Episode 7

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In a bar near the Guild, JJ was ordering another beer mug to add to his pile of glasses already lined up at his side of the counter.

"I guess he didn't pass, hmm?" a lovely voice reached from his back.

"No, I guess he did not." JJ replied without even turning, as the voice was too familiar not to recognize, "What are you doing here? Weren't you on a quest in Whitebridge?"

"You know I don't miss these graduations." the pale shura replied, as she sat on the stool right next to his, her travels marked by her faded red pants, light black vest and green cloak. She looked at him lovingly through her sweet purple-ish eyes sitting on her gentle freckles, as her hand went through her dark black ponytail. "It wasn't your fault." She added.

"Wasn't it? She trusted me, and yet couldn't even raise him right."

"She wasn't even preparing him for this. And the kid is not his mother. No one can expect him to be."

"Yeah, maybe you're right, Jahne." JJ replies as takes another sip in his beer. "Yet I can't stop feeling this hole in my gut."

"Come on. That's enough." Jahne gently removes the mug from JJ's hand and puts it away, "Let's go. We have a ceremony to get to and the other kids deserve you to be there too. So we're gonna get you home, give you a shower and head back! Deal?" Jahne said assertively, extending her hand forward for JJ to shake on it, however he just pulls her close by the hand and kisses her lips. Her eyes were surprised by it the whole time until their lips parted.

"Deal."

A couple hours later, everyone was dressed nicely with the best clothes they've had. The Full Blaze Hall was royally decorated for the event. All of the trainees stood tall on the stage as one by one was given their Full Blaze medallion by Darius, the Guild Master, making them true Full Blaze Seekers. Everyone was having a good time. The music raged, some danced, not Tyke though, he was too injured to even move properly, as usual Kyle was already leaning onto somewhere napping like he had no care in the world. Garthos seemed to have caught Sumi's attention since he could not make her hide her smile for once. Yet Ava sat on the table long bench, surrounded but somewhat alone in the middle of all the partying. As she looked outside the window, she caught the sight of Drake also looking in, a bag held by his shoulders with his belongings. Both stares locked with each other for what seemed to be more than a moment.

She does look pretty. He thinks, as he admires her laced black dress, revealing most of her long legs and chest. He blushed, but was too depressed to even say hi. Drake looked down, and left as he turned away from the window.

He walked and walked through the various streets of Barren until he reached the graveyard, placed right next to the river that ran near Barren. It wasn't much of a place, but at least it had quite the view, the kind to make someone feel small. He walked inside for a bit with his wounds still healing, especially the scar across his face. He walked by each grave as if he had no direction, not until he reached one that read 'Here lies Claire Mannick. Loving mother and treasured friend.'

Drake sat down for a bit, his back leaned onto his mother's tombstone.

"I guess I failed you too, right?" he asked into the sky. "Quite the vengeance I'm carrying. Can't get past a stupid monster... I'm sorry... I guess you're to blame too." He says looking up into the starry sky. "Why am I like this? Everyone seems to know you but I don't. Why were you killed? What were you hiding? Were you good? Nobody seems to tell me anything. Everyone just believes I can figure things out on my own... Some answers wouldn't hurt. Did I really have to be this way?" He says, closing his eyes as the rain drops hits the gentle features of his face slowly filling up the depth his scar left through his cheek to cheek. Drake grabbed a knife from his bag and unsheathed it, his sleeve was rolled up, as he joined the tip with the middle of his forearm, right where his veins bulged and just stood there for a second. Breathe in, breathe out... Breathe in... He threw the knife away suddenly.

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