Burning Ice & Freezing Fire

Given!?

"...Ís?..." Sportacus repeats the word under his breath, almost getting the feeling that it leaves a bitter taste on his tongue, and unmoving stares up at Nine, ignoring his hand.

"Yes," the other smiles and takes his hand back "Do you remember your given name? Not many do."

"...Given name?..." the hero tries to push himself up, but he suddenly feels a little dizzy and sits back down on the ground, shaking his head "What are you even talking about?"

"'Ís' is your birth name. What your parents called you. Probably because of your ice blue eyes. 'Sportacus' is the name you've chosen when you came to your school after your parents' death. You were so young back then...just like the others. That's why you don't remember. Did you never wonder why you got such a silly name? You picked it, yourself, when you were a kid. Although most of the others made far better choices, I gotta say that. This was also the first sign that you'd never become a hunter. You've been too soft. Right from the start..."

Sportacus' head is swirling. It feels impossible to progress what he'd just heard.

"...What does all that mean?... Why do you know so much about me?" his voice breaks, he can't help it. Nine starts smirking again "I told you, our crystals contain much more powers than you can imagine... One of them is that it knows everything about its owner. Everything that has ever gone through his mind, even, before he started wearing it. Even those things...of which the memory appears to be lost or forgotten..." the older elf walks over to the kitchen table and gets himself a cup of water, eyeing the hero precisely during this "...And as an Elder you learn how to read these information..."

"So that's how you...know about Robbie and me..."

"No. It was the proof I needed," he turns to look out of a window again "If you're not willingly to cooperate, I'll have to get both of you to the other Elders so we can sentence you... But that's not what I've planned for you, Ís. Do you wanna know why? The crystal also showed me your secret struggle... You never wanted to be a hero. You should've never been forced to go to that school. But you had no choice. Now I offer you one, Ís," Nine turns back and returns to the still sitting elf "Help me get this felf and help yourself to get a new life," he reaches his hand out once more "What do you say?"

Sportacus has a headache and he notices just now that he's trembling quite violently. But he carefully pushes himself up to a stand and looks at the other, his voice surprisingly calm "You disgust me. Did you actually believe that I'd believe you that he's trying to manipulate me?! Robbie got the purest soul I've ever seen. And I love him. That's why you'll never catch him! I won't let you!"

"...You're not making this easier for either of you..."

"That doesn't matter! Love isn't always easy!" the hero turns to leave "But how'd you know something like this, right?..."

"I'll kill him."

Once again Sportacus freezes in his move but doesn't turn back "...You won't find him... And the crystal can't kill..."

Nine laughs out "We'll see about that, Ís... We'll see..."

The hero has meanwhile reached the closed door "Yes, we will... And my name...is Sportacus!..."