Blood

"Innes! Let go!" I cried out as I wrenched my arm out of his steel grip.

The captain didn't show any signs of slowing down. His face was turned towards the path ahead, ignoring my complaining.

I squeezed my jaw and reached for anything solid I passed by. I stretched my hand out to the right side of the narrow alleyway and managed to grab hold of a short banner stand. Mustering every ounce of strength in my arm, I swung it around and whacked the back of his head.

A grunt escaped his lips and he stopped in his tracks. "Myst, what the—" he groaned as he turned around and released my arm to rub the bruise.

"You don't get to play hero and not tell me what your intentions are," I panted, taking a few steps back.

Innes sighed as he lowered his arms to his sides. "I apologize. It hasn't been easy."

I watched him carefully and noticed that he wasn't dressed in the red and black festival attire. Instead he was in the same scratched armor and red cape he'd worn the day we met; the day I was taken from Orzon. A lantern shield was attached to his right gauntlet and instead of the single long sword he'd always carried, two thin blades were crossed at his back.

""What hasn't been easy? And why aren't you dressed in festival garb? Where have you been?" I asked. The questions just slid out one after another, with no end. "Innes, no more secrets."

The captain ran a hand through his hair and glanced around. "This is hardly the time." His eyes were careful to avoid meeting mine.

"Hardly? If I'm to trust you with my life, you have to tell me the truth." When he refused to respond, my anger began to climb uncontrollably until I could hold it no longer. "You're no better than Bacchus!" I spat.

Although I expected a retort of some kind, he remained silent. He pressed his tongue against the side of his cheek and frowned as his eyes met the floor. I could see that for all of his noble courtesy and military training, the rage flared in him like it did me.

"You're right," he whispered as he nodded. "You have no idea." He raised his eyes to meet mine.

Suddenly, from around the corner came a tall figure. It donned armor as black and terrible as the night. The many spikes that protruded from its helmet and chest plate gleamed in the soft lamp light that hovered just above where he stood. Engraved in its chest was the Aegil emblem.

"Myst," Innes growled as he turned to face the giant. "Get out of here."

I glared at the back of his head, wishing that he could somehow feel my spite. "You don't get to tell me what to do either."

There was something different about the way that soldier moved, never mind the fact that I'd never seen someone like him in the time I'd spent with the army. He stomped towards Innes without speaking a word. The large sword in his hand was wider than my entire body and at its hilt was a faint yellow glow.

Innes slowly backed up and glanced at me over his shoulder. "Take the right path. I'll catch up."

Before I could respond, the giant waved his sword towards Innes. Instinctively, I ducked behind the captain and placed my hands against his back, shutting my eyes for a moment. The sound of metal clashing rang against my sensitive ears and I was forced to throw them open. I straightened my back and peeked in front of Innes.

"Myst," Innes snarled through gritted teeth. "Run. Now."

My eyes widened at the toothed metallic whip that was curled around the shield mounted on Innes' gauntlet. I followed the line of silver to the giant man and noticed that his sword was some sort of cross between a giant blade and a whip; almost like a dragon's tail.

Innes reached for the clasp that fastened the shield to his arm and released, causing the black armored soldier to stumble forward. Noticing my refusal to leave his side, he grabbed my hand and made for the right path he had told me to disappear into.

"W-What was that? Innes, who is that man?" I asked between pants as we ducked into alcoves and meandering backstreets.

I glanced over my shoulder and noticed a writhing mass of shadows bounding from wall to wall. It was different from the phantom that haunted me. It had no face nor did it come accompanied by some malevolent whispering. It pursued us relentlessly like dog to the hunt.

"Innes! It's getting closer!" I cried. My heart slammed against my bones in protest to the amount of running we'd done and I began to slow down.

Noticing my depleted stamina, the captain shoved me into a depression under a walkway that connected two shanty houses together. "Don't move. Let me handle him," he commanded before unsheathing a blade from his back. "And don't you dare follow me," he patted my shoulder before unsheathing the other blade and heading for the shadow.

I peeked out of the hiding spot and watched as the giant rose from the pool of shadows, its sword-whip clutched firmly in its enormous hand. Innes was the first to make a move, trying to strike the creature before it completely emerged from the darkness. Suddenly the hilts of his twin blades began to glow with a faint red and green glow. Lightning and fire burst from within the glass vials that made up the hilt and surrounded the weapons. Innes danced gracefully between strikes, outmaneuvering the towering creature. He struck in the gaps of the giant's armor and brought it down to one knee.

"Those are the weapons created by the Dawn," I recalled my many encounters with Jhilza and those infernal arms. "Why do Innes and Bacchus wield them?"

Just as the words left my lips, the giant shadow knight's face crooked to meet mine. Out of panic, I withdrew my head and tucked myself back into the depression. I threw a hand over my mouth and pressed it hard against my face, trying to muffle the sounds of my breathing and gasping.

"Myst, get out!" Innes called to me as large fingers grasped the edges of the wall I'd been hiding behind.

He didn't have to tell me again. I pushed my back off the wall and made for the nearest alleyway. I could hear the giant tear through the bricks and homes I'd ducked through. When I glanced back, I spotted a small shattered crevice in its chest where Innes had struck with his magical blades. A large black, crystalline flower pulsed wildly at its core. Wide eyed, I turned back and jumped over a few boxes and barrels that littered the slums of Luster City.

My hair whipped behind me as I urged myself to move faster and I was suddenly reminded of the first time I'd been chased in the city.

"Jhilza!" I gasped, remembering that she her Gift and battle prowess would be of wonderful help right about now.

I honed in on the dirty storefronts surrounding me and tried to recall how I'd found Lodestar bakery before. My breath began to stagger, but I had no choice. I grabbed the corner closest to me and flung myself into it. Sprinting down the alley and shimmying into the narrow passages, I made my way back to the same backstreet that Innes had pulled me into.

My ears picked up on Innes' breathing as well as the ruckus the giant was causing in its attempt to follow me.

"Jhilza!" I screamed as I raced between the alleys that were close to the city square.

There was no response save for the giant that hurtled a few slabs of broken wall at me. The first few throws missed me, but the last struck one of the towering storefronts ahead of me, causing it to crumble and block my path.

I raised my arms over my face and turned away as the dust rolled from the building's crash. "No," I coughed as I fanned it away.

I spun my self around and was met with a muffled roar from the giant. Without even wasting a moment, it stretched one of its black arms towards me. I backed away until I felt a sharp splintered beam kiss my thigh. There wasn't enough breath in me to sing or scream and I began to lose the courage I had in my escape from the creature.

"No!" I screamed, refusing whatever fate being taken by this monster would lead me to. "Jhilza! Help me!" I roared as a sharp pain cut through my chest, bringing me to my knees.

A heavy gust of wind forced the shadow giant backwards, sending it into Innes' blades. The captain pierced through its armor with both swords and held his ground against its massive weight.

"Don't you know how to stay out of trouble," a voice reprimanded me as it spirited by me.

A gray cloak slapped my cheeks as a slender woman jumped onto the chest of the giant. Her hands latched onto the large black flower at its center as a foul smell began to emanate from her general direction. The giant groaned as the crystalline blossom in its chest began to dissolve into liquid that trailed down its body.

"Shh," Jhilza hissed softly as she slipped a hand under its helmet.

Innes jumped out from under the giant's weight, leaving his blades inside of it. He ran towards me and I reached for him. I didn't care for the fact that he was still lying to me, I needed to replace the fear blooming in my chest with comfort.

The captain slid a hand around my waist and threw my arm around his shoulder. "You're okay."

I watched as Jhilza finished melting a hole into the shadow knight's chest the size of her body. The grey vines around her hands began to retreat into her sleeves as she landed on the tips of her toes.

"Is that all?" she asked, her voice mono toned. "Is that all you ask of me?"

I frowned at her, confused.

"Yes. Thank you for the assistance, Jhilza," Innes responded.

Taking a few small staggered steps backwards, Jhilza clutched her head and spun around to look at us. She blinked a few times and shook her head.

"Um, what exactly happened here?" the assassin asked, noticing the carnage the giant had caused.

Lucky for us, Jhilza was in no mood to kill either of us. Noticing our exhaustion, she took us into one of her warehouses after scolding us for destroying her bakery. Innes sat me down on a chair and checked me for any signs of bleeding or injuries.

"Is someone going to explain?" Jhilza crossed her arms and leaned against a wooden beam. "I don't help my enemies for free, by the way." She narrowed her eyes at Innes.

The captain ignored her and continued examining me. When he was satisfied, his eyes were fixed on mine.

"So it was you who broke her out," he whispered.

I cast my gaze to the side and took back my arm, which he had been holding onto.

"Ahem!" Jhilza coughed, her eyes wide with expectation. "Are we going to pretend like there wasn't a magic-infused warden tearing through the slums?"

"Warden?" I raised a brow. "Like a guardian?"

"In a way, yes. The Wardens are a group of independent infantry men sworn to the patriarch of House Absolin." Innes stood from the knelt position he was in and reached for the spare chair beside me. "General Bacchus is their liege."

"What demonic rituals are you performing in Caledonia? Infusing humans with magic is forbidden!" Jhilza roared.

I jumped out of my seat and stomped a foot towards her. "Says the woman who turned palace soldiers into crystalline monsters!"

Unfazed by my retort, she scoffed. "They were dead before I turned them. This is different. That Warden was alive and he was using magic to hunt you, little girl. An ungifted body was not made to hold magic. If it's been forced inside, then the body and mind rot away." Jhilza's pushed herself off the beam she'd been leaning against. "How that man managed to stay in control is beyond me."

My curiosity peaked. There was something strange in that logic; something that contradicted my existence and hers. "Jhilza, if humans are not able to hold magic without succumbing to it, then how could the Gifted exist? How are you and I still here?"

She glanced at me and folded her arms across her chest. "Still as clueless and stupid as always," she clicked her tongue. "Do you ever wonder why it's called a Gift? Or why we are unable to die? She took a step towards me and pressed her fist against my chest. "That's because there is no heart in your body; in its place is a fragment of the dragon's immortal soul. When the Mist killed your parents and buried itself in you, it became your blood. The Gifted aren't vessels, we are magic incarnate!"

"Enough!" Innes stood and placed himself between Jhilza and I.

It was too late. The revelation had already made its mark on me. My fingers began to tremble as I cupped my mouth. A piece of the seraph dragon was inside of me. Not only that, it was my core, my very being.

I lowered my hands and balled them into fists. This was the reason, then. This was why I was brought to Luster City. Not because I could 'heal' its wounds or lift the kingdom's spirits. No, I was brought here as a vessel. The magic drought that plagued Caledonia was its only weakness against the Gifted of Maignane. Acodemus and Bacchus probably sought to infuse their legionnaires with my power. That's why they hid Jhilza and Camilla in the Observatory. To siphon their blood.

How disgusting.

"Myst," Innes murmured my name as he turned to me. "Are you alright?" he asked as he slipped a finger under my chin and gently lifted my face up.

I was not alright. Not event the slightest.

"How could he? How could Bacchus do this to me?" I growled as tears collected at the back of my eyes, threatening to spill if I continued. "I saved his life and in turn, he's condemned mine."

Jhilza threw open the door. "How sad. Yawn," she drawled. "You can cry about your depressing childhood later after we've escaped the city. Who knows how many Wardens the General has searching for you."

Innes sighed and slipped a hand against my lower back. "Much as I dislike her, she's right. Luster City isn't safe for either of us."

I took a step outside and followed quickly behind Jhilza as she ducked through the ruins of slums and led us closer to the city gates.

"Where are we going to stay if not in this city?" I asked. Though it pained me to leave Luster City and all of its secrets behind, I had a feeling I would return to it. I was not finished satiating my curiosity; not between Bacchus' method of extracting and infusing magic, as well as how Ulrich's death tied into this game. 

"Aellecion," Innes answered.

"A-yell-ation?" I slowly pronounced with my backwards knowledge of Caledonian noble titles.

He chuckled. "Aellecion is my lineage estate. Just as House Deimos is for Lady Unikila. It's about day's journey east of here."

Just as her name left his lips, the figure of Lady Deimos herself became visible some distance in front of the gate. She stood still, her hands clutching the reins of two armored horses. She was still in her festival dress, but the doll-like expression from her eyes was gone, replaced by the stern yet poised countenance created by her noble upbringing.

"Uni," Innes gasped softly as he pulled ahead of Jhilza. "What are you doing here?"

The heavy feeling in my chest returned and hid behind Jhilza, who didn't seem to notice. Regret bloomed in my chest as I came to the realization that I could never be a dignified lady like Unikila nor could I live that fairy tail life I'd always dreamed about. It was a pipe dream that'd gone up in smoke after I killed her brother.

"They're after you, Innes! And I-I knew you'd try to leave the city so I brought these for..." her voice lowered and the frantic speech calmed as her eyes drifted away from his and landed on mine. "...you?"

I turned away and began rubbing the back of my elbow. My cheeks began to flare as shame took hold of my chest, causing my breaths to quicken.

"Thank you." Innes bowed his head as he slipped the reins out of her hands. "I'll explain later, but for now, I need you to return to House Deimos. I wouldn't be able to face your brother at the Gladian Fields if something were to happen to you."

Jhilza snatched one of the reins from Innes and leapt up onto her horse. "Pick your poison, Myst," she chuckled as my eyes bounced between her and Innes.

Innes grabbed my arm and pulled me towards his mount before quickly hoisting me up by the waist. I sat sideways with a strange mound protruding from the saddle between my legs. Within seconds, Innes hefted himself up behind me. A soft clinking noise came from his direction before he blanketed his cape around my shoulders. Missing the feeling of warmth, I pulled it tight against my skin and balled the excess around my stomach.

Innes gave Unikila one final nod before setting off though her eyes remained fixed on me.

I was so ashamed that I couldn't bring myself to acknowledge her presence. Not even a hello or I'm sorry. I knew she must think the worst of me and my backwater manners to pretend like she didn't exist and that was okay. After all, I killed the only family she had.

"Damn, the gates!" Innes cursed as he stopped a few paces from it.

I glanced at the towers flanking the gates and noticed their emptiness. Seemed Bacchus must've summoned all of the guards to search for us if no one was watching the gates. Without anyone to operate the mechanism to open it, we were trapped like rats.

"You think you can sing the gates open?" Innes asked, half-jokingly.

Before I could respond, I caught sight of Jhilza galloping right by us followed by that horrible stench her Gift liked to ooze. Once she was a short distance from the gate, she reared her horse up and summoned a large gray flower that burst from the ground. Slimy vines slithered their snaking bodies up to the entire length of the gates and began to dissolve them.

"Or we could just let the Dawn assassin liquefy it," I chuckled.

Innes urged his horse forward as Jhilza led us through the gates after she melted a hole the size of the shadow Warden in its center. We fled from Luster City into the darkness of the woods surrounding it, heading east for Innes' home.

Out of boredom, I looked down at the saddle noticing the delicate ivory stitches at the edges as well as the soft pink flower motifs. I realized that it was meant to be used by a woman, preferably one of noble birth considering the intricate and feminine details.

I stifled a gasp as I realized that the reason Uni had two horses was because she wanted to leave Luster City with Innes. Once again, I took another important man in her life from her. The shoulder she cried on and her brother's best friend.

The man she loved.

I shut my eyes and let exhaustion put me to sleep. Destroying lives was all I seemed to be good at.