Prejudice and Predicament I

With swift flicks of his fingers inside the mechanical glove controllers, the gleaming Armatus made a soft landing. The gentle wind swirled around the white gravel ground, scattering green and red leaves in every direction.

The thrusters on its backpack dimmed to black, and the steel giant knelt down, its mechanical arms forming two large steps. The hatch hissed open, and the couple descended, their movements hurried yet cautious.

As he approached the fallen man, Jack exchanged a slow and deliberate nod with Lupus, silently instructing her to be ready should any threat arise. She wiggled her golden arc-clad boots and nodded back, reassuring her man.

Jack's hand reached out and grasped the man's shoulder, turning him over. "W~what's that?" Jack trailed off, speechless. The man's face was pale, his eyes forced shut, and his mouth agape slightly. Most notably, strange purple glyphs peeked from beneath the collar of his dark bodysuit.

Just like in CPR training, he received as a part of the DebrisX employee onboard process, Jack knew he had to locate and check for a pulse first. As his fingers pressed against the jugular, the violet runes pulsed eerily, reacting to him. It might have been his imagination, but Jack swore he could hear a faint hum emanating from the ink itself like it had gained sentient.

"Is he dead?" Lupus asked, peering at the man's face.

"I'm not sure…" Jack replied hesitantly. He couldn't tell whether the pulsing came from the glyphs or the man's vital signs. "Lupus, have you seen anything like this? I think it might be arcane." He pointed at the glowing ink, which seemed to creep slowly up the man's face.

"Hm, I think I've seen these glyphs before…" Lupus mused, crossing her arms and tapping a finger against her lips. Then it clicked. "It's the Deadman's Brand, the infamous curse spell practised and perfected by the Shadowbringers!" She blurted, recalling a lecture about the lore of the northern hemisphere — the icy land that birthed the deadliest assassins, notorious for ambush tactics, arc poisoning, and arc swords capable of cutting even the strongest steel. These were the feared Shadowbringers of Russha.

"The Shadowbringers?" 

"Yes! They are assassin mages, and arc poison is one of their specialties," Lupus replied promptly.

"Is he alive then?" Jack asked urgently. Lupus nodded twice.

Without hesitation, Jack pulled a med-pack from his vest. He lifted his hand, ready to inject the stimulant that could potentially save the man's life.

"What are you doing?!" Lupus interjected, grabbing his arm and halting Jack on his track.

Jack glared back, confused. "I'm saving this man's life. Why?"

"He's an Armatus knight!" Lupus pointed at the dark bodysuit, a clear sign of his allegiance to the Dunkelheit Empire. "He's our enemy," She stated firmly.

Unbeknownst to them, Rhok's fingers twitched. The loud voices stirred him from the abyss.

"But he's dying ~ Ah!" Jack's protest was cut short as he yelped at the sight of dark eyes staring at him, their pupils dull with desolation. Rhok's expression was twisted with pain. "Pl~please… save… me…" He spoke with a deep hoarse voice, his trembling hand weakly reaching for Jack's leg.

Jack froze. A moment ago, he had no hesitation. Now, he did. He found himself torn between saving a potential enemy and following Lupus's stance, letting the man die.

Sweat beaded on his weathered face. The clock was ticking. The man could die any second. Jack needed to decide right here, right now.

Jack's gaze shifted to Lupus, his resolve hardening. "I'm saving his life — because he's human, just like us. We need to show them that we are better. If none of us is willing to change, then war will never end. This is our nobility and everything we stand for. Even if he's an Armatus knight, so what? Loyalty to an empire doesn't strip someone of their humanity."

"War births tragedy, and tragedy births war, an endless cycle..." Jack proclaimed, his fiery red eyes seemed to glow, his voice husky yet resolute.

Lupus flinched. Jack had never openly defied her before. It was unsettling. Her stern expression wavered. Jack's conviction was proven to be unshakable, and for the first time, she saw just how deeply he believed in his ideals. With a reluctant sigh, she nodded. "But you can't save him with conventional means. That thing," She gestured at the med-pack in his hand, "~would only keep him awake."

"Huh? What can we do?" Jack asked, blinking in confusion.

Lupus exhaled sharply, making a mental note to educate him on arcane principles once this was over. "The curse running through him is purely arcane," She eventually replied, crossing her arms. Though she knew saving a life was the right thing to do, Jack's defiance still unsettled her. It was a new feeling, one she wasn't sure she appreciated.

"Then please, Lupus. Save him," Jack pleaded, his eyes filled with the compassion of a man with a heart of gold. His heart was like a pristine lake reflecting the blue sky. Lupus realised, in that moment, that this was one of the reasons she had fallen for him in the first place.

Letting out a deep sigh, she relented. "Fine. But you owe me one."

"Anything, my love," He replied without hesitation.

Complying with his selfless request, Lupus lifted her hands over the dying man. "Iasis!" She chanted. A swarm of glowing green butterflies emerged, fluttering down to land on him and dissolve into his body. The purple glyphs pulsed violently, tightening around his throat in resistance.

Arcane forces clashed — the healing spell pushing in, the poison glyph pushing back. The struggle continued until, at last, the curse relented slightly, allowing the healing to take partial effect.

Rhok's dull eyes shifted to Lupus, his vision swimming, "Th~thank you…" He rasped before his consciousness slipped away. His head lolled to the side, his limbs losing out of strength.

Jack stared at the man, confusion washing over him. "Is… is he dead?" He asked, his voice trembling. He had never witnessed the light of life being snuffed out before. Even though Rhok was a stranger, an enemy even. Jack couldn't help but feel empathy for another human being.