The Forsaken Arts

Chapter 60: Lurking in the Shadows

Location: Cyprus Woods

Having mysteriously yet casually walked away from Faxon, Dai is seen approaching the tree where he and Osyrus once sat after their encounter with Krinx. It had been days since that moment in time and he found himself staring at the dried blood on the ground where his body had once found rest.

As he looked on with unblinking eyes, Osyrus' voice as well as his own can be heard as he began recalling part of their conversation from that day. His reminiscent thoughts were interrupted when a voice suddenly called out to him.

"My luck just seems to keep getting better and better, who would've thought I'd run into such a skilled fighter so soon?"

"Show yourself, what kind of coward mocks someone while hiding in the shadows!?" he shouted with an annoyed tone while looking around trying to see where the voice had come from.

"Believe me Dai, I'm not hiding. If anything it's you who should be hiding from me." the shadowy figure said with a sinister grin, finally stepping out into the light.

"You... how dare you show your face after what you did!?" Dai retorted, having finally gotten a good look at the person before him.

"And here I thought no one would remember me, good to see you old friend." the man sarcastically replied.

"You've been branded deserter in a time of war Seth, you have no friends."

A young man born into poverty in the distant village Retsof. Seth was kind, gentle and selfless by nature so it was no surprise to his loved ones when he decided to serve in the military.

Due to abnormally high scores on entrance exams, Seth was assigned to the intelligence community in order to aid with gathering information on foreign nations.

Having originally joined to engage in combat on the front lines, he quickly grew tired and bitter because he was never allowed to wield a weapon.

Seth expressed his concerns with his chain of command and was told on several occasions that it would be in his best interest to keep doing the job he was assigned because he was good at it and could make rank faster.

Stubborn and ever insistent, he continued to push a combat unit transfer. One day a superior officer told him that if he wanted to see combat, he'd have to get approval from either Krinx or JinX, Rendarg's most renowned combat specialists.

The aspiring solider requested a meeting with the two and was granted the opportunity to train with them. Despite this rare opportunity, Seth's anger began to grow at an accelerated rate and his kind heartedness disappeared as he became more and more frustrated.

He simply lacked the fortitude to make passing marks in combat training to join the Resistance Army, and without an art, he didn't qualify for neither Krinx or JinX's elite units.

That left him with Rendarg's army, who had already decided that he would never fight and should stay assigned to Intel. Having been rejected by Krinx and JinX was the last straw.

Seth left the military altogether, becoming a deserter. No one could find him which made it seem as though he disappeared off the face of the earth, it was though he had never existed.

With a slight grin, Seth closes his eyes momentarily while pulling a metal polearm from his back strap. As he begins to twirl it around with expert skill, his eyes reopen.

"Fine by me, I won't have to feel bad about killing you now."

"What the hell!?" Dai retorted while taking a defensive stance, shocked by Seth's words.

Seth is seen charging at Dai while continuing to twirl his metal polearm.