Ch.3 The Promise
Later that morning after the party Aria began to wonder where I went since I had geniously sneaked out of our room out of boredom. Eventually she woke me up when she stepped outside of our mansion out of the front door entrance and began calling out my name very loudly. "Karos..! Karos! Where are you, this isn't funny..." I hopped off Kalamores back and said this aloud. "Right behind you..." At that moment Aria turned around facing the mansion right away and at that moment I undid the invisibility spell. I must say she looked quite surprised. Second time in a row that week that I surprised her in some kind of way. "Karos? What are you doing up on the roof for?" "It was starting to get boring being cooped up in our room throughout the night, so I decided to make it more interesting and sleep with Kalamore." I replied as I jumped off the ceiling onto the hard ground, making it look like the fall was nothing at all and continued walking towards Aria with a bright smile on my face. "You're full of surprises, you know that?" Aria said in a happily tone. "Mm how could I not?" I asked Aria as I began to hold her and kiss her. Then we began to look into each others eyes. "I know myself more than anyone else." "Mm true..." Aria said agreeing with me. Then we had another one of our moments of silence out of many that we've had in the past. "Well I guess I ah, better be heading back to the Guild. I'll be back soon. Get some sleep, I'm sure you're very tired after partying all night long." I said to Aria as I kissed her on the forehead and began walking off. "Wait, you're leaving already?" Aria asked in an upsetting tone. I turned around and faced towards her once more, this time the happiness was gone, sadness took over. I never liked seeing Aria being filled with loneliness. I'm gone so much, all the time it seems like nowadays, the Guild is overworking me constantly because they know I can handle it, but even if so, I'm still a human, well.. somewhat. I still have feelings like everyone else, just because I'm half angel, doesn't mean the feelings are gone, it just means they're heightened. I'm not someone that they can use whenever they want for their liking. When will I have my break? At that moment silence had bestilled the fresh morning air in the forest and the giant trees that surrounded us. But then I finally opened my mouth to talk. "Aria, I-" "No, no I don't want to hear it." You just got back, Karos." Aria complained. I began walking towards Aria and placed both of my hands on her face. "I will be back, I promise, I won't let them get away with what they've been doing anymore, you have my word." I said to Aria as I brushed my fingertips across her hair out of her eyes. Aria looked away from me and had the look of doubt in her eyes. "Okay..." Aria said in a doubtful tone. And with that I left her be and started making my way back to the Guild. "Kalamore!" I called out as I waved my right hand. Just then Kalamore slowly came flying down to the ground right next to me. As I hopped onto his back I held a tight grip onto the harness and looked back towards Aria, and gave her a nod and smile. After that I made my leave to the skies. As I was flying Kalamore to the Guilds headquarters in Dulmar it started to become more and more visible. Just a year ago the darkness had done a lot of damage to the two worlds, but in that one year we were able to rebuild, though there is still a lot of damage that still needs repairing. Fortunate enough for the Guild though, the headquarters is still in somewhat good shape, cities all across the two worlds are still in ruin from the war. People who survived have had to leave their homes, the lives that they once knew, they've been fleeing to all different parts of the two worlds, most of them have been traveling to their different family members that live far away from the cities, and some have even come to find out that their families didn't make it. I know that feeling all too well, something that I try not to remember. I do miss my family, but knowing that they're finally in a better place now, eases some of the pain on my heart. And one of these days, I'll finally see them again. That book that I gave to Aria, I gave it to her many years ago, when the days did not seem as cold as they do now. I gave it to her on her 19th birthday, it was a gift from my father. When he gave it to me, he'd read me some of it every night before I'd go to sleep, to help me rest easier. The book is about the history of the Two Worlds, how it all began, and how life in itself came into existence. It has different stories of men who turned out to be legends, stories of love, and betrayal, the book has everything life has to offer, and anyone could learn from it, if they really wished to seek it's knowledge. I gave it to Aria letting her know the history that I have with the book, and how much it means to me, and why I wanted her to have it. She gladly accepted the gift, and seemed very happy about it. I don't really know what I'd do without her, she's all I have left now. She's the only person left closest to me that I'd actually consider family. And if she were to die today, or tomorrow, or when the darkness shows up again, then I don't think I'd be able to make through what is soon to come. But, anyway, I should stop there, I'm starting to get off track of the story. So, as I reached the Black Guardians Guilds headquarters, which is a huge wooden fort deep in the forests of Dulmar, I landed Kalamore inside the fort. The fort is so huge in size that even a beastly dragon can fit in it. The fort is made into different sections, one is a trading district, with a brothel, where the Black Guardian members like to get drunk off their asses, and sing along to different well known and famous titled songs. There's also a smithy, a general goods merchant, and shops that sold different kinds of herbs, . Another section is where the Black Guardians train the newcomers wanting to sign up into the Guild, there is also a section of the fort where the newcomers sleep in small tents after a hard days work of training. But the section of the fort that I landed Kalamore in, is the one where the Head leader of the Guild in Dulmar makes plans for what the Guild's next move will be. Once word spreads about someone, or, something spreading trouble, the Black Guardians Guild is usually the one there to take care of it. If the problem's being caused in Telmaria that is, or if it begins in Telmaria, If the problem's being caused in Distara than we don't get involved, we leave it to the non humans to take care of it on their own. The head leader of the Guild in the lands of Dulmar use to be Ser. Velarian, but he died that fatal night after the festival, when the Orcish humans returned after so many years from being imprisoned in the underground ruins of mudane. I never saw him again after that night. The name of the new head leader for the Guild in Dulmar is Thalin, the ass hole that's been putting me under so much work soon after the war was over just a year ago. And I was returning to report back to him so I could get my reward and so I could give him a piece of my mind. I dismounted off of Kalamore, untied the master of winds, and began heading towards the head leader's cabin. Immediately Thalin noticed me walk in his cabin. "Ah, Karos, you're finally back." Thalin said with a smile as he began walking towards me. Smoking his pipe occasionally as always. Thalin drew his eyes towards the master of winds, whom I was carrying on my right shoulder. "Is that... him?" Thalin asked in a cowardice voice. "Uh... yea, it is." I replied. Thalin just stood there for a few seconds smoking on his pipe, trying to calm himself. "Yes, well, let's take him to the torture chambers then, shall we?" "Yea, let's just get this over with." I followed Thalin into his library, and even though it may look like an ordinary library, inside it, lies a secret passage into the torture chambers underneath the Guild's headquarters. He went up to one of the many books in the library and tilted it out from the bookshelf and when he let go the book went right back in place. Just then the whole set of shelves of books moved to the right against the wall, revealing a secret entrance underground leading into the torture chambers. "After you." Thalin said as he stretched out his arm down towards the underground entrance. I said nothing as I continued onward into the depths underground. So Thalin would be able to see I casted a starlight spell, though at the bottom where the torture chambers are, there are magical lights that light up with a blue flame that never go out. "Oh, good, I wasn't so sure if you were going to provide light or not." Thalin said. Again, I said nothing, I wasn't going to say anything to him, not until I had given him a piece of my mind and let him know that things need to change. When we finally reached the bottom and were in the torture chambers I placed Xilidan in a chair with shackles for the ankles and wrists. Once I got him in I ordered him to wake up. "Okay, you can wake up now." Xilidan woke up gasping for air but then slowly turned to look up at me. "You..." Xilidan said in a shocked tone. Immediately I backhanded him in the face. "Yea, you remember me don't you? Do you remember where you were? How you killed all those people?" He didn't say anything, he just gave me a dead stare, a stare that pretty much said, fuck you. I took out my winters blade and stabbed it deep in his right leg. He screamed out in pain. "Hahaha, aww what's wrong? Not so tough now huh?" Thalin said as he got in Xilidan's face. "You can't do shit." At that moment Xilidan took a bite out of Thalin's right ear. "Ahh! Fuck! Fuck! Karos, do something!" Someday I hope that Thalin gets his ass killed, whether it be by his own doing, or somebody else doing the job. I swear that dumb ass has been nothing but trouble for me lately." "I can't, I don't have healing powers." "What do you mean? Aren't you a Dramari?" "Yea, but not all Darmari's are born with all of the powers." At that moment Xilidan began to laugh very hauntingly again, just like before back in Elvania. "You should just give up! You have no idea what's coming, do you? Hahaha." Xilidan said smiling with blood smeared all over his face. "The Dark God is coming, and not even the chosen will be able to stop him! Everything that you know now will be gone in the flames, your Gods will be forced to bow down against their will to the mighty Dark One, and all of creation along with them. All hail-" Before he could finish I quickly took out my Blade of the Chosen and sliced his head off. At that point I was furious. "C'mon, let's go." I got Thalin out of the torture chambers and took him to the healing ward. There is a healing Ward located inside of the trading district as well. After he was all patched up and while we were walking along the way towards his cabin, we walked in silence saying nothing until we got there. Once we got to his cabin where no one else was around at that time of the day, we began to talk about what we had just witnessed. Once we walked into his cabin Thalin immediately had questions. He began scratching the back of his head. "Aye, do you know what he was talking about Karos? Some kind of Dark God, a greater evil, and our Gods bowing down to the Dark One?" Thalin asked pouring out a glass of wine. I remember that he was real jittery at that moment, his glass of wine was shaking in his hands. "How did we not know about this? Are... Are we really doomed? We're fucked aren't we..? We're fucked!" I backhanded him in the face, not too hard, just hard enough to try to knock some sense in him. "Put yourself together Thalin, if what Xilidan said is true, then yes, our situation does seem grim, all of creation that we know could be wiped out before our eyes. But I know the Gods too well, they wouldn't just leave us in a position like this without a fighting chance, or without any leads for that matter. No... there's a way, there always is, we just have to find it. And you sobbing and getting drunk won't make things any better." Thalorin listened to all that I had to say and slowly put down the drink. "Sigh, you're right." Thalorin said agreeing with me. "Yea, I know, don't worry, we made it through the first war, I'll get us out of this one." At that moment there was a short pause of silence. "But, anyway, where's my reward?" Thalorin looked at me blankly in the face but then came back to his senses. "Oh yes! Yes, you're reward." Thalorin reached over towards his hidden safe which is hidden under a picture frame that holds a beautiful piece of artwork which shows some of the beautiful landscapes of Distara. He took the picture frame off the wall, opened up the safe, and within it held about 12 large bags of gold. Still small enough to fit in the palms of your hands, yet they are still a good size. This time he gave me two of them. There are 1,000 gold pieces for each bag. "Really? Two?" I asked. "Just think of it as a bonus, I know this mission was pretty tough for you." "Hm, thanks, but, about that. There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about." "Re- really? What is it? Go ahead.." "Yea, uhm.. look, you've been putting me under so much work ever since the war has passed, every single mission that has come to our attention you always choose me to handle it. And I'm letting you know now... I need a rest. I may be the chosen one, but I'm still part human, I still have feelings like everyone else." "Sorry, but, I can't do that Karos." "What?" I asked in irritation. Rage was beginning to fill up inside me, all these emotions that have been built up inside me for so long and that I had been controlling were beginning to come up to the surface. My eyes were beginning to turn glowing red. Immediately I grabbed Thalorin by the neck and slammed him on the other side of the wall using my quick speed abilities. "Listen here, I will not be used as some kind of toy that you can just use for your liking, do you understand me? I have had it with you! Now, either you give me that break or I will go to the council committee of the Guild and I will make sure they have you resign! And don't worry, they'll listen to what I have to say, they have more sense in their heads than you'll ever have!" "Oh.. okay!" I let go of Thalorin's neck. He fell to the floor on his knees gasping for air. "So, what will it be?" I asked, growing impatience. "I'll give you your break." "Good, make it a month." I said as I walked out of the door. I hopped onto Kalamore and flew back to the mansion. And when I opened the door, I saw that smile once again on her face, and then I knew deep down inside that everything was going to be okay.
