“I went out on a mission to retrieve the Adept’s Stone from the hands of evil with two friends. I returned unsuccessfully…one friend mission. We shall never forget you, Ezekiel Ravenlocke…”
~Kara Kitsurui
Two unusual figures stood at the hill overlooking Tolley, the City of Information. The woman had long, blond hair with bright, blue eyes, and she wore heavy armor consisting of a breastplate, shoulder plates, and a heavy chain skirt. She wielded a spear across her tired shoulders, a bow strapped to her back, and a scimitar resting on her right hip. A necklace of the deity Keith, Bearer of Light, hung from her neck, and the emblem of Rullenfay crested her armor and cape. She was known as Kara Kitsurui, the Guardian of Light.
The man standing beside her seemed shady but strong. He stood rather tall despite his lazy posture, and covered his face with a heavy hooded cloak. He had long, white hair that rested only on his left side and was completely bald on the right. A colorful fishbone necklace showed his true nature: a water adept from Vilimea, the Grand Port City. Two devilish-looking katars rested in an X across his lower back. His name, Faux Fo, rogue water adept and best friend of the Guardian of Light.
The two had been close friends ever since Kara was a small child. Faux was but a young thief back then when he saved her life, but Kara’s good nature gradually rubbed off on the peculiar rogue, shaping him into the good hearted guardian that he was.
Now, after an adventure neither would forget, they stood staring at the path home, mixed feelings of success and defeat. For Faux held in his hands the powerful scythe of their dear earth adept friend, Ezekiel Ravenlocke, who had sacrificed himself to protect the two in the Battle of Tier Bastion.
Their mission originally had been to retrieve the legendary Adept’s Stone, which had found its way into the hands of an evil void adept, known as Draven Bladenheart. However, they soon found themselves involved in a massive battle between the Bladenheart Army and Captain Garis Cord’s troops from Altem Tier. After the battle was over, with Altem Tier coming out as the victor, they decided to take a break from their quest as the winter drew close and pick it back up in the following spring with the help of a nobleman, Thalys Ol’Calien of Maeltryst, and two bounty hunters from the west known as Asher Vasquez and Omurai Failyn.
“So, have any reason to stop in Tolley?” Faux asked suddenly.
“Not that I know of, why?” Kara replied.
“I promised to stop by to see someone whenever I was in the area…” Faux answered.
“Well, I’m sure it’d be no problem. We could use some extra supplies anyways. Who knows, we may even find some horses for the ride home,” Kara said, a pang of pain in her voice, for she had also lost her horse, Schiroi, and knew no other horse could ever match up to him.
Faux shrugged and slowly headed down to the city, Kara quickly taking follow.
As the two reached inside the gates, Faux headed off for the streets known for their many taverns while Kara headed to the market. The two agreed to meet at the Grand Library, which Tolley was most famous for.
Faux easily made his way through the crowd of people in the wing of town full of taverns. Suddenly, he heard a loud shout and saw out of the corner of his eye a man being thrown through a window right at him. Thinking quickly, he stepped forward and bent his back in. The burly man being thrown grazed past his back, causing his weathered cloak to flap in the gust of the momentum. Everyone in the general area stood hushed by the surprise. Faux looked at the disgruntled man at the window, glaring at the uncurious one below Faux. With a shrug and yawn, the rogue moved on as if nothing happened.
Finally, Faux reached a tavern called, “Bloody Tip” and slipped inside. A young girl stood at the bar, a stern expression on her face. As she heard the door open, she glanced upward with an unwelcoming stare. Suddenly, however, her hardened expression melted away and a huge smile took its place.
“Faux Fo, long time no see!” the girl exclaimed.
“Indeed, it has been some time…I’m surprised you even remembered me,” Faux said with a quick smile.
“How can anyone forget you? Especially with a name like yours,” the girl said with a giggle.
“Yes well…” Faux began to say, rubbing the back of his head. “If memory severs me just, you’re name is Lida?” Faux asked more than stated.
“Well, it does serve you well,” the girl said with another giggle. “Good to know other people in this world know my name…these stinky, ugly men are all disgusting,” Lida continued, venom dripping with every word.
“…indeed,” Faux replied, memories of his last visit here washing over him. In his last encounter, Ezekiel had gotten drunk and started a huge brawl. The earth adept managed to take out the entire bar, only to be smacked down by Kara when she arrived. A smile mixed with sadness and laughter crossed Faux’s face for just an instant.
“So, where is your big friend? The scythe you carry is his, no?” Lida asked innocently.
Faux’s expression turned grim as the feared question arose. “He’s…gone,” Faux managed to say.
Lida clasped her hands over her mouth and gasped. “I’m so sorry! What happened? Never mind…it’s best not to discuss it.”
“It’s alright…I’ll have to deal with it enough when I return home…might as well get used to the words. There was a battle at Tier Bastion. He fell protecting Kara and I,” Faux explained.
“So you’re…you’re the water adept companion to the Guardia-and Kara is the…?!” Lida stuttered in surprise. “I had no idea she was the Guardian of Light! I figured she’d be this grand figure with a bunch of followers and protective knights.”
“Nope…just me. Only guardian she has,” Faux said with a shrug, glad to get Lida off the painful subject.
“I’m just surprised…so much has happened in the big world out there. When I heard news of the Battle at Tier Bastion and that the Guardian of Light was reported to be there with a water and earth adept, I had my suspicions…but I never believed that I’d know them!” Lida exclaimed. “It’s a shame I’m stuck here helping my grandfather instead of traveling across Liteo…”
“Well, he does need your help, I imagine. I suppose that’s better than no family at all,” Faux responded, lifting the scythe over his shoulder.
“You must be pretty busy…I’ll let you go now, some business is sure to start up soon, anyways,” Lida said with a smile. “I’m glad you remembered to come see me again.”
Faux nodded and tossed his broken kama at Lida. She caught it and gave him a questioning stare.
“Broke it in my fight with one of the commanders of the Bladenheart Army. The handle is broken, but the blade is still good, and the magic is likely still breathing in it. Keep it around in case some cruddy hands get too close…” Faux said with a casual smile as he waved and walked off.
Lida watched him leave until he suddenly disappeared into the crowd. She held the kama close and bobbed her head as if responding to something. She hid the kama below the counter and straightened her dress as a couple came into the tavern.
Faux eventually made his way to the Grand Library to find Kara already there and waiting. She had in one hand her trusty spear and in the other were two sets of reigns. Those reigns reached up to two brown horses with filled packs on their backs.
“Sorry it took so long, Tolley is certainly busy today…” Faux apologized quietly as he slipped in beside Kara, startling her somewhat.
“You need not worry. I just got here a few minutes ago,” Kara replied with her usual smile. “I got ourselves two steeds and a full set of supplies for the road ahead. Do you want to stay here for the evening or head on out?”
“It’d be best to hurry on out of here. I have nothing against Tolley, but I desire my home more so,” Faux explained and Kara nodded in agreement.
The two quickly made their way to the northern gates of Tolley, moving as fast as they could through the crowd while leading the two horses. Once out in the field, however, it took them no time to gain a fast pace on the horses, heading north for the Light Kingdom of Rullenfay.
**********
After two days of travel and rest, the two adventurers could finally see their homeland on the morning of the third day. Early afternoon, the guards of the main gates were surely surprised to see their beloved Guardian of Light return. Word was already spreading by the time Kara and Faux were walking down the main road to the Holy Order Cathedral.
A crowd of cheering people formed, circling around Kara and Faux with respectful distance, all of them praising the Guardian of Light. Once again, much like their leaving, Kara waved her hand embarrassingly and blushed at the mass of attention, her smile tired but shining. Faux chuckled softly and lowered his head as he walked beside Kara, ignoring the cheering girls that called out his name, for he was completely uninterested in the attention, and cared little for waving.
By the time they reached the massive trail of steps leading to the Holy Order Cathedral, Father Kalear, the head of the church, stood at the top with the other high ranking priests, awaiting Kara and Faux.
Father Kalear hugged Kara and kissed her on the forehead, biding she head inside to sit down. The other priests quickly followed, nodding to Faux as they went. The water adept rolled his eye and headed inside.
Once within the Chapel, Kara leaned her spear on the back of a chair, unbuckled her scimitar sheath from her belt, and slipped off her bow and quiver. With a heavy sigh, she began unbuckling the straps on her breastplate and shoulder pads. With the bulk of her armor removed, Kara stretched and sat in the chair. By this time, Faux had easily out paced the priests and plopped down on the ground near Kara, easing Ezekiel’s scythe to the ground.
“Faux Fo, please have a seat,” Father Kalear offered. The rogue waved the offer away and closed his eyes. He didn’t particularly like the church or anyone in it, except for Kara of course, but that didn’t mean he hated them either. He just…didn’t care.
“Kara, dear, it is good to see you returned safely! How did your quest fair?” Father Kalear asked.
“Not so good…we failed to retrieve the Adept’s Stone, and Ezekiel is…” Kara began to explain. Just as she spoke, Faux ran a finger down the handle of their fallen friend’s scythe, careful not to make contact with the deadly blade, which was always coated with a killer poison.
“Oh dear me…” Father Kalear gasped, knowing the answer. Kara took comfort in the sight of Father Kalear. Though rather old, he was no frail frame, and somewhat heavy set. His hair was short cut and a mix between brown and gray. His robes were beautifully designed, knitted, and blessed with Light magic by himself. He was unmistakably the most powerful light adept in all of Liteo, second to Kara of course, and yet the kindest of hearts. Even Faux looked to the man as someone to be honored, but that still didn’t mean he liked him.
“I’m so sorry, Father, I shouldn’t have returned without some kind of progress…” Kara said, lowering her head in defeat.
“Now now, Kara, don’t say that!” Father Kalear said softly, cupping his hands around Kara’s face and lifting her head up. “We’ve heard of your trails in Tier Bastion, and that’s no small deed! Besides, you are welcomed home at anytime. We’d not expect you to return with something every time you left.”
“…yes, but it’s my fault Ezekiel is-” Kara began to say, but Faux snapped up in an instant to grasp his hand around Kara’s mouth. Kara’s eyes widened in surprise and Father Kalear stumbled backwards. Faux’s face was darkened by his hood, his hair shifted to reveal the massive glowing, green scar across his blinded left eye.
“Don’t…say that. Ezekiel gave his life by his own choice. There was nothing…nothing we could have done about it. He wouldn’t have us going about blaming ourselves for his sake,” Faux said, never ceasing his glare. His hand gently slipped away from Kara’s mouth soon enough, however, and he slumped back down to the ground.
Kara nodded her head and sat back in her chair. Father Kalear looked around, concern written on his face for the depressed adventurers. Suddenly an idea struck the father, and he couldn’t help but clap his hands together, startling the two.
“I know! We’ll place that scythe in the Chamber of Heroes in honor of Ezekiel!” Father Kalear exclaimed with a beaming smile. Those words had both adventurers stuttering in disbelief, their eye’s wide and jaws dropped.
“Are you serious?! That’s such an honor…but Ezekiel was never a citizen of Rullenfay, so it is not possible, it is?” Kara asked, elated but confused.
“True, but he was a resident of our land, and he served our nation by assisting you. In all cases, it’d be a disgrace to not place him in the Chamber of Heroes!” Father Kalear explained with his bright smile.
Faux looked up, a hopeful gleam in his eye. He raised from his seat, slowly lifting the scythe from the ground.
“We can place the blade in the chamber as soon as the two of you are ready, but first we’ll need to make a plaque,” the father said, placing a hand on Faux’s shoulder.
Kara leaped up from her seat, the light in her eyes returned. “Let us get the plaque made immediately, then!”
“Very well, and you can enlighten me on your journey while we wait for its completion,” Father Kalear suggested. Faux and Kara both bobbed their heads as the father led them to the plaque-maker in the city.
As the plaque was being made with Ezekiel’s name and achievements, which were numerous by Faux’s account and likely more unknown, Kara explained to the father what had transpired in their time away from home, getting into extreme detail about the Battle of Tier Bastion and the final fight against Draven Bladenheart. She did not ignore, either, the fact that Voyse En’Dir, the first known owner of the Adept’s Stone before he had it stolen from him, had deceived the group and scooped the stone for himself. Most importantly, however, she explained to him their plans of meeting with the other adept’s who helped in the final fight against Draven in the southern kingdom of Maeltryst during the spring.
“And these adepts, they are trustworthy?” Father Kalear asked, skeptical about them.
“By blade and blood they gained my trust…” Kara stated, as if that answered the question.
“Yet you had this Voyse deceive you during the fight,” the father was quick to point out.
“He’s a different story. I had little to no trust for him before or during the fight. He assisted in the fight, yes, but not fervidly and continuously. The others, however, I could sense something different about them. I believe they are trustworthy. The wind adept is a nobleman from Altem Tier, though I know not his history, or why he chose the ground below. Regardless, his noble standings hold true in his nature, and he nearly died for our sakes. The fire adept who accompanied him was fierce, but surely the fires within him have melted his heart into something soft and caring long ago. You’d be lucky to find a more loyal companion than he,” Kara began to explain.
“I believe your words, yet you must understand my hesitance. With little known about these bounty hunters’ pasts, I cannot clear the fact that they could be using you for their own gain…” Father Kalear said, his eyes showing that his words spoke truth.
“Yet you trust me?” Faux added matter-of-factly.
Father Kalear found it hard to respond to that remark. Finally, he spoke, “Your record is unnecessary, for your duties have proven you just.”
“As have these adepts I speak to you of, I assure you,” Kara pressed.
“If you believe this to be so, then I have no coil with it,” Father Kalear said with his warm smile. “And I suspect that this Thalys from Maeltryst is also trustworthy?”
“If anyone, he is without a shadow of a doubt,” Faux said, answering before Kara could. His words stunned both Kara and the father.
“I see. You must truly trust him if Faux agrees,” Father Kalear said, surprised.
“I don’t agree, but that’s something what Kara would have said. But still, that Thalys character is…strange to say the least. I prefer him over the other two any day, only because Kara trusts him most,” Faux corrected with a chuckle.
“An omni adept who’s filled with much innocence, yet righteous and brave,” Kara clarified. “I am positive he has some important part in our quest, father…I have had visions I believe to be of him.”
These words seemed to settle deep in Father Kalear, and from the look in his eyes, Kara knew her words had hit home. “Visions from Kaith spoke of this Thalys?”
“Indeed. I saw a figure, much like his, standing atop a darkened hillside with the sign of the six elements floating around him,” Kara informed.
“Well that most definitely speaks omni adept, but are you positive it could be him?” Father Kalear asked.
“The figure held two sabers, such as Thalys does,” Kara said confidently.
“Ah, I see…that seems to be the case, and your visions have never steered you wrong. Alright then, your choice in companions seems…safe enough. As long as Faux Fo is with you, then I’m sure things will be fine anyways,” Father Kalear said, once again placing his comforting hand on Faux’s shoulder. “And yet, you are to meet with the others in Thalys’ homeland of Maeltryst. Why such a choice in locations? Would your suspected whereabouts of the Adept’s Stone be near there?” He asked curiously.
“Why, it is for Thalys’ wedding that we meet at such a time and place!” Kara said with a giggle. “What a better meeting of new friends than a celebration?”
“Oh really? Would not Thalys rather enjoy time with his newly wedded wife than travel once again so soon?” Father Kalear reasoned.
“Well, that’s the thing. He supposedly promised his fiancée that as soon as they were married, they’d go on an adventure together,” Kara explained casually.
“Are you not concerned that she may prove to be a hindrance to our task?” the father asked.
“Not so, according to Thalys at least. She is said to be a powerful warrior and an earth adept to boot,” Kara countered.
“Well, it would seem you’ve got yourselves quite the group of adventurers to assist you come spring. Until then, I bade you rest and relax!” Father Kalear said with a chuckle.
Shortly after the father spoke this, the plaque for Ezekiel was finished. Faux and Kara were pleased with its design and beauty, checking to make sure everything was just right. Seeing that everything was perfect, the three headed off towards the Holy Order Cathedral. Once there, Father Kalear, accompanied by several priests, led the two heroes to a long stairwell that led to a pair of large doors. A couple of the priests opened the doors to reveal the stairwell leading to the hill behind the Citadel, where a massive temple rested. The temple was adorned with several markings of Kaith, along with ancient writing along the towering pillars. A single tower peaked over the northwestern corner of the building, seeming strange along the seemingly flat top.
Once within the temple, Father Kaith led everyone past the giant statue of Kaith in the center chamber and down a flight of stairs to another set of decorative, large doors. The priests unlocked and opened these doors, revealing inside a huge chamber filled with thousands of ancient, powerful looking weapons, armors, and artifacts. Everyone looked on in awe of each piece as they walked by, even Faux couldn’t help but take a peak every once and awhile. Finally, they came to a free space where Ezekiel’s scythe could rest. They placed the plaque in place and motioned for Faux to set the scythe upon the pedestal above it. Gently, the water adept laid the scythe down, positioning it perfectly so it would not fall. Suddenly, energy quaked around the blade, suspending it in the air slightly above the pedestal and a barrier of light energy encircled it.
“Security reasons, tis all,” Father Kalear said with a chuckle in response to Faux’s surprised look.
“So, this is it…” Faux said, resting his hand on the side of the pedestal. He slid that hand down to rub the plaque which had his friend’s name etched upon it. He slowly fingered every letter of Ezekiel’s name and stepped back to observe the whole scene.
Kara fell to one knee and began a silent prayer for Ezekiel’s sake. Faux also knelt down and lowered his head, but everyone knew no prayer would come from Faux Fo, for the rogue knew Ezekiel was surely happy wherever he may be. As the two rose up finally, Father Kalear led them out of the chamber, which was locked up, and they all returned to the Holy Order Citadel.
**********
Later that evening as Faux helped Kara carry all of her things to her personal room within the citadel, Kara could not help but seem unsettled by Faux’s eased expression he had kept since he left the Chamber of Heroes.
“Is everything alright with you, Faux Fo…?” Kara asked softly as they reached the door to her room.
“What do you mean?” Faux asked, opening her door and stepping inside.
“I mean…you’ve just seemed at ease ever since you left the chamber, and I was worried,” Kara said as she followed behind him, placing her stuff next to the pile Faux had been carrying, next to her bed.
“I don’t know. I’ve just felt…better…since I placed that scythe in there. I can’t explain it, but it’s like some great burden was lifted off my heart as I finally let go of that scythe,” Faux replied, heading for the door once more. Kara caught his arm to stop him.
“Could it be that you placed that burden upon yourself? And, now that you’ve seen proper due paid to your dear friend, that burden has been vanquished?” Kara prodded.
Faux looked at her for a long moment before finally smiling. “Yeah, sure…however you want to say it. All I know is what I feel.”
“And that is…?” Kara asked.
“…better,” Faux said with a smirk. “Goodnight, Kara.”
“Goodnight to you, Faux Fo,” Kara said back, closing the door behind the rogue.
Once in the hallway again, a “…yeah” escaped the mouth of Faux much like a relieved sigh. Instead of going for the room offered to him by Father Kalear, he merely slumped down into a sitting position along the wall just outside of Kara’s room and fell asleep quickly.