Go home, Merlon. I need to take him to a healer.

Kylian stared at the ceiling, those words echoing in his mind over and over again. Go home, Merlon. 

Merlon.

He couldn't believe it. He was still having a hard time actually grasping what he saw. He always knew that Marc was a little weird, but he could have NEVER foreseen something like this. 

This was suddenly much bigger than a simple rivalry. This was much bigger than a duel. It was much bigger than a simple rule being broken! There was a war going on out there.

The healers ran their final checkups on him before finally allowing him to be released. He, clearly upset from how long he had to stay immobile, was nothing short of ticked off. He didn't tell anyone what he had seen on the night of the duel, only because it was against the rules to share information like that with the public before consulting the rest of the tribe officials. The tribe often liked to do their best to deal with situations like this one as quietly as possible.

So, he kept the information he knew buried in the back of his mind. His rage bubbled over the months he spent sick. Marc's shot wasn't fatal by any means, but it had some very strange effects that the healers weren't sure how to handle. It was almost like his magic had triggered a strange allergic reaction. Healers researched and researched through their books and scrolls on different categories of dark magic, but couldn't figure out why Kylian's body had reacted so strangely. After many tests, it was determined that there was nothing wrong with Kylian and his overall health, so the strange reaction must have been due to Marc's magic. Still, it wasn't apparent why. He was born of dark magic, just like everyone else in the tribe, so there should have been no reason for his powers to have left such a long-lasting effect. 

Not that Kylian really cared. If anything, he was only further infuriated with the fact that Marc's stupid, weak, weird magic had kept him in bed for so many months. He knew that Danielle had to be close to her due date, and he for one wasn't planning on missing that day. He knew that the baby could very well be his.

The healers didn't share any information about the incident with the public because they were simply not allowed to. It was against the rules for them to share anything related to their patients and such, so they didn't speak of the duel or the fact that Marc won. The only reason they knew was because they needed Kylian to tell them how exactly he got hurt in order for them to properly heal them, and even then, he kept out as much information as possible, neglecting to tell them about Merlon. 

Whenever Marc visited and talked to them to make sure everything was alright, he would be very vague when it came to answering questions as well. 

So, Kylian spent months, waiting and planning on how he was going to handle this situation he had been faced with. After all, as a leader of the tribe, it was his duty to report and deal with any rulebreakers in order to maintain structure and balance. 

Once he was finally released, he immediately called a meeting with his fellow tribe leaders. A group of about twelve people, who would meet in the temple where the Dark Prognosticus was kept. None went near it or even looked at it, as all clearly well aware of the danger the book held. In order to become one of the tribe leaders, people would have to be chosen by previous tribe leaders. Then, they would all have to go through extensive training and testing, that way they would know how to handle being in the presence of the Dark Prognosticus. Kylian was the second youngest, yet still one of the most vocal members of the team of leadership. There was a mix of men and women from the tribe, all wearing matching red cloaks to symbolize their higher positions of power. 

"Kylian," one of the women chimed once everyone had gathered together. She wore a bright smile upon seeing him up and about again. "I am so glad that you have made a smooth recovery! We missed you dearly!"

Not true, Kylian thought to himself. If you missed me, you would have visited. Why didn't any of you visit?

It did tick him off that not a single person had come to see him during his months spent being healed. It was just yet another subtle reminder of what he didn't have. During his entire stay, he didn't even get one gift or get-well-soon card.

Well, that wasn't quite true. He did receive a fruit basket with a small note attached that said "Sorry for hospitalizing you for several months. I've read that citrus fruits help with the healing process, so I've gathered as many as I could find. I wish you a smooth and quick recovery, and again, I am deeply sorry. -Marc." 

He crumpled the note up and threw the fruit basket across the room as soon as he received it, because the LAST thing he needed was Marc's pity. The basket was probably just Marc's subtle way of saying, Ha! I beat you! You're weak! 

"Word of what happened hasn't gotten out to the public yet, so we do hope that you will explain why you have been hospitalized for so long," the woman continued.

Kylian clenched his fists but offered a strained smile back to her. It wasn't that he was upset with her specifically, he was just feeling rather annoyed over the fact that Marc wasn't man enough to explain to the people what happened at the duel. As the victor, he should have been celebrating and spreading the word, not staying silent and keeping the entire fight a secret. It was humiliating enough that Kylian lost in the first place, but of course, Marc would go and make things worse by being all humble about it. Kylian absolutely hated when people like Marc didn't make their own victories a big deal. He hated how quiet and humble they acted, as if they thought they were better than everyone else. It was infuriating, and it made it so that when people like Kylian did celebrate their own victories, they looked vain and self-absorbed. 

Kylian hated Marc for his stupid humbleness. He could bet that Marc only stayed quiet to spite him.

Or perhaps, Marc only stayed silent so he could keep his special little friend a secret from the world...

Marc. Sweet, stupid, awkward, bewildered Marc. Who would have guessed that someone like him would find himself in a situation like this?

Go home, Merlon.

Kylian had been barely conscious when he heard Marc say that. It was the last thing he heard that night before everything went white. He had never been knocked unconscious before, so the feeling was quite strange. That didn't matter, though. What mattered was what he saw before he slipped away from alertness. Merlon running up to Marc and grasping his arms, Marc pushing Merlon behind himself as if trying to protect him, the words Go home Merlon. It was clear that the night of the duel wasn't the first night they met.

"So, what did you call us here for?" A man questioned, his voice deep and hoarse. He happened to be one of the older members of the tribe's leadership, scheduled to retire and pass the torch to someone younger and newer in about a year or two. "You are aware that meetings like this may only be called when our tribe is in danger. Otherwise, all discussions are to be saved for our monthly gatherings-"

"Oh trust me, this will be well worth your time," Kylian explained. He wanted to grin, but instead plastered a soft, slightly worried expression onto his face. Yes, he couldn't wait to share what he had seen with the rest of the group, in fact, he had been waiting months for this moment and wanted to enjoy every second, but there was a right way to take control of a situation. The tribe's concern was safety and security first, so he needed to make sure it looked like those were his top priorities. 

Which, in a way, they were. Yes, he resented Marc and wanted him to pay for making him feel humiliated, but this was about more than that now. This was about saving the tribe and saving Marc from dangers he probably couldn't even begin to comprehend. There was a war going on, after all. 

"A member of the Tribe of Ancients has been spotted in our forest. Someone who seemed to respond to the name Merlon," Kylian explained.

The people surrounding Kylian gasped, not expecting such shocking news. Even with the silent war separating their lands, most times the Tribe of Ancients simply agreed to live their lives completely separately from the Tribe of Darkness. The two rival tribes stayed apart, knowing that if they mixed, there was bound to be blood spilled.

"Are you certain?" One of the members questioned.

"Yes," Kylian stated.

"Impossible!" Someone exclaimed. "As if one of them would have the courage to cross onto our borders alone-"

"Oh, he wasn't alone," Kylian explained, a grin slowly spreading across his face. "Which is why we need to handle this quickly before it escalates further. He's already managed to brainwash one of our people's minds."

"What do you mean?!" Another person asked. 

Kylian fought a smirk and put on a sorrowful expression. He enjoyed having the room's complete and other attention but had to sell his part. His eyes grew glassy and he looked down, acting as if he was having a hard time putting words together.

"Speak, Kylian! Who has this villain hurt? Whoever they are, we need to act to save them before further damage is done!"

Kylian let out a long breath, then looked up at the group.

"Well, Marc was with him," Kylian said. 

There was a brief moment of silence in the room as people tried to remember who exactly Marc was.

"Marc... who- oh wait, the tall guy?" Someone asked.

"Yes," Kylian continued. "Marc. The tall guy with the glasses."

"What?!" Another person exclaimed, slightly louder. "No way, he would do something like that!"

"I think this is all part of this ancient's long-term plans," Kylian breathed. "It's clear that this has been carefully plotted and planned. From what I saw, this wasn't the first time they met. If I had to guess, this ancient has been slowly and carefully manipulating Marc. Although, why Merlon would choose to target someone so small and seemingly insignificant, I have no idea.."

"Oh, that poor man," someone breathed.

"No! No way shy, timid little Marc would do such a thing!" A man argued. "He doesn't have the guts to even speak up, let alone allow someone to manipulate him like that! He may be cowardly, but he's not stupid!"

"I don't know about that. Yes, he's smart, but ancients are unpredictable! On top of that, he seems the perfect target!" A girl shouted. "Marc can easily fly under the radar, so the idea of an ancient targeting him first makes sense! Their plan must be to brainwash our people one by one, starting with Marc! We must do something!"

The arguing continued, when someone stood in the center of the room, holding her arms out to signify for everyone to fall silent. Once a hush fell over the room, she cleared her throat and turned to Kylian. Since Kylian was a tribe leader, it was clear that she was going to have to trust that what he was saying about Marc was true. Even if he was quiet and timid. Even if he had spent his entire life never stepping out of line and following all the rules. It didn't matter how good of a citizen he had been, if he really did something like this, then the situation needed to be taken care of. Dark and light magic couldn't interact mix, otherwise, complete chaos would be created, throwing everything out of balance and ruining the established order and perfection of the Tribe of Darkness. 

"If what you say is true," she started. "Then you must take action. You must take care of this quietly and quickly... you know the rules and the consequences for offenses like this one. Someone will have to die."

Kylian forced a somber expression and nodded, understanding exactly what they meant. There was a special way that the tribe dealt with situations like this one. 

"I know Marc personally. He's a good man. A friend of mine even," Kylian lied. "He wouldn't do something like this on purpose. He's a good, loyal citizen. I promise to do everything in my power to save him from this terrible scheme."

"Right," she replied. "Do your best to work with him peacefully. We want to spill the least amount of blood as possible. Let's just hope that he cooperates-"

"He will," Kylian interrupted. 

"Right. But if he doesn't... you know what needs to be done. Even if he's your friend, you cannot let your emotions get in the way of serving to protect our people."

"Understood," Kylian breathed. "I will do what I need to. I will plan on finding him and dealing with all of this after the Star Festival to give myself time to prepare and recover."

A small, hardly noticeable smile crept onto the corner of Kylian's mouth.

"And what of his wife?" Someone questioned, raising their hand. "Marc is a married man. What will become of his family?"

"I will comfort her," Kylian assured them, bowing his head. "As you all know, Marc isn't exactly the most... social. He hasn't many friends other than me. I'm sure if he were of sound mind, he would want me to step in and help support and take care of her in a situation like this one. I will tell her of her husband's grave situation and offer her support in any way I can. Especially since she is expecting soon. She will need someone strong to be by her side in such moments like this. I only wish that the ancient could have targeted someone else, especially since this is such a monumental time in his life. He should be preparing to start a family, not being pulled into a war."

Everyone in the temple more or less nodded, then were dismissed. Kylian watched as they all left, grinning to himself. 

At first, he was frustrated and upset when he saw Marc and Merlon together. However, this suddenly felt less like an obstacle and more like an opportunity being presented to him. A better opportunity to slowly push Marc out of the picture and have Danielle to himself. 

He honestly wasn't too surprised anymore over the fact that Marc had been brainwashed by Merlon anymore. At first, when he saw the two of them together he was completely and utterly shocked, however, it made more sense now. It explained why Marc was always so distant and awkward. It explained why nobody ever saw him and why he constantly looked so shifty. 

However... Kylian did silently wonder just how many rules Marc was breaking when it came to Merlon. Just talking to him was one, but there was definitely something more going on. Kylian heard Merlon's cry, he saw the look of worry and concern in the blonde's golden eyes when he ran up and checked to make sure Marc was okay. Kylian saw the way Merlon grasped Marc's arms, the way Marc pushed Merlon behind him once he realized that Kylian had seen him. He saw the connection.  He wasn't sure if the connection was mutual between the two or if they even knew about it. Perhaps it was an unspoken bond, but there was still clearly something. Something clearly wrong and bad. Something unnatural and vile. Something that didn't belong in a pure, perfect world like that one. 

Something that Kylian had to save Marc and the rest of his tribe from. Yes, Kylian had always hated Marc for being so different and for always standing out wherever he went, he hated how Marc managed to marry someone he clearly didn't deserve, he hated how Marc was weak and useless and how he didn't bring much to the table and had no position of importance, but he still had a duty to protect and save him.

Someone was going to have to die, and it was going to be Merlon.

For the tribe's sake and for Marc's sake.

Maybe his death would break the twig-like writer. That would be the cherry on top. Kylian could almost imagine the look on Marc's face, realizing that Merlon's death was going to be his own fault. Kylian wanted to smirk at him and point while saying, "This is what you get for thinking you could best me!"

Of course, over time, Marc would surely realize what was happening, and would eventually come to thank him. He would probably come to thank Kylian for a lot of things. For saving him from Merlon and for giving his wife a happier life. Maybe someday, many years in the future, they really could be friends. Of course, that would only happen if Marc could get over himself and stop being so awkward and "unique." And he would need to ditch the glasses- Kylian hated glasses. They were stupid. If someone had bad eyes, then they should just learn to adapt on their own instead of relying on tools to do what their body should naturally do on its own. He would definitely have to make a lot of changes to himself, but a good person encourages others to become the best versions of themselves they can be, right? 

Of course, it's entirely possible that instead of realizing that he was in the wrong, Marc would just fall back into his old habits of hiding away from everyone all day. There was the chance that Marc would never grow to thank Kylian for saving him, there was the possibility that at the end of the day, Marc would learn nothing from this.

That wasn't relevant, though. Kylian couldn't focus on that. He had to focus on his current task. 

Locating and killing Merlon.