Beyond Existence

Deceptions

The blacksmiths waved goodbye with tear-filled eyes as Red and Mellios left the village, their figures gradually fading from view.
"This is ridiculous. Just so you know I'd never risk my life to save yours." Red grumbled.
Mellios shot him a sidelong glance, unbothered. "I can take care of myself. I'm only following you because of Gillarn. I don't know what my sister saw in you, but I don't believe you're worthy of it."
Red smirked. "You sure it wasn't cause you blew the shop up?" he teased.
"That was you!" Mellios snapped. "Anyway," he continued, more serious, "I'd watch out if I were you. If I see you lacking, I'll take Gillarn back."
Red smirk widened. "You think you can take it from me?" he asked.
"Try me," Mellios challenged, the tension between them thickened with every step.
Red broke the tension with a low chuckle. "We really don't get along, huh?" He eyed Mellios briefly. "Still your skill might come in handy along the way. Do as you wish."
Mellios snorted in response, but said nothing more as they continued walking down the path. After a moment of silence, Mellios asked, "So, were are we headed? You're on a mission right?"
"To Adel," Red replied. "The details will be disclosed by the client, that's about three weeks of journey on carriage"
"Who's the client?"
Red smirk returned. "A big shot. The boss of the underworld of Arth; The Soul Eater. Scared?"
Mellios raised an eyebrow. "You bet I am." he replied sarcastically, but there was an undercurrent of curiosity in his voice.
This was two weeks and three days before Roy's message reached Ryan.
Two days into their journey, Ryan's group reached the fortified walls of Hars, its high stone battlements glowing under the moonless sky like a beacon. The city, known for its bustling trade, was alive with activity even at this late hour, its streets bustling like a star glowing in the dark.
The party was allowed through the gates after paying the toll.
"That's too costly!" Ale exclaimed, staring at the innocent-looking guards who pocketed their coin with practiced indifference.
"That's the norms here. The night toll is multiple times the day." Eric explained. Ale grumbled, but relented.
As they stepped into the city, Chrome glanced at Ryan curiously. "By the way, why are we here, boss?" he asked.
Ryan turned to Chrome, "I got a tip about something two weeks ago. Watch the kids and get us two room. I'll be back in an hour."
"A tip?" Chrome muttered, watching as Ryan quickly disappeared into the crowd.
"Hey, Chrome can we look around a bit?" Ale asked, her eyes wide with wonder as she took in the lively streets.
Eric tried to hide his interest, but it was obvious he wanted to explore as well. Meanwhile, Daniel remained indifferent.
Chrome sighed, but gave in. "Alright, a little fun won't hurt. Just stay close."
Ryan pushed open the heavy wooden door of a tavern, the sign above it reading Angel's Lair. He paused for a moment, scanning the empty room. The place was clean and orderly, the kind of establishment that had closed for the night but wasn't yet asleep.
"That's a new face." Ciare thought as her eyes met Ryan's. "We are closed for the day," she called out, "No lodging either."
"I'm here for something else," Ryan replied, pulling a folded piece of paper from his pocket, unfolding it as he approached her, revealing a detailed portrait of Red. "Have you seen this man?" He asked.
Ciare's eyes flicked over the portrait briefly before she straightened. "So, he's looking for the devil." she thought, her expression unreadable. "A red haired man passed through here about a month ago, but he looked different," she replied, smoothly. "Why are you looking for him?"
Ryan frowned. Is this another dead end? he wondered, studying her face for any sign of deceit. She was too calm, too collected. He wasn't sure if she was lying, but he couldn't afford to waste time. "You don't need to know that. Sorry for the disturbance," he said, turning to leave.
Ciare smirked. "This might be useful." "I don't just know him," she called out, stopping Ryan in his tracks. "I know where he's headed."
Ryan paused, his eyes narrowing. If she's lying… He turned back toward her, his glare cold and suffocating. The air around him thickened with an overwhelming pressure, like a predator ready to strike.
Ciare's heart skipped a beat, her calm demeanor slipping for the first time. "Such strong bloodlust. This confirms it, he's the leader of the Hunters." She thought, regaining her composure.
"I'll tell you were he's going but, I have one condition," she said, her voice steady despite the tension. "I'm coming with you."
Ryan didn't answer immediately, his instincts screaming not to trust her. But this was the first solid lead he'd had in two years, and he wasn't about to let it slip away.
"You don't mind, right, Master?" Ciare asked.
"Business would go down with your absence but, do as you wish. Just come back safe." Novick replied casually from a nearby table.
Ryan was startled. "When did he get here?" he thought. He hadn't noticed Novick's presence until now, which only heightened his unease. He couldn't afford to lose control of the situation.
"So what do you say?" Ciare pressed.
Ryan was troubled. He couldn't bring himself to trust her, but the lead was too valuable. "Fine. You can come with. But…"
Before he could finish, a commotion outside interrupted them. The sound of clashing voices and the ring of steel against steel echoed through the streets. Ryan and Ciare rushed outside to find a crowd of soldiers surrounding Chrome and the others.
 Chrome was locked in a standoff with several guards, while Daniel stood feral, his bloodied hands gripping the neck of a man whose freshly ripped arm lay on the ground.
"How dare you disturb the peace of the city! Surrender now!" the commanding soldier bellowed, his voice cutting through the chaos. His eyes were fixed on Daniel, who stood, still feral, amid the soldiers.
Chrome gritted his teeth. "This is trouble," he thought, glancing over at Daniel, who showed no signs of backing down. "If I could just get Daniel under control, escaping wouldn't be a problem."
The commander unsheathed his sword, a bright glow emanating from its blade. The weapon pulsed with energy, the glow growing more intense by the second. "This is your last chance. Surrender now, or face the consequences," he warned, his tone filled with authority.
Chrome's gaze flickered to the sword, a hint of frustration crossing his face. "Of course, they have at least one Weaver," he muttered under his breath. The problem wasn't the soldiers—they could be handled—but another Weaver would make things difficult. "I have to buy time until boss arrives. He's the only one who can control Daniel."
"It seems you've chosen not to yield. Very well, here I come," the commander declared, readying his stance to strike.
 
Before he could move, an overwhelming surge of wind crashed down on the soldiers, scattering them like leaves. Ryan landed with his fist to the ground, the impact creating a shockwave that rippled through the street. The commander managed to hold his ground, his glowing sword buried in the earth, keeping him anchored.
"He's able to generate this much force without harming his own men... His control is impressive," the commander thought, his grip tightening on his sword. "I can't apprehend them alone."
Ryan straightened from the crater he had created, dust swirling around him as his cold gaze fell on Chrome. "What happened here?" he demanded, his voice laced with fury.
"Boss, this…"
"Never mind," Ryan cut him off, his attention shifting immediately to Daniel. His voice was firm, commanding. "Daniel, release him."
But Daniel didn't move. Instead, he tightened his grip on the man's torn arm, his eyes blazing with fury. Ryan froze for a moment, shocked. Daniel always obeyed him, even when it went against his instincts.
 
"Daniel, please stop!" Ale's desperate voice cut through the tension. Her eyes were wide with worry. "We have to run!"
Slowly, Daniel's grip loosened. His anger hadn't completely subsided, but the sound of Ale's voice seemed to reach him. He flung the man toward the commander, who caught him carefully, his eyes never leaving Daniel.
Ryan seized the opportunity. In an instant, he scooped up Ale and Eric and bolted, their figures disappearing into the shadows as they fled the city.
 
Several miles from Hars, the group finally stopped. Ryan gently set Ale and Eric down, his expression unreadable as he turned to face Chrome, who stood with his head lowered.
"I won't make any excuses," Chrome said, his voice heavy with shame. "It's my fault for taking my eyes off them."
Eric stepped forward, ready to defend him, but Ryan silenced him with a single hand gesture.
Taking a deep breath, Ryan struggled to calm the anger still boiling inside him. "What happened?" he asked, his voice low.
"The injured man tried to harass Ale while Chrome was away," Eric explained. "So Daniel retaliated, and... well, you saw the rest."
Ryan ran a hand over his face, trying to keep his frustration in check. "I'll let you off easy this time, Chrome," he said, his tone softening slightly. "But we can't afford more slip-ups like this. Let's put some distance between us and the city before we camp—the soldiers might still be on our tail."
As they began to prepare for their next move, a sharp, displeased voice cut through the air. "You're planning to leave me behind again?"
Ryan turned, only just remembering Ciare, who stood with her arms crossed, watching him with narrowed eyes.
"You don't have to worry about the soldiers," she said with a hint of a smirk. "As long as you don't step foot inside Hars again, they won't pursue you."
Ryan studied her for a moment. "Can I know why you insist on following us?" he asked, his voice flat, betraying no emotion.
"You're not really in a position to make demands," Ciare replied smoothly. "But rest assured, I have no ill intentions toward you or your group."
Chrome, still shaken from the earlier events, glanced at her warily. "Boss, who is this?" he asked, his voice tinged with suspicion.
"She's an informant," Ryan answered briefly before turning back to Ciare. His gaze darkened, the warning clear in his eyes. "I don't trust you. If I sense even the slightest threat from you..." His voice dropped, cold and menacing. "I will eliminate you without hesitation."
A slow smirk spread across Ciare's lips, clearly unfazed by his threat. "Understood." She paused, then added, "I'm Ciare by the way, I didn't catch your name."
"Ryan."
"I'll be in your care then," she replied with a mocking grin.
Ryan was thrilled to hear that their destination and Red's were aligned; finding him would be like killing two birds with one stone. After three days of hard travel, they arrived at a small forest, just a day's walk from Adel. The dense trees cast long shadows as the sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple.
Ciare, breathing heavily, leaned against a tree for support. "Let's take a rest here. I can't believe you guys still have so much energy after running for hours," she panted, clearly out of breath.
"Why insist on following when you have so little stamina." Ryan mocked. He turned to the group, "We'll rest here for the night and continue in the morning."
Ryan smirked, amused by her exhaustion. "Why insist on following us when you have so little stamina?" he teased.
Ignoring her glare, he turned to the group. "We'll camp here for the night. We'll head out in the morning."
The group began setting up camp, with the light from their small fire flickering against the surrounding trees. Chrome gathered wood while Ale prepared for dinner. But as Ryan looked around, he someone was missing. His brow furrowed. "Where's Daniel?" he asked, his voice low.
Eric closed his eyes, extending his perception across the area. As a Scout, his abilities allowed him to sense movements and presences over a wide range. After a moment, he pointed toward the deeper part of the woods. "He's that way."
Ryan nodded, standing up. "Thanks."
Ciare, still resting against the tree, watched the exchange curiously. "So, you're a Scout," she commented, intrigued by the silent communication.
Scouts, unlike Augmenters who could enhance their physical abilities or objects with Est, had heightened perception, able to sense things others couldn't. It made them invaluable for tracking and strategy. But Eric didn't respond to her observation, following Ryan's stand.
Ryan moved through the woods, his boots crunching lightly against the fallen leaves. The shadows seemed to stretch farther the deeper he went, but his steps didn't falter. As he approached a large tree, he looked up to see Daniel perched on one of the branches, sitting in silence, his figure barely visible in the darkness.
Even from the ground, Ryan could feel Daniel's guilt radiating from him like a heavy cloud. He's still upset about what happened in Hars.
Ryan leaned casually against the tree trunk, keeping his tone light. "You should come and eat. I'm not going to scold you for what happened."
Daniel glanced down at Ryan, seeing his calm demeanor. Slowly, Daniel jumped down from the tree, landing softly in front of Ryan with his head lowered.
Ryan smiled gently. "You're such a troublemaker," he said, placing a hand on Daniel's head in a gesture of reassurance. The boy looked up, his expression softening.
"Come on, let's go back," Ryan added, guiding him toward the camp.