. Kyubu needs to trust the council because when the word gets out…there will only be panic."

"Measures?" Drivic said. "I don't mean to be disrespectful, Mistress, but there is no possibility of panic only if you were returning as well. Kyubu needs the 'Ironbringer'!"

"I can't," Valisha said. "They'll only heal Vyzen in my presence; they are worried about a visit from the Desperado if I leave."

"It's just one man, Mistress," Drivic said. "Just leave Alaric here, like I'm leaving Haydon, and let's return to protect Kyubu."

Valisha turned away, sighing. "I just can't."

Drivic stood, shadowing Valisha from behind. "What if the Onyx Ten really does attack? What will Kyubu do without its top two guildmasters?"

"That's why you must leave with Haydon as quickly as you can," Valisha said. "The war is just the word of one man. I don't think it's going to be that big. Alaric will accompany you on your trip."

Drivic settled down. "No offence, Mistress, but this is just irresponsible."

Valisha sighed before she left. "No… This is just what a Master is supposed to do." She closed the door behind her, walking toward Vyzen's room.

"What is wrong with me?"

She entered Vyzen's room, glancing at the red-bandaged body of his. "It's all my fault… I should've never sent him on this mission at all."

***

The safe house was in a forest that Sliff did not recognize. But it didn't matter. As soon as he got his own room, he closed himself in it.

He lay down on his bed, something he wanted to do for the entire trip. The blurry trip. His thoughts were yelling at him so much that the trip was nothing but a hollow memory to him.

But now he could finally sleep.

"It ends now! I can't take it anymore. I can't be protected forever."

Sliff closed his eyes, reaching for the bright light in the brightness within him. "Vyzen when were little, Tane on the quests, Rillon on the street, Lokius in the stronghold, Master Ragnaul from a Desperado, and Galarax from Zomir's monsters… Protected… Always protected… Never in my life have I felt control over my life… This is wrong… It ends now!"

Sliff pulled on the light.

"I have to become strong enough to not only protect myself but also the ones I want to…"

The euphoric warmth washed him to his destination.

"I can change… I have to! Because my weakness…is my own fault!"