Rituals, Regrets, and Really Dumb People

Chapter 9: Family Matters, Part 3

"Yes, one more," She said. "You need one more person before you head on over to Nebuchadnezzar's. He stays on the border of Sanctuary and the Circuit-Shanty." The Circuit-Shanty was Nebuchadnezzar's land. "He lives in Bridgton now. You know who it is."

"No," I groaned out, "I don't know." I knew who she was hinting at, but I didn't want to admit it. "Anyways, me and him haven't spoken in years."

"Who's 'him?'" Lilly asked, looking to her mother.

"Corbin," the Darkness uttered.

I smacked my hands together. "Knew it. I just knew it. Why him?"

"Cause he's one of the best fighters on the whole of the island. You need all the help you can get, especially with Dimitri gone. Corbin's a fervent follower of He now."

I got up and stomped my feet around as my arms wagged about like some crazy person's. "Damnit to Hel."

"Mathias."

"I know, but—Corbin has hated me since Reinhardt's death."

"Correction: murder. Also, he doesn't hate you. You two stopped talking. He had his reasons."

"How do you even know?"

"He was an adamant cultist before, remember? He was as important as you in the empire when you all first built it."

"And he switched right on over despite knowing what would happen."

"Like you did?"

I gritted my teeth; it was true. I let go of my annoyance and I sighed, looking back to She. "Okay then, but what do I even say to him? I killed his friend, his advisor and master. As far as I know, the man would probably kill me on sight."

"What about 'sorry?' You said it to Reinhardt, reserved as it may have been."

"Yes, but this is Corbin!"

"Why is Corbin different?" Lilly asked me.

"Corbin—he was—he was—"

"Corbin was right," She said. "Corbin said Sanguine was not cut out to fill Reinhardt's shoes and that Meredith would leave him one day."

"He was right though," Lilly said.

"I know he was right," I whined. "But—you don't wanna tell someone like Corbin he was right. He'll never let me live it down."

"He wouldn't let you live it down if you could have stopped this farce, knowing you are as you are now, and you allowed it all to happen out of feelings of inadequacies."

"Inadequacies!?" I flailed my arms around again. "Corbin never once beat me when we sparred."

"They had a brotherly relationship, didn't they?" Lilly asked, amazed by my reaction.

"Yeah," She replied.

Despite them talking, I kept on rambling. "He couldn't beat me in melee, or sniping, he doesn't know magic, he didn't get to protect his master from me..."

On and on.

"...and that's why I should not run to him," I finished.

"Mathias," She said, walking up to me. "Go get Corbin and go see Nebuchadnezzar. Stop this. You know it is true."

My shoulders loosened and my arms began to hang. "I know, but it sucks having to go get laughed at, by Corbin of all people."

"The sting is temporary compared to succeeding at this."