Song of Shadow and Light (BxB)

Chapter 2

Kaelan sat in front of the statue of the goddess that this kingdom worshipped, praying. He was alone in the church, which he was thankful for. After the events that transpired yesterday, Kaelan wanted to be alone.

Death was something normal whenever the demon lord had risen. He was taught all his life to cloud his heart to such loss, but he was struggling to move past this. Thomas grew up with him and they trained together almost every day. A day didn't go by without Kaelan seeing Thomas' face and smile. Without him, he didn't know how to function. How was he supposed to get used to this loss?

He prayed that Thomas' soul found its way to the goddess' embrace. Since he was killed in a demonic realm, his soul may be lost in that hell forever. Still, Kaelan prayed and hoped that he wouldn't have to suffer. Thomas didn't deserve eternal damnation.

Kaelan didn't look up when he felt someone kneel beside him. He never heard anyone enter the church, but he felt their presence. His abilities were heightened the closer he was to the goddess, so he could sense things that others could not. Whoever knelt beside him had a dark soul. He finally glanced up to see who had joined him to pray in front of the goddess.

A young man with long, black hair and red eyes looked back at him, a smirk on his face. Kaelan scowled at him, recognizing the nobleman instantly. He was not in the mood to deal with this man today.

"Do you need something, Thaddeus? I'm in the middle of praying for the souls that we lost during the battle, and I don't take kindly to being disrupted. Especially, not from the likes of you," Kaelan said.

He didn't enjoy being this way towards the citizens, but something about this man made his blood boil. He knew that because of his position as a high-ranking cleric, he should be kinder and treat everyone with respect. However, it was hard to treat Thaddeus as he did everyone else. This man had been nothing but a nuisance ever since they had met. It was most likely due to their contrasting energy that made Kaelan feel this way. While Kaelan was light, Thaddeus was darkness.

Thaddeus faked being hurt by Kaelan's words as he clutched his chest. "You wound me, my sweet cleric. In all honesty, I sought you out because I was worried about your well-being as well as having something important to tell you. But first, I wanted to say sorry for the loss of your . . . lover?"

Kaelan shot him a glare. "Thomas was my friend, nothing more and you know that. Instead of making jokes about your deceased cousin, perhaps you should be taking his death a little more seriously. He was a good man willing to fight for his kingdom. You should respect him for the hero that he was and would have become."

"Okay, okay. I wasn't trying to insult your relationship with him. I was just a little jealous that he always spent time with you." Thaddeus held up his hands in defeat. He let out a sigh, and continued, "I didn't know him as well as you. Sure, we may have been related, but we were never close. Thomas took his role as your warrior seriously, so I hardly had the chance to see him. In all seriousness, how are you fairing?"

Kaelan was a little surprised that Thaddeus was asking about him. He was also surprised that Thaddeus was acting seriously. For all of the years that he had known him, Thaddeus never seemed to care about anything. All he cared about was flirting with men and sleeping around. Kaelan had been at the receiving end of Thaddeus' flirting many times and he always brushed it off. The cleric didn't have time for relationships. Even now, he felt like Thaddeus was only being this nice to him to get on his good side.

"I am fine, thank you for asking," Kaelan put it shortly.

"You don't seem fine," Thaddeus retorted.

The cleric was not in the mood to discuss this topic with Thaddeus. His heart was broken, and the wound was still fresh. Instead of responding to his comment, Kaelan decided to change the subject. "What was it that you wanted to tell me? You said that it was something important."

He wanted to put Thomas' death behind him for the time being. Though the wound hurt, there was nothing that he could do about it. He needed to keep moving forward and put an end to the disaster that threatened this world. As his mentor always told him, he needed to learn how to cloud his heart. The journey ahead of him would not be easy, and he couldn't allow any weakness to weigh him down.

"As I'm sure that you're aware, Azai announced yesterday after you returned that there would be a tournament held in a few days. He wants to find you a new warrior quickly so that you can start your journey. I will be competing in the tournament," Thaddeus announced.

Hearing this made Kaelan quickly look at him, shocked. Thaddeus wasn't a fighter, from Kaelan's knowledge. He never saw this man fight, let alone hold a sword. Thaddeus was always the snobby noble who always got his way. He wasn't a knight or anyone that should be considered to join Kaelan on his quest.

There were also Kaelan's personal feelings about this man. He knew Thaddeus through Thomas. Whenever Thaddeus did show his face, he usually decided to pick on Kaelan. He knew that teasing him got on Kaelan's nerves, which was always humorous to Thaddeus. Kaelan knew that Thaddeus was only behaving himself now because of the loss of Thomas. If Thomas never would have lost his life, then Thaddeus would have been up to his usual antics.

Kaelan rolled his eyes. "Azai would never allow you to enter the tournament. Even if he did, you wouldn't last through the first round."

"Oh? And what makes you so sure?" Thaddeus asked with a smirk.

"I highly doubt that you've ever held a sword in your entire life. Many men and women have trained for the upcoming battles. This is something that is prepared for every century when the demon lord rises. However, I have never once seen you on the training grounds. And I know that you cannot wield magic, otherwise, you would have been drafted as a mage or cleric," Kaelan pointed out.

He knew all of the fighters and magic users in this kingdom. It was his personal goal to know all of the people that he would be fighting beside. Thaddeus was never a part of that group. Thomas offered to train Thaddeus on multiple occasions, but the nobleman always declined.

"If a pretty boy like you was chosen by the goddess and wields powerful divine magic, then someone like me can wield a sword and have magic. You doubt me now, but I will prove you wrong." Thaddeus seemed confident in himself. It almost tricked Kaelan into believing that perhaps this man could win the tournament.

"Don't be so full of yourself. My bet is still that you won't make it through the first round," he responded.

Thaddeus smiled at him. "We shall see." He stood up, and then added, "If I win the tournament, then I request a kiss from you as my prize."

This sudden request took Kaelan aback at first, but ultimately, he wasn't that shocked. Thaddeus was back to being his old, flirty self.

"Keep dreaming." Kaelan stood up as well. There was no way that would ever happen. Thaddeus would never receive that kiss from him, nor would he win the tournament in the first place.

Thaddeus chuckled. "Who knows what'll happen? I think that you're going to be in for a little shock, my cute cleric."

The nobleman gave him one last cocky smile, before turning and leaving the church. Kaelan crossed his arms, a slight blush on his face. For a moment, Thaddeus was actually sweet to him, but Kaelan took back any good thought that he might have had of him. That man was a nuisance, and Kaelan did not want him to become his warrior.