Chapter 8 - Revelation

Still holding the Looming organ in his arms, August turned towards Artemis.

"We travel to the Capital, too. May we join you?"

Artemis nodded.

"There's room in the carriage for one more. Have your companion ride with Cercival up front." 

The party made their way back to the carriage that had been left outside the alcove where Artemis and Cercival had been attacked, Gwennaude and Cercival sitting up front, the latter glancing at the large man with an anxious smile.

August sat across from Artemis, smiling genially as he spoke first.

"You're quite the man. That wolf transformation of yours is very brilliant. The effectuation of the contract must be quite hefty."

"It's not too bad. In the act of combat, it often fulfills itself. Otherwise, being in a position of power certainly helps." Artemis leaned on his hand. "In your case, your abilities are quite out of the ordinary. Your Spirit Contract must be very powerful indeed, to let you weave so many powers from a single Ordinance."

"That's because it's not a Spirit Contract."

Artemis wasn't too surprised by this revelation. After all, even though there were Spirits who could allow their Users to use multiple abilities, such as Artemis's— at least in theory— it was quite rare to see. And Artemis was the sort of person who would judge a situation with multiple reasonings in mind. This was one such answer to his curiosities. 

"Your name isn't really Thomas, is it?"

August grinned, shaking his head. 

"You're quite perceptive. I like that in a person. It keeps me on my toes."

"Should I bow to you?"

"If you please. It's not demanded, just a custom. Now, more than ever." August tilted his head, smiling softly. "What gave you a hint of my identity?"

"At first, it was your 'traveling companion'. You exhibited great power when you saved my life, that was true. But he— Gwennaude, that is— is twice your size. Even with the power you had shown me at the time, I didn't believe it possible that he could be subjugated and controlled to such an extent. He was clearly servile. Even with a companionship of great trust I don't imagine it a possibility that it could be so. Then I began to suspect that you were a Lord. But keeping that a secret was natural, just as I did in my introduction, although I too assumed that clear considering the relationship between me and Cercival."

"And?"

"And then you split a great hole into that massive beast."

"Was that enough to determine my true identity?"

"I've only ever heard of one man with those sorts of abilities. They called your father the 'Lightless', didn't they?"

August chuckled. "And I the 'Lightful'."

"Of course, this was just a guess." Artemis added. "If I were wrong about your true identity, it didn't really matter. Your motivations in dealing with me would have been more important. But if it was really true that you were just a wanderer, and our meeting was just good fortune, then we would have parted ways and it wouldn't have mattered at all in the end."

Artemis bowed his head slightly, smiling.

"It's quite nice to meet you, August Lunastre. I'm pleased that you came all this way just to meet with me. I could have come to your side only a few days later."

"If I hadn't come, you wouldn't have left the City of Lingering Light, so this doesn't seem quite true. Then again, perhaps you would have been able to kill all of those Mimic Shades easily in that wolf form." August relaxed a bit, smiling. "It's nice to meet you, Artemis Starke."

Now that they wore their true faces before each other, August could finally pose the question that had been plaguing him the entire time.

"Why did you send me a proposal in the first place? How can it be possible to fall in love with someone you've never met?"

Artemis's face paled slightly. I can't tell him that this was partially meant as a joke… it might not have even worked if it weren't for Lark's 'Gambit'…

"Who wouldn't fall in love with the tales of you? Didn't I say it before? You remain the hope of the Blackbaast." In truth, this was his genuine thought. While he had not been alive to witness the iron rule of the previous Witch-King, Jehellius Lunastre, he had heard stories. It was not necessarily the cruelty of his madness, but the fear that it sowed that turned the tales bitter.

When he had first considered sending a letter to August, those stories had entered his thoughts. But he knew better than that. August wasn't a person like that— at least, the stories that were told of him painted the picture of a better man.

When Artemis glanced back up at August, he saw that the King's face had reddened extensively, his gaze averted as he bit at the nail of his thumb.

He leaned in a bit towards the King, his eyes furrowing as he studied August's face. Artemis reached out a hand, placing it against August's forehead, who felt his body erupt with an ice-cold shiver. 

"What-what are you doing…?" August stammered. 

"Have you caught a cold? Was it the chill of the night?" Artemis spoke in a deep, worried tone of voice. 

"No, I'm alright…" he reached out a hand to grasp at Artemis's wrist. "I'll be alright…"

Even though he had grasped his wrist, August didn't move it away. Artemis processed the situation, retracting his hand as a wave of embarrassment rushed over him. He had just touched a King without even thinking!

"I'm sorry, your Grace. I wasn't thinking clearly…"

August sheepishly spoke. "Why don't you ask me why I had lied to you?"

"I wouldn't question the motivations of the King."

"The motivations of your fiancé, then." August replied casually.

"Truly?" Artemis raised an eyebrow. 

"Why else would I come to meet you if not for this? To determine your character, yes. But I could have sent someone else to do that much." August glanced out of the window contemplatively. "Let's talk of the matter more once we reach Henem…"

A time later, when the crystals of the Blackbaast ceiling had dimmed, the party stopped beside an emerging forest to set up camp for the night. The four huddled around a fire, Cercival sticking close to Artemis, and Gwennaude hovering over August, as a Knight should.

August held the still-pulsing Looming organ in his arms, smiling. It was like a child to him- a child that would kill itself if he did not give it his attention. 

Why must money be so hard to earn? My lovely spinner, you are truly a handful… quite literally.

Cercival turned towards Artemis, frowning. "Shall I take watch, young Master? Fighting those beasts must have tired you out."

Artemis shook his head. "No, get some rest, Cercival. I'll take watch tonight. It's a long ride tomorrow… I can sleep in the carriage."

"If you insist, young Master. But you must really find rest tomorrow morning. I count on it as a promise."

Cercival curled up beside Artemis, throwing the heft of his cloak over his body. His quiet snores soon echoed through the forest, and Artemis stood up, removing his own cloak before draping it over Cercival. He was old and frail, the cold of the night would kill him quickly. This was just a necessity.

Seeing this, August smiled. Perhaps this man that had claimed love was truthful. He could see it even in the way that he treated his loyal servants. Of course, there were times when he had made August feel a certain way, perhaps a way that he shouldn't. 

But he had a necessity to fall in love. He would hope to feel such a way more often. That was the only way forward.

Shadows flickered in the depths of the forest, flitting past the lines of trees in the background. Noticing this out of the corner of his eye, August smiled. 

My shadows, are you that worried about my absence? Gwennaude has accompanied me. Settle yourselves. 

He leaned in close towards Gwennaude, whispering in his ear. 

"Please go appease the other Archknights. They are growing restless."

He whispered in return.

"You spent half a year at sea. Then, a week after your return, you accepted a marriage proposal from a random Noble and then left in haste to engage with him. Of course they would be worried."

August stared him down, a humoured smile playing up on his lips. Gwennaude sighed, standing up before speaking loud enough for Artemis to hear.

"I'm going to relieve myself."

Of course, this was something Artemis wouldn't question. It was only an excuse for Gwennaude to walk into the forest. Past the thicket, a tall figure cloaked in dark robes stood silently, awaiting his arrival.

"Gwennaude." He greeted simply.

"Lysia? Clement or Arcas would have been a good choice, even Kafka… what are you doing here?" Gwennaude chided humorously.

The figure lifted his hood away from his face, revealing a gaunt but handsome countenance, of light-blue eyes and blonde hair that fell past his cheeks. 

"What makes me a particularly bad choice?"

"You're slow. Perhaps the slowest of us all. You would have arrived far earlier if that weren't the case."

"If the matter weren't important, it would have been entrusted to one of them. This was a matter only a senior Archknight could take to him."

"What do you mean? Are you not here simply to check up on our King?"

Lysia shook his head. 

"That Labyrinth underneath Naasis is stirring. Shadowhaunt has awoken."