“You have other priorities you need to attend to, Charlen.” Zeham said, immediately drawing the attention of Ser Chatel Chatel and his companion, the wandering knight who went by the name of "Ser Marlon of Amberfalls."180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT57yyL0mln
The presence of the Lebias Order agent, as surreal as the Eh-Nam statue in the surroundings, caught the eyes of several passersby, who approached to satisfy their curiosity.
"Zeham... You reappear at a most convenient moment." Chatel Chatel advanced toward him, not seeming very pleased to see him again. "Where have you been all this time?"180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrNsQOxTAG
"At the Temple of Kajoak, attending to the Order's duties," he replied, with his usual serenity. "Why?"180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3ACqvRFhJ
The General remained in a brief but cutting silence. Revealing the trivial cause of his irritation—lacking the luxury of teleportation to return home—would have been beneath someone of his position.
"That doesn't matter now," he finally answered, stepping away from Mavros to get closer to Zeham. "Why are you here?"180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFAGOSI2neE
"I heard about the outcome of the meeting with Renardin," he informed. "I assumed you'd probably give your 'prisoner' a guided tour of the coliseum. It seems I was right."180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInMNSRjL9y
"Yes, you were," the General said, growing more impatient. "What are these 'priorities' you came to remind me of?" he asked, lowering his voice. He crossed his arms. "Arresting those former MGN leaders without evidence just because His Majesty ordered it?"
Leaders of the MGN?
Despite Chatel Chatel's attempt to prevent Mavros from overhearing the conversation, Mavros caught every word perfectly. However, he had no idea what those initials meant.
What or who are they talking about? he wondered internally. After a bit of reasoning, he came up with his first possibilities. Could they be...?180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdkCQrXWqJq
"No." Zeham interrupted Chatel Chatel, disrupting the knight's contemplations. He refocused on the words that followed. "We'll do you the favor of taking care of that matter. For now, we've sent several of our agents to monitor their movements. As you can see, we don't agree with arresting them on a whim either, but Renardin is right to doubt their true intentions, and you know it." The Agent frowned. "If we confirm his suspicions, I'll alert you to take action."180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHrtEcBkIyE
Surprised by that clarification, Chatel Chatel blinked a couple of times.
"That's the best course of action... I appreciate that you're acting with caution," he said. "But then, why have you come looking for me again?"
Zeham inspected the surroundings, starting to distrust their onlookers.
"Besides those former members of the mining guild posing as supposed merchants, we've received reports of other concerning movements, both inside and outside our borders," he began to explain. "'Or' and I have a bad feeling," he continued, returning his gaze to the General. "Perhaps, even with all our efforts, we won't be able to prevent an attack on Netzach this year," he said, almost whispering. He paused briefly. "We must expedite 'The Great Revival' without further delay."180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG8xcm9h2nx
'The Great... Revival'? Mavros wondered, increasingly confused by the cryptic references that reached his ears.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPRiJp5Ufc
Meanwhile, Chatel Chatel solemnly nodded at the agent. He turned to the knight.
"Ser Marlon, I'm sorry, but an unforeseen matter has come up. I'll have to postpone your training," he announced. "I think I'll reschedule it for tomorrow, a day before the tournament begins."180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26bPMd7BBu
"I comprehend. No problem," the knight replied, with thinly veiled reluctance, still trying to decipher what was behind this forced change of plans. "But, where doth our path lead now?"180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdodb1GI7K
"To my home. I want to have lunch before attending to it," the general told him. "Let's go."180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8OOaeuz8qu
Just as Mavros was about to follow...180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKyjUIB5j70
"You will stay with me." Zeham informed, interposing himself between the two like a steel gate.
"Ah?" Chatel Chatel observed him, as puzzled as the knight himself.
"Charlen, you can leave," Zeham informed him. "But your 'prisoner' cannot."
"Why? What do you want with him?"
"To have a few words," Zeham replied curtly. "I'll bring him to you afterward. We won't take too long."
‘Have a few words…’ The General didn't need his years of experience dealing with the Order of Lebias to sense his intentions. He knew what it implied, but he had no reason to question it. Besides, opposing this well-justified request would have been foolish, and the Agent would save him a task he had actually written down in his appointment diary.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoclFF2QH43
"Alright," he agreed. He gave Mavros one last look. "See you soon, Ser Marlon."
He simply bid farewell, leaving them behind with calm steps, much to the knight's confusion. Zeham positioned himself in front of Mavros and took him by the arms. Before he could even ask why, he enveloped him in the characteristic white glow of the instant transmission technique, vanishing to the astonishment of the onlookers in a brief but intense flash.
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6tacY270JL
***
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLygNoKiQQ
Covering several meters in what was little more than an instant for them, Mavros and Zeham appeared in a place different from where they were previously.
"Here, we'll be shielded from prying eyes and ears," the agent said. It was a closed space of considerable size, almost entirely clear. Despite having no windows in any of its smooth walls, its glass ceiling allowed ample illumination.
"In what place do we find ourselves?" the knight asked, disoriented. An immobile humanoid-shaped dummy and weights of various sizes arranged in neat corners were his first clues.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhtRfoHOaGe
"In one of the private rooms of the coliseum's gym, where Charlen probably intended to bring you for training," Zeham replied. He turned halfway to head towards a door behind him, making sure it was securely closed. "I could have brought you here on foot, but I didn't want to attract any more unwanted attention."
"I see," Mavros inquired. He was beginning to make sense of Zeham's actions. "Thou hast brought me here to interrogate me in clandestine fashion."180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5FqRKKVrt
"I wouldn't use that term... but yes, it's one way to see it," the agent replied, turning back to him.
He noticed the gold chain around Mavros's neck, the one that Ayman, Sheida's father, had given him in the sobbah.
"That chain..." He pointed at it, extending his hand with the intention of touching it. "Did those 'merchants' you were traveling with give it to you?"
As if he were a thief, attentive for a moment to snatch it away, Mavros guarded his pendant warily.
"It is a gift bestowed by them," he replied. "Why dost thou concern thyself?"
Zeham withdrew his hand at the knight's defensive gesture.
"You've known them for a short time. You should know that those men weren't always the traveling merchants they now pretend to be," he asserted. After a while, he stepped away from Mavros, heading to a nearby shelf protruding from a wall. "Both the Grianzans and we have good reasons to consider them a looming threat," he said aloud, manipulating a sort of clock placed on the shelf. "It's a long, and complicated story..."180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLdmd6NVliL
After finishing the adjustment, he turned toward Mavros. I noticed from the very beginning, but at the same time, his behavior is certainly so... 'atypical,' the masked one thought, analyzing him coldly. He took a few steps around him, shifting his gaze to the ground in a meditative posture. The incidents in Cirencre, Hezaran, and Ahmal. His interest in participating in the Eh-Nam tournament...
"What is this? What art thou aiming to convey?" Mavros pulled him out of his reverie. His prolonged silence was starting to unsettle him.
He shivered as he saw how Zeham once again locked his hazel eyes with his; an icy sword that pierced through his armor to touch his skin.
I still don't understand your game, 'Agent Pernigeriano,' but at least I'll make sure you haven't deceived the one to whom you owe your freedom until now.
The knight suppressed a startle as he noticed how Zeham widened his eyes like a bird of prey: an unmistakable sign of what was about to happen. Without any warning, the agent lunged at him. Mavros barely managed to control his surprise to get into a defensive stance and fend off the blows he received.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdkKTe7fo0b
What in...?!
Zeham didn't give him room for complaints. His onslaught was relentless, forcing the knight to step back, but Mavros could withstand most of his punches and kicks, swift and precise like the strikes of a mantis.
Soon, he understood why. That style... It's very similar to mine! The ‘hard’ one of the Twin Suns!
Not willing to be cornered, Mavros dared to counterattack, but the agent showed that he understood his martial arts as well as Mavros understood his.
His level is very high, both in attack and defense... Zeham judged, evaluating his movements as he evaded or deflected them effortlessly. But still...
Breaking the knight's guard by deflecting a couple of punches, he seized an opening to push him several meters with a powerful open-palmed strike to his abdomen.
He has significant imperfections, typical of a self-taught fighter, Zeham gave his final verdict. He's too ‘green’.
Dazed, Mavros caught his breath as he regained his balance. When he lifted his head, he found Zeham, unmoving from where he had attacked before, never taking his eyes off him. Not detecting any signs of fatigue or weakness in the warrior of the Order distressed him even more.
That intense exchange hadn't prevented the agent from mentally counting every second of it.
One minute. He calculated that it had just elapsed.
That was the signal he had been waiting for to initiate his second act. He propelled himself towards his opponent again like a gust of wind. Mavros reinforced his stance. Just as the agent came within reach again and was about to stretch his arm in a new attack...
"Hm?!" The wandering knight noticed an alarming change. Nefesh!
From the back of his opponent's fist, a sharp blade of luminous nefesh generated. He saw its tip inches from his face; he barely managed to evade it by leaning backward. With an agile dodge, he eluded another attempt to pierce him in the abdomen with another hidden blade revealed by the agent's other hand. He no longer believed that he had been brought there for an interrogation; it was the place the executioner chose for his assassination.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7oi5hqUV13
I don't understand why you're doing this, but you leave me no choice! Mavros brandished his staff, covering it with his own amethyst Nefesh. Their weapons made contact. Every clash and graze emitted sparkling bursts. They were celestial bodies dying and being reborn over and over.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWmaNiKrEc
With a swift sweep at his legs, Mavros tried to bring Zeham down.
His Nefesh... it's also extraordinarily pure. Just like 'theirs', the agent recognized, managing to dodge the staff by leaping upward. But again...
Zeham watched as the knight retracted his weapon to extend it and strike him with its tip while he was vulnerable in the air.
Too ‘green’!
Just as he was about to hit him, Zeham vanished in a glow of white light.
The knight was blinded by many other glows coming from all directions, followed by blows to various parts of his body that broke through his defenses. Though consecutive, they were so rapid they seemed simultaneous, as if they came from more than one person.
Song of the Nebula of Lebias: Caresses of Eternity. Zeham recited in his thoughts. He was overwhelming his opponent with the unleashed power of short-range instant transmission.
No... I can't see... or move. Each new blow brought Mavros closer to the threshold of unconsciousness, which he tried to escape as if it were the void beneath a tightrope. His armor was the only thing allowing him to stoically keep resisting.
Unbeknownst to him, the agent would make a grave mistake.
He stepped back just after landing a blow to his breastplate, unable to continue as he fell victim to a sudden dizziness.
What... What is this headache? He passed his hand over his forehead, unable to explain this untimely and frustrating complication. Instead of taking advantage, the knight just observed him with a similar bewilderment.
He had me... What has put him like this? He wondered, astounded. However, the agent soon regained composure, but not without great effort. Without hesitation, he attacked again with a blade of light upon discerning the knight's senseless lapse.
Heavens!180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIxKxiYLeW
Regretting not taking that opportunity when it was within reach, Mavros raised his staff again.
But...
RIIIIIIIING
A shrill bell echoed in the room. Both rivals froze face to face with their weapons, inches from their exposed bodies. The sound continued hammering their ears with no signs of stopping.
Two minutes.
Using instant transmission, Zeham "jumped" toward its source: the clock he had adjusted just before the confrontation. A simple touch of a button was enough to make the cacophony stop instantly. Perplexed by his actions, Mavros watched him with the staff held high. He tried not to lower his guard again.
The agent turned toward him slowly.
"You have passed the test." He said soberly but devoid of any signs of his previous hostility. He dissipated his nefesh blades.
"Test?" Mavros raised his eyebrows at such an announcement.
"A short while ago, I received a report from General Or, whom you had the chance to meet. She spoke quite a bit about you, 'Agent Pernigeriano.'"
Zeham said, approaching and taking a few steps around him.
Agent Pernigeriano… Hearing that name again made the knight grimace.
While he no longer felt any danger, he remained very attentive to Zeham's movements.
"Her assessment was positive, but still, she asked for a 'second opinion.' And rightly so," the agent continued. "Even though you earned the trust of a Holy Warrior by saving him from certain death, your circumstances were still very suspicious."
"Or?" Mavros inquired. "Does she report to you?"
Zeham shook his head.
"We are both equals. We share the leadership of the Order of Lebias as its generals."
‘We are both equals.’ The knight smiled. The agent's feelings did not escape him, despite his effort to disguise them with circumspection. He sensed that, at least for him, his relationship with the General meant more than a simple chain of command. Despite that, he had no intention of delving into that frivolous assumption. 180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL9suk66dnQ
Fully convinced that the battle was over, he sheathed his staff.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZ3nuOHTsm
"Thou didst speak of a 'test'..." he said, more interested in this other enigma. "What test?"180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmc4Vvp3cbP
"My two-minute test," Zeham replied. "Even though the Nefesh lie detector gave you the green light, there was still the small but existing probability that you could have fooled it. I had to do something to rule it out."
"And that 'something' was ferociously attacking me for two minutes..." the knight questioned. "What was thy aim in such an endeavor?"
Zeham stopped in front of him.
"Getting to know you beyond words and appearances," he answered. "It is in the moment of greatest adversity that a man shows his true self. Even without giving you respite, your self-control was impeccable. You had a clear opportunity to overpower me, but even then, you restrained yourself at every moment. A true Abiyr would never show such courtesy to someone who showed the intent to take his life."
Abiyr… Mavros frowned, remaining silent. As much as his disguise had helped to conceal it, that shadow of a past he never lived refused to stop haunting him.
"Besides, those two minutes answered another question I was interested in finding out: whether you really know what you are doing by participating in the Eh-Nam tournament," Zeham continued. "Your level is adequate, but as Charlen feared, it is not enough to guarantee your redemption. You will need to make the most of his advice in this short time and be careful of what Renardin and the Minister of the Interior might plot against you. We will do what is in our power to thwart it."
"Wouldst thou lend me thy aid?" Mavros inquired. "Art thou not bound by the commands of thy king?"180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJFIuQkWmx
"That doesn't mean that I and the Order sympathize with all his decisions," Zeham replied. "At the time, Renardin was the best option we had to fulfill our mission of preserving the dignity of the Kingdom of Lebias," he said, averting his gaze. "As you may think... unfortunately, it has not turned out to be the wisest choice," he confessed, with a regretful expression. "But having him in charge is still a lesser evil preferable to the enemies that he, and we, have created as a consequence of our mistakes."180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiwjD3K2WTE
He turned towards Mavros with a furrowed brow.
"And that's why I will ask you to stay away from those merchants you were with until we finish investigating them," he said. "Do you understand?"
Mavros didn't seem convinced.
"Verily, those men are but virtuous souls, striving to earn an honest livelihood. The vile deeds attempted upon them at the station bear no rightful cause," he contended. "Why even thou and Ser Chatel Chatel harbor suspicions against them?"
"Perhaps they are as good as you say, and I by no means defend the lack of honor of those Holy Warriors who tried to take advantage of their situation," Zeham replied. "But you could also have been mistaken in helping them get in here. As honest as they may be, they have more than enough reasons to want to harm Netzach... and largely, it's our own fault."180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZTBzWeK54r
Their own fault… Mavros relaxed, noticing that the agent's distress was genuine; he was not enjoying touching on that topic with him.
"I know you must have many questions about their past, but I have to get back to my duties," Zeham told him. "I'll take you to Charlen."180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9i8J3WlwWf
The agent moved forward to take him by the arms.
"He knows their story as well as we do. He could tell you."
He enveloped Mavros in the light of his Nefesh. As he had notified, he whisked him out of that gymnasium in the blink of an eye.
Whether pleasant or not, the wandering knight was ready to seek answers.
ns 15.158.61.48da2
