Chapter 4

Now that the situation has slowly been dismissed to stability, Mirea apologizes first, then Darla the second.

The three men finally could let their breath out.

“Speaking of it, why did Master dislike the sound of his name?”, Ezra led the topic.

Hearing that, all of them left their earlier position and started sitting in a circle. Seemingly, they all were also overcome by the curiosity of knowing.

Mirea carried on, “I also wasn't quite sure. My father was one of the Masters that managed the process of his entry through the association. Even though he himself held more power, but Master was too cautious that even a little information couldn’t be gouged out of him. He was too mysterious, which led some of the upper ranks still wary and doubted him.”

“You appear to be very-well informed?”, Ezra uttered his mind.

Mirea coughs to clear her throat, “Just so-so.”

“But, if that was the case, then, wouldn’t it be hard for us from now on? We’ll be working with him for the rest of our lives! It was the rules!”, Emris started to panic. He had been untroubled since before, but seeing the very scene firsthand, fear and worry began overtaking him.

“Don’t be like that, Although I don’t know anything else, but this I know. As long as we don’t provoke him, we should be safe”, Arzhel finally spoke up.

“You’re right”, Mirea supported his words.

“Then, how can we avoid angering him when even the reason for his name remains unknown?”, Darla slipped in.

Mirea’s body moved closer, whispering more information, “I’d vaguely heard that the reason he dislikes someone calling his name was — because it led him to madness.”

“Madness? Is he out of his mind? That’s clearly telling his own weaknesses!”

“This, I don’t know. It might occur only to a certain person. If it was in Darla's case, it seems that he could still control it. — Darla, you’re lucky he didn’t kill you on the spot.”

Nevertheless, their discussion appeared to have been heard by Helcryne, whom they thought had left to survey the area. Unbeknownst to them, she had been lingering close by, cloaked in the shadow of the night all along. Her sharp eyes discreetly examined them, apparently assessing over something. Then, she decided to hint at them with a loud step, and act like nothing was received to her ears.

Upon her appearance, all of them instantly went back to their own tent, and shut off their activity for the night — They went to sleep.

Night passed and the day began alternating the world. All of the youngsters, though filled with nervousness but they were ready. With that, they advanced into the mansion, and began exploring to the depth. Yet, regardless of the time spent, they discovered nothing, nor did they encounter anything hazardous.

“What — ?”, Darla uttered her disappointment, and lowered herself into a bent stance, with both hands pressed against her knees as she relaxed herself.

They waited for a whole three months inside, yet nothing had occurred. Leaving like this, it was quite — embarrassing.

It was then, suddenly, as they let their guard down, an unexpected assault was launched, injuring Emris’ hands. The sky immediately covered in darkness, making that attack impossible to see. The situation turned the tide. Whilst they were exposed, it was hiding in the dark, patiently waiting for a chance to strike again.

“Have you done what I told you to do?”

A man was sitting on a cushioned settle. He spoke to the other with the leisure of drinking a cup of wine. As for the matters that were told, it remained a mystery. And the others nod very obediently, stating that it’s perfectly done. Nevertheless, the man continued to drink after a light satisfied hum came out from his mouth.

While in the faraway ruin, the team of five had used up most of their energy, and still couldn’t beat the monster. Each inhale and exhale was a struggle as they desperately hung on a slight thread of life. Their stance lost its stability, and strength was almost none.

“Master! Do you just stand there, watching your disciple die?”, Darla vehemently urges Helcryne to save them. She was at the edge of her endurance, thus, leaving her mind drifting.

“Weakling!” — at first, Helcryne had wanted to say that, but after seeing their current circumstances, she just went silent. Crushing their spirit at their weakest wasn’t a wise move after all.

Helcryne changed her stance, instantly sending away a hint to them. They bounced back a little far and gradually rested themselves on the wall.

Seeing only one person nearby, the monster gradually changed its target and began attacking Helcryne. As a fightback, Helcryne ran towards it in a measurable plot. They exchanged a few bone to bone strikes before they drew apart again. It was then, as the monsters marched ahead, in a flash, she swept low, sliding sideways, and successfully evaded the monster’s attack as she faced skyward. While the monster hadn’t reacted, Helcryne, with a swift move, beheaded the monster’s head at the back — again, with a bare hand.

“Just how strong were our Master’s hands, that even a big neck monster fell in those?”, Arzhel uttered with an unstable breath, yet a smile of admiration still appeared.

With a drawn-out exhale, Ezra picked up, “Who knows —”, and fainted in place, trailing the girls.

Thankfully, she was far from them, otherwise, her disguise would be blown-out. Her cloak did fall out as he moved more than usual, revealing the short-haired figure in the dim grey of atmosphere. Though it was still a disguise in disguise, it's still better to take caution, saving her from more trouble.

Now that the task was done, she took a week for them to recuperate before heading back to the land of light — of course, with the monster’s head presented as a trophy.

“Master, you’re truly admireable!”, Mirea couldn’t stop praising amidst the way. Her eyes glistened, full in awe and admiration.

“You don’t see whose Master is he?”, Ezra began boasting around.

Coming back this time wasn't that bad. Alongside their way was filled with laughter, and a bond that’s much closer — tied by the life and death thread.

To their astonishment, their return this time, aside from meeting with a grand welcoming and utterance of awe from the people, they were also greeted by a news that’s beyond comprehension.

— A marriage proposal.

Helcryne barely had any rest when all the Master of association received her to a place. It was a tall building, most precisely, a watch tower with a wall all over protecting those places, and which held a gleamfire above it. From the doorway, Helcryne followed behind the elderly until she reached the edge of it. Everyone immediately cleared the view, exposing a man beneath them.

Helcryne saw him — though the view surrounding him was in a greyish dim, quite barren, and in loss of life, but he, despite those, emitting bright. Despite giving her a very mysterious presence, it was completely harmless towards her.

‘You’ve come’. The man carved a steady and delightful smile upon seeing her. With the sight of her, the man suddenly went down to one knee, yet among all of those who stood in front of him, both his eyes and his intent of those actions, was conveyed to only one, — Helcryne.

“I, Vael, as the Master of the dark association, have come — to present Helcryne, a marriage proposal.”

Long ago, legends told that the Gleamfire was a weapon forged in the utmost hope of humanity. It was their breakthrough in fighting the enemy, and the capability of burning through shadow itself was undeniable. Should it hit someone, everything undoubtedly would be left to dust.

And this man — even at such a threat, he still held himself high, daring the world to crush him, just to present a proposal to a man?

‘Why suddenly?’, Helcryne was perplexed, in addition to an unexpected piece of information. He paced forward in a firm stance, asking him in an inexplicable cold tone, “Why you, as the Master of dark association, come to me? Not to mention, presenting a marriage proposal to a man?”

Hearing that, Vael suddenly recalled when he passed by a street, he saw such a jolly occasion. He went in and asked the townsfolk. “What is this?”

The woman smiled at him, “You don’t know? Ah — You’re still young after all”, and she gets closer, “This is a marriage.”

“Marriage?”, Vael asked in complicated surfaces.

“Marriage is when fate intertwines. It was when you wished for someone in the depth of your heart, taking care of the person, and being responsible for the fateful one.”

“???”

Noticing Vael's perplexed looks, the woman snorted once before she explained more, “In short, you wanted to tie her onto you.”

As he looked back — his intentions clarified. So, he dared to propose.

Vael just shutted off his mouth, giving no further conclusion. Nonetheless, Helcryne tightened the grip of her palms until it shed a little blood. Her intention had yet to be granted, yet Vael's appearance already made it run out of line. She felt somewhat discontent. For whatever reason there is, she had to fight him, and initiated a few glances amidst. Being in the identity of two strangers made them a little detached, but for Vael, those glances were far more clear than just being understandable.

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