Chaos In Vyolmir (5)

"Why...?" Volhcard's voice trembled. All the hatred he'd clung to dissolved in an instant.

Standing before him was not a stranger, not a monster, but the man who had once been his mentor—his master. The very skeleton who had taught him the principles of magic, who had shaped him into a priest of the Glorious Life. The one who'd guided him when he was lost.

Now, that same figure stood tall with a timeworn wooden staff in hand, the blue crystal atop it pulsing faintly with magical light. The intricate, angular runes carved into it shimmered with a quiet intensity. His hollow eyes, though empty of flesh, seemed heavy with something deeply human—regret.

"We both know why I'm doing this, Volhcard," the old priest said softly, turning his back to him. He stepped onto the balcony, gazing out toward the horizon, where the first light of dawn glowed like a distant promise.

Behind Volhcard, the machine known as Idol stood still, its glowing eyes focused on its master. "Your heart rate has become erratic," Idol observed, voice steady and artificial. "Are you alright, Master?"

Volhcard raised a shaky hand, offering a silent thumbs-up in response. He didn't trust his voice—not yet.

His steps were slow and uncertain as he approached the balcony. "What are you talking about…?" he asked, voice quieter now. Almost afraid of the answer.

The skeletal priest's fingers tightened around his staff. "All of this… this chaos I've brought to Vyolmir, it's not without purpose. I'm doing it to save the kingdom—from Aldir." His tone darkened. "Before he finds the scroll... before he reaches Volantis."

Volhcard froze. The name sent a chill crawling up his spine.

He took a step forward, anger rising to meet the dread. "What scroll?" he demanded. "And saving Vyolmir? You've summoned legions of undead! You've razed homes! Stores! Our people—your people—are dead or displaced!"

He pointed outward, beyond the balcony. "Look! The streets are empty, homes abandoned. The survivors are huddled in Altissa, praying for mercy, for some semblance of the lives they lost. You caused this! And for what? Some scroll?!"

The silence that followed was crushing.

Finally, the master sighed. The sound was dry, like wind rustling through bones, but behind it was something deeper—grief.

"There is a scroll," he said, voice low but firm. "Hidden deep within these walls, sealed and protected for centuries. It contains a fragment of the map that leads to Volantis… and more importantly, the means to awaken what sleeps beneath it."

He turned slowly to face Volhcard again. "Aldir cannot be allowed to find it. He will burn the world to ash in his pursuit. If I must destroy this kingdom to stop him—if I must become your enemy, Volhcard—then so be it."

Volhcard stared at him, eyes wide, heart pounding. For a moment, he couldn't speak.

This wasn't a battle of nations or necromancy.

This was something far more personal.

"Is that why you sent me and my friends on that damned journey?" Volhcard shouted, his voice cracking with fury and disbelief. "So you could buy time for this madness? Was I just a distraction to you—just some passing tool?!"

His voice echoed through the grand chamber, his body trembling with rage. But beneath it, hurt lingered. Hurt that was deeper than the anger, more potent than any betrayal he'd ever known.

Dareth turned toward him, his skeletal fingers clutching his staff tightly, his jaw twitching—not from muscle, but from the magic that animated his remains.

"Of course not!" Dareth's voice surged with a rare heat, sharp and desperate. "When you lost your parents to Aldir—when the world turned its back on you—I was there. I took you in. I gave you shelter, guidance. I taught you to walk the path of the Everlasting Life. You rose with faith and devotion, Volhcard. You helped me build a sanctuary—a church that gave hope to so many."

Volhcard's fists clenched, his nails digging into his palms.

"And now it's gone," he hissed. "Everything we built—turned to ashes. All because of that lie. That damn rumor—seven years ago—that I assaulted a noble's daughter. The world spat on me. They dragged my name through the mud. They shattered our church. And you—you stood silent."

His voice broke as he stepped forward, anguish burning in his eyes.

"Even after all of that, I still practiced the faith. I kept preaching to empty halls. I believed in your teachings—because I trusted you. Master. No... Dareth."

Dareth looked away, jaw tight, as if the weight of those words physically struck him.

"You know that rumor… it was never supposed to happen," he said quietly.

Volhcard's voice dropped, hoarse and trembling. "What are you saying?"

Dareth hesitated. The silence between them stretched—dense and unbearable.

"I saw the bond you shared with her," he began, voice distant. "It was genuine… beautiful, even. You gave her light in a life full of shadow. But when I revealed my plan to her, when I told her what I needed to do—she understood. Or maybe… maybe she was just too young, too naive. But she agreed to help. And when the time came, she did what I asked. She accused you."

The words hit Volhcard like a hammer to the chest. He staggered back, his breath hitching. Then his knees gave out, and he collapsed to the floor.

His body shook violently as tears streamed down his face, dripping onto the cold marble. His fingers dug into his robe at his chest, as though trying to claw out the pain.

"You ruined me…" he whispered, almost inaudibly. "You destroyed everything I had… everything I was. All to save the kingdom? All because you feared Aldir?"

His voice rose again, breaking with grief. "You were the one who always told me to face my fears! To stand tall and fight with faith, no matter how terrifying the enemy. And yet… you didn't even trust me enough to tell me!"

"Aldir is not just an enemy to be fought," Dareth growled, his own voice warping with emotion. "He's a force. A monster cloaked in a man's skin. He won't stop until he has Volantis—and once he does, it will be the end of everything. I had to choose, Volhcard. I had to plan. I had to sacrifice—everything—to stop him."

Volhcard looked up, eyes burning with tears and betrayal.

"And I was part of that sacrifice…"

Neither of them spoke for a long moment.

The morning sun spilled through the broken windowpanes behind Dareth, casting long shadows across the floor.

Two mages. Two believers.

Once bound by faith.

Now divided by choices neither could undo.

"You know," Volhcard said quietly, rising to his feet, his voice steadier now despite the tear stains still fresh on his cheeks, "I'm glad you sent me on that journey… with them."

He stood tall, grasping his wooden staff tightly before giving it a single smooth spin in his hand. His eyes shut for a moment, gathering his breath, his conviction. Then they opened again—calm, resolute.

"I've seen the world, Dareth. I've walked through pain, joy, and everything in between. I've laughed with my companions, cried with them, fought for them. And because of them, I've come to understand something you forgot."

He pointed the tip of his staff forward, not in hatred, but in solemn judgment.

"Our bonds, our pain, even our failures—they're what make us strong. You can't just burn down a home because you're afraid of what might come. Even if this country has turned its back on me… it's still my home. And I won't let you destroy it."

He took another step forward, staff humming with light mana.

"You taught me the teachings of the Everlasting Life—that a priest must show mercy, and a follower must walk with compassion. But you also taught me that there are times when mercy is justice. When forgiveness is a shield… and judgment is a sword."

His voice rose like a chorus within a cathedral.

"And now, I carry that sword."

With a mechanical whir, Idol stepped forward beside him. Its arms shifted—reforming with a sharp hiss into twin battle axes glowing with arcane energy. The golem stood ready, its stance low and precise, waiting for the first spark to ignite.

Dareth's skeletal jaw clenched, and he raised his staff slowly. The blue crystal at its top glowed with a fierce, pulsating light as the air around him warped with pressure. His aura flared, filling the chamber with swirling, suffocating mana. The floor cracked beneath him.

"You forced my hand, Volhcard!" Dareth roared. "I gave you everything! And now you stand against me?"

Lightning danced around his skeletal form, magic coiling like serpents at his feet.

Volhcard held his ground, unshaken. "No, you forced your own hand the day you chose fear over faith."

Their gazes locked—master and student, priest and traitor, protector and destroyer.

The silence shattered as the clash began.

Crash!

Stone shattered above as Theo came hurtling through the air, gunfire roaring from his blunderbuss. A shower of sparks burst as each round slammed into the skeleton below. Jae, still on the ground, struck with a whirlwind of furious punches, her face twisted in a mixture of rage and exhaustion.

"Just go down already!" she yelled, gritting her teeth, fists hammering bone like war drums.

High above, Theo slid another slug into the chamber with practiced grace. He bit down on the corner of a flame scroll, ripping it open with his teeth, its runes lighting up with searing red.

Hovering for a split second in the air, he aimed down at the smoldering remains of the undead creature. A smirk curved across his bloodied lips.

"Thanks for the training, bonehead."

Bang!

The shot struck true.

As the bullet collided with the scroll mid-flight, the two magics fused—impact and ignition becoming one. The skeleton's skull exploded into cinders as fire consumed its body, swallowing the bones in a slow, painful inferno. Jae leapt back just in time, her breath ragged but eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

Theo landed hard, feet skidding against the ground. He exhaled sharply and moved to sling his blunderbuss over his shoulder, only to stop when he felt the oppressive weight of two gazes on him.

He turned.

Standing not far away, framed in dim golden light filtering through a broken arch, were Volhcard and his master—Dareth.

Theo's eyes narrowed.

"Oh. So that's what this was," he muttered, taking a few steps forward. "You two were about to go at it, huh?"

He raised his voice, pointing his weapon casually at Dareth.

"Hey! Bonehead master of Volhcard! You spying on us for fun or what?"

Dareth's expression was unreadable, but his eyes betrayed a cold resolve. He floated back slowly, the crystal atop his staff glowing as his aura started to intensify.

"I watched to see if you were truly prepared to face Aldir," he said, his voice calm, almost mournful. "But after seeing your battle, it's clear—you will not survive. Not him. Not what's coming. And so, I will end it here. All of it."

Theo's brow furrowed as Dareth raised his staff higher.

"I'm sorry. But for the world to live… sacrifices must be made."

Theo scoffed, walking up beside Volhcard. He patted the dwarf's shoulder and leaned down to whisper, "I'm guessing he's the reason this whole kingdom's floating right now."

Volhcard gave a tight nod, his eyes never leaving Dareth.

Jae stepped in behind them, battered but ready, her breath steadying as she crouched into a stance. Idol clanked forward, shifting into guard mode, both axes at the ready. The team formed up instinctively, shoulder to shoulder.

Theo let out a long sigh and cracked his neck.

"Well, I don't know all the details here," he said, cocking his blunderbuss. "But if Volhcard's against you? That's all I need to know."

Dareth's aura pulsed brighter, the air rippling with pressure.

"I expected better from the so-called Prince of the Keseon Islands," he said, disappointment lacing his voice. "I thought you, of all people, would understand the scale of the threat Aldir poses. He is a cataclysm in the shape of a man. I cannot let him find Volantis."

Theo raised his weapon, smiling despite the weight of the moment.

"Oh, I understand perfectly," he said. "I understand that Aldir's a monster. I understand that the scroll in this kingdom might be what he's after. But I also understand this—"

He planted one foot forward, flames licking at the edges of his reloaded shot.

"We're the ones who are going to stop him. And we'll do it without burning down a whole damn kingdom to get there."

A brief silence passed between them. The calm before another storm.

Volhcard raised his staff beside him, voice steady now. "Dareth… this ends with us."

Dareth's mana flared, engulfing the chamber in pale blue light.

"So be it."