Xoris groaned as light ran through the thin slit in the sky, right onto his face. No matter how hard he squeezed his face to shut it out though, the veiny, greyish-orange of his eyelids bothered him too much to let any semblance of sleep return. As he ran his hands over his face to clear some of the tiredness away, he flinched back in surprise as a dried, crusty sensation scraped his skin. He looked down at them, realising with horror the amount of dark blue liquid was splashed all over them, smeared down his face. It was everywhere.

He quickly got to his feet despite every pulled muscle in his back fighting against him. He took note of the battlefield around him. How had he slept surrounded by bodies? A horror surged into him, all too late. He knew he had done this but... There were so many figures strewn about, coming to light. How many?

He tore his eyes away, a sense of nausea creeping through his torso, arm, and head, vomit knocking steadily at each throat. Despite the acidity, he forced himself to swallow it. He'd barely eaten since he'd left, and couldn't afford to lose much else. A growl rumbled through him, in too many places for his liking. If anything, his hunger felt worse in his Stained state, but what did he have to eat? The closest town was a good ways away from the Fae, and for good reason. His thoughts trailed as he thought of the town, full of people, Human people, and children... Immediately, he dispelled any extra thoughts that came to his mind. That was disgusting. Annoying, intrusive thoughts. It was a good thing they were simply his brain conjuring horrible images of torn flesh and green blood dripping from his blade, and not something he would ever actually  do. And yet...

He took in the sight around him again. Why? Why had this felt right in the moment? He had never truly fought before in his life, yet had handled it so easily, as if by instinct all reasoned by a logic not his own. No, that's ridiculous. Of course it was his thought process. He wasn't some monster that was driven only by the urge to kill, unable to control his own actions, which left only one option. It had been easy because this was his job now, and they had been enemies. Of course taking them down wasn't some Beast-like side to him. It was like a craving for a desert, one that he could easily choose to ignore, or indulge in. That was harmless enough. That was Human enough.

Really, he thought as he wiped his sword clean, sheathing it at his side. They weren't going to help either way so... It's not that bad, and if it was... He turned his back on the village, pushing past trees as the horrors eventually disappeared behind him. Then once I explain, everyone will understand that it was fine. That it had to be done.

𓂀

"Sire, I am well-aware of the situation, but we need to- Oh! Hello, Thing of Eyes and Teeth," Kraim called out to him as Xoris opened the heavy metal door to the throne room. He could have sworn that he got a sense of panic from the advisor, but he had become pleasant in an instant, so Xoris was sure he'd been mistaken. After all, he was here to offer up good news.

He had made sure to close up any aspects of being Stained by the time he had reached the castle, and yet, as he made his way further into the room, it seemed denser, darker to him, in a way that felt smooth and comforting on his skin. He breathed in the feeling of whatever remenants of magik were in the air, almost wanting to walk up to that higher place in his mind just to take it in, but that wasn't what he was here for.

"Your highness," he began, taking a knee on the floor. It was much easier this time, his right greave taking most of his weight for him. "I have wonderful news for you." Xoris announced, finally pulling his gaze up off the floor, beaming up at the king if only to see how proud he would be. "You see, when I arrived, the Fae were insistent on not helping the Human race. So I took it upon myself to take out the enemy force!"

"What?" For some reason, the king's face twisted up in shock, old wrinkled hands shaking a bit on the edges of his throne.

"I said," Xoris began, clearing his throat. "The Fae refused to aid us, so I removed them as a potential threat. We won't be needing them in the war anyway." The smile on his face grew wider as he awaited his earned gratitude. "I can take care of the Beasts myself."

 His shoulders relaxed as confidence eased out of him. This was a good thing, being able to fix problems on his own. This way he could personally assure that no one else had to fall to the same system that Luke had, so why was his stomach so tight? Why were his superiors exchanging nervous glances when he was agreeing to do what he'd been asked the first time?

"Xoris, we were already informed of the situation in Senebt Forest," the king started, his voice slow and unsteady. "And I think it is for the best if you were-"

"-Congratulated on the best of your efforts!" Kraim cut in, stepping in front of the king for a moment. There it was, the smile Xoris had been waiting for as Kraim closed his indigo eyes. "We were more than expecting the Fae to not listen, and although we would have rather not have... angered them, hopefully this has proved to you how useful you would be on the battlefield?"

The king sighed behind him, his large chest and stomach deflating. "Yes, I suppose you made a deal."

"Yes!" Xoris nodded rapidly, trying to assure them. "And I accept my place on the battlefield." He tried to keep his voice light, but something about the way his throat was clenching made it so difficult. Why? This would allow him to fight on the battlefields, slay the enemy and win the war. He could get fame and fortune. People would cheer his name as he saved the world. So why did he despise every word coming out of his mouth?

At this, the king's eyes shot open. "I must say you took that much... better than I had expected."

"I simply came to realise that those with power have a responsibility to use it, and should for the better," Xoris explained, spreading his hands out in front of him even as they trembled. It was as simple as that, really. That was what the Fae had failed to understand. That was why he hadn't done anything wrong. 

"That's wonderful," Kraim encouraged, clasping his hands in front of him. "And did you happen to gain any more eyes while you were out?"

"No?" Xoris replied, confused. He brightened his expression quick enough though. "But I learned what the violet did!"

"No red? No grey?" Kraim prompted, raising an eyebrow in concern.

Xoris shook his head. "I don't think I need those anyway. I can do plenty as is." And yet, not enough. What did it matter to learn all this now, after Luke had already died? He had protected no one, and not even been there for his final moments. A deep ache filled his chest as a prickling sensation pulled at his eyes. Pushing it away, he forced himself to take a deep breath, looking at the floor. No, he couldn't cry. Not here. Not when he'd been offered the chance to do better. "So give me another mission. Anything you need, I'll take it."

"Well, if that's the case," the king began, stroking his beard. "Then you'll be spending a lot of time with Rajul."

"The general?" Xoris widened his eyes. "I thought he was permanently stationed at the keep in Skallos?" He felt as though he hadn't seen the man in forever. How long has it been since I left? He'd been too focused on the mission to take note of how many days he had travelled, much less divide the amount by ten to form however many tallies it had been.

"He was, but in your absence to deal with the Fae, it was overrun by Beasts. So instead we've been holding him at the castle to try and strategize where they may attack next. Now that you're back though, and willing to do your original task, we can start sending you both back to field work," the king explained, seemingly a lot less easy to please than Xoris was used to.

"Oh..." Xoris trailed, his smile faltering for a moment. It was no surprise that more land had been taken. Besides Luke, he had petrified most everyone else on the battlefield, including their own soldiers, and had only come back to protect it once before setting off. Why didn't I think of that? How could one man alone possibly defend an entire station? All so I could go off on some fruitless task. He felt foolish, like an ashclaeve. "I'm sorry. I should have just protected it like last time instead of leaving."

"No matter," the king waved off. "It was to be expected, eventually. I had just hoped that your little... excursion would have yielded better results, rather than you simply discovering what was already known about your abilities."

Part of the king's words bothered Xoris slightly. He had mentioned before that he had no interest in collecting any more obscenities, and yet, not only were they continuing to push, they knew information about him that even he wasn't aware of. For what purpose? Kraim had called him a hero. Wasn't that good enough?

"Your highness, if I may," Xoris began, unsure what would be the best way to ask the question without being rude. "What do you get out of discovering any more of the Beast's eyes? I assure you, I fight well just as I am. Did I not do enough?" He titled his head at the question. If there was anything he could do to become a better paladin, he would listen, but he couldn't understand what more they wanted. At his words, the king's dull, brown eyes flicked back and forth, almost seeming uncertain at the answer as he finally settled his gaze on Kraim expectantly.

In a moment, the advisor was stepping in front of him. "Well, given the general nature of the Stained, it is important as a kingdom to keep track of what you are able to do, for our safety. I hope that makes sense."

Xoris nodded solemnly. "I see. Sorry." It seemed like such a weird balance of trust, and lack thereof. He could understand the logic behind it, but it still was a bit disillusioning all the same.

"Now, with all that out of the way, you did mention that you'll take any assignment we need you to do," Kraim reminded him, switching topics with ease. "That being said, there have been a large number of slaughter raids at the edge of the sea based on the tracking that Rajul's been doing. I do understand that you did just come back from battle though, and if you need a break-"

"No, I'm fine. Really!" Xoris cut in. Even now his thoughts were returning in the empty drips between each sentence, trying to haunt the corners of his mind. They spoke of horrid things, of green and blue blood coating everything, his muscles tensing as if it were something to feel guilty about. But it wasn't. So he lifted his head, nodding as he matched Kraim with his uplifting smile. "I can leave immediately."

"Wonderful! I hope to have a satisfying report by the end of the tally."

𓂀

"So! Where are we off to first?" Xoris asked, turning his head to Rajul. Over four tallies before, he never could have imagined travelling with the gruff, hairy man, but that was an entire Crack ago. He scratched his teeth nervously, thinking of their last exchange, and what he had done to the general. If they were going to be spending time together, he wanted to start off on a better foot. He beamed at him, his dimples pulling in at the attempt to relieve some of the tension.

The man was nothing but a frown in response though. "Nowhere. The sky is nearly closed. We're going to find a place to eat something, and then rest. Journey starts tomorrow."

"B-but..." Xoris slid himself in front of him, holding his hands up in defence as he began to walk backwards. "I've travelled at night before, and we'll make better time. Besides, we're already heading to kill Beasts, so what does fighting a few more matter?"

"It matters, because I won't be able to see. Besides, you need sleep. You have bags under your eyes... and on your cheeks. Did you not stop at all on the way home from the forest?" Rajul narrowed his gaze at him, running a hand through his greasy black hair.

"I stopped at times." Xoris reached up to massage his cheek with the pad of his hand, hoping to clear up some of the purple marks that apparently sat there even in the eyes' absence. It wasn't a lie. He had stopped to eat at a stall, and once to drink from the filtered water in his flask. Truth be told, he hadn't slept in the three days it had taken him to reach the castle, fear of his own thoughts keeping him awake, but sometimes the truth went best untold, and so he kept his mouth shut.

"Well, we're stopping again. You're of no use if you're tired." The man's deep, determined voice came to a halt as they reached a small tavern. Inside, he could hear the sounds of singing, dancing, and overall good cheer. The edges of his mouth rose to match the level of excitement as he listened. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to spend some time here. He reached in front of Rajul to take hold of the door handle, gesturing with one hand for the much shorter man to head in first, which he did without a word.

It all came to a halt though, as soon as he took a step in. The music wavered into the air before falling into silence, a bard with a cracked mask lifting her hands away from the kalimba in her lap. People ceased to dance, frozen in place as if turned to stone. Only the smell of mead and freshly-mined meat remained unchanged in his presence as he stood there unnerved by it all. Rajul barely seemed to give it a second thought however as he clamoured over to the edge of the bar, pulling out his Aevida to place an order. 

Xoris tried to follow him, treading lightly around the centre floor as whispers rose up around him. He couldn't make out the words themselves though, as he made his way through. I'm sure they aren't talking about me, and if they are, well then perhaps they are surprised at my presence. After all, how often does one of the king's men come to a place such as this? He relaxed the pressure rising in his chest as he sat down in the seat next to Rajul, a thunk emitting as his armour made contact with the wood.

Glancing over at him, Rajul took hold of a second cup, pushing it down the table with a slide. The foamy brew nearly spilled over as it stopped in front of Xoris, and he frowned a bit at the rich redness of the foam. There was a lot of unfiltered ingredients in it, and he could tell it held a dangerously high Stained content just from looking alone.

"Ah, I'm sorry." Xoris pushed it back towards him lightly. "I don't drink. I don't like any substance that messes with the mind." He'd never tried anything of the like before in his life, but the idea of him sauntering around like an ashclaeve, the low amount of Stain going to his head, making him do tasks that he would never... He shook his head, trying to clear the small amount of heat that had risen into his cheeks and ears. Instead, he glanced up at the bartender, a skinny unmal seemingly in their thirties. "Could I have a glass of kilha please?" he asked, brushing his fingers against each other.

They nodded before leaving to retrieve it. "Kilha?" Rajul scoffed next to him. "That's a child's drink."

"I like it," came Xoris' reply as the creamy green liquid clacked on the counter in front of him. He looked down at it, a soft smile spreading across his face. He could still remember when Luke had tried to convince everyone at the fort to try and make it on their own while the Warden and Luina were out at the market. The mess they had made as they stood on each other's shoulders to reach the handle to the tall panty, as they cracked open melons with an axe Merkos had found in the shed, juice seeping across the floor. Xoris himself had knocked over the container of milk as he tried to put the squished flowers in. Then they had all drank it, and thrown up the disgusting. dirt-filled concoction, only to get scolded as soon as the Warden returned.

The mild sweetness of the flower nectar and fruit slipped through him as he took a sip of his drink, cold from the light touch of ice magik. He shook his head to clear the memory. I wonder how they're doing. He hadn't visited Kamdainn in quite some time.

He was wrenched away from his thoughts though as a hand landed on his shoulder. "What are the likes of you doing here?" a deep voice demanded in a nasty tone. Xoris glanced at the man over his left shoulder, taking note of his ragged brown clothes.

"I'm drinking. Well... I suppose I'm not drinking, but I am consuming. A drink, that is," he explained. "And sitting, for sure."

"This is supposed to be the one place Humans can go to after the sky closes to not have to worry about the Stained, and now you feel the need to come here too?" The man reached out to take hold of the golden chain on Xoris' cape, bringing his face closer. Xoris tossed a glance over to Rajul, hoping to get some sort of support, but the general couldn't seem to care less as he continued to sip his ale.

Realising he was on his own, Xoris turned his attention back to the offender. "Look, you misunderstand. I'm not a bad person. I'm also against the Stained. In fact, we're making our way to fight for our country right now. I'm simply here to get a drink and some rest before going off to end the slaughter raids by the sea."

"'Fighting for our country,' huh?" A sadistic grin spread across the peasant's face. "You hear that, everyone? The Stained thinks it can play hero." A few nervous laughs filtered across the room. Xoris drew in a breath, not liking the odds. Convincing one person much of anything was difficult enough. Explaining to an entire room that they had the wrong idea? That was a bit far-fetched. "Don't act like the news of your massacre didn't spread outside the forest. Of what you are. The only thing you've done is gain us more enemies!"

"What?" Xoris hadn't known that stories had spread to anywhere much outside of the castle. All the same though... "They were already our enemies. Really, I helped take them down before they could threaten us."

"Stop pretending like you've been any help! If you actually wanted to be a hero you'd take care of the dekhr cult." A shaky breath suddenly racked the man, the hold on Xoris' cloak twitching. "They've been stealing our children at night, using them for some dark magik, and who knows what else, and you don't even care! You're just going to sit here and drink as though you deserve it!"

So that's what this is about then. Xoris felt bad at the man's clear distress, and yet... "Sir." He reached up to gently remove the man's hands off him. "I'm simply following the king's orders. I was sent to form a contract with the Fae, and now I'm being sent to save a village from a raid. While I didn't know anything of a cult here, I assure you I care. I'm sorry that happened to you, and I'll be bringing it to the king's attention as soon as possible to put a stop to it. Thank you for making me aware of this."

The man grumbled loudly, seeming to have a retort, but another from the crowd reached up to pull him back, whispering to him and shaking her own head. After that, the place became desolate and empty as people begrudgingly made their way out. Xoris sighed, glad for the interrogation to at least be over, when he heard the sound of something else sliding down the table. He turned to Rajul. "As I said, I don't drink, oh-" He cut himself off as he saw a key in front of him, only slightly different from the one in front of the general.

"We're getting different rooms?"

"I'm not sharing with you. Goodnight," he tersely replied as he paid, sliding off his seat to make his way to his bed.

Xoris took the last sip of his drink, plucking two chips from his board before getting up to find his own room. A heavy feeling was starting to fill his body, weighing down his every step. Perhaps tomorrow he could get Rajul to open up to him more. He'd hate to have an entire trip of lacking trust and empty silence. Another thought came to him though, as he removed his armour for the night. What if he thinks the same of me as that man? As those people? The idea was disheartening, to say the least. He couldn't deny that he had slain countless Fae, but did that make him a bad person? An evil thing, whispered about in short warnings through the streets?

A stabbing pang filled his chest, but he pushed it away. No. he wasn't 'playing hero'. He was one. He had read countless stories as a child, of knights going on to take care of hundreds of Beasts to save their love, or defeating the villain in one final bloodbath for their cause. Both sides involved death, and yet, the context determined whether they were good or evil. These people simply don't know the situation, not that I can blame them for that. I'll just have to prove to them that I deserve my title, and that I'm someone they can look up to and trust. He nodded to himself before laying down. Tomorrow, I'll handle that raid, and after that come back for whatever cult they were talking about. I'll show them I care. I'll show them all.