Cervato - Rise of the Phoenix (Part 2 of Cervato's Saga)

Rhett

This was complete and utter bullshit.

After everything he went through hadn't he earned his keep in the Mists?  Now a Gods-damned dragon was ruining even that.  The screams had been the first thing that tipped him off as other spirits quickly spread word that even here was no longer safe for them.  As quickly as the chaos reigned, it had passed, yet everyone was wary of the blasted crystal dragon, Kralkatorrik.

That's when things started to go awry.  The Mists were already a crazy place to start with, but now there were more troubling things to consider.

The three years Rhett had spent within the Mists were at best the most peaceful he had endured.  Since his death within the court room that fated day, he'd accepted it and moved on, considering he had little choice in the matter.  Being murdered outright didn't sit well with him but there were the benefits of being able to have some small connections with those of the living.  He felt that bond primarily when his little sister still prayed for him.  If he had any regret, it'd be leaving her all on her own.  The only other frustrating detail, beyond having all the time in the world to reflect on his life, was the fact he had a cigarette but couldn't even light the damn thing.  Grenth was such a cheat.

Rhett's legacy was nothing substantial.  Born to a lesser noble family with no money to their name he along with his sister did their best to survive when the plague swept through, taking their parents with it.  Eventually, he earned himself a spot within the Shining Blade due to his intellect and was able to make a decent enough living for both of them.  However, the Shining Blade also became his downfall when he became tangled in the political storm that was Exemplar Yevon Reed trying to blackmail another for her mistakes in not properly containing a threat to the people of Divinity's Reach by the name of Artemis Nirdayi.  A man who could be considered justified in his anger with the crown and it's protectors for it stole everything he had in just one night.  In just a span of a few months, Artemis had killed a handful of former or current Blade members to which Exemplar Reed attempted to keep under wraps.  When she turned to framing another to draw Artemis out into a trap, it backfired upon her resulting in not only her, but Rhett's own death.

The pain of those bloody tendrils controlled by Artemis's necromancy piercing through his chest still stung, and were a permanent reminder upon his current form left traversing the Mists.  Though afterwards, he'd kept tabs on the man that had ended him as soon as Artemis one day arrived in the Mists.  It bothered him to no end that he'd see the guy smile after being reunited with his wife's spirit, but thought that perhaps things best were left untouched.

As soon as Kralkatorrik had ravaged their space, spirits started to grow more unstable or disappear altogether.  Portions of the Mists were left scarred forever or were no longer accessible.  Of course, Rhett decided to keep tabs on his old Shining Blade superior as best he could before realizing that Artemis was nowhere to be found.  Gone.  Vanished.  No trace.

That's when the corruption took hold of other spirits.  Horrifying.  He wasn't sure if it was due to the dragon's magics or just the fabric of the Mists being altered by it's presence but certain spirits were becoming gorged on magic or losing themselves for lack of it.  The worst of it all was that now rifts of their space were now overlapping with their realm of Tyria in ways no one could have foreseen.

Rhett despised the inkling of intuition that he'd often been praised for during his time serving within the Shining Blade.  It had lead him into so much trouble, including how he'd found himself working for the Blade in the first place.  But now, it was making him realize that Artemis may have disappeared or been consumed in Kralkatorrik's wake...or that he was now corrupted like others and potentially seeking that revenge he had always wished upon a certain someone.

Cervato.

They'd been part of the same team for a handful of years until Exemplar Reed had removed her from their ranks for failing her mission all due to that damn hotshot Zarek Stone getting involved on one of her missions in Ebonhawke.  Rhett knew it was a curse to seek anything beyond a false sense of friendship with people outside of the Blades.  You never knew if one day they'd become your target.  A sad reality.

Still, he'd been indebted to her for saving his sister's life in Divinity's Reach and he hated having that over his head.  He both loathed the woman and was thankful for her at the same time.  Where Cervato had helped him, she'd taken away everything from Artemis.  Killing Delilah, Artemis's wife, while on a mission because of a hit gone wrong, and subsequently the unborn child she was carrying as well.  Of course Artemis had wanted revenge, and nearly killed the girl once before being thrown into prison for harming other Shining Blade agents.

Reflecting on this, Rhett couldn't shake the unease forming inside of him.  But he was dead.  A ghost.  There wasn't much he could do.  Except, he knew that he could try to head to Tyria and try to find her.  To warn her.  Do something.  Maybe steal a glance at his sister to just make sure she was alright and then give Cervato a chance to be on guard if Artemis in fact had traveled beyond the Mists.

Tucking the unlit cigarette between his lips, the lanky spirit swore beneath his nonexistent breath and made way for a rift.