Slowly recovering from the flashing of light, Lucious could not believe his eyes as the darkness was replaced by structures of burning rocks with titian veins carrying flows of smelly fluid of fire. The whole area carried the trace of Lucious’s nightmare of the giant flame that consumed his brother. “Magma...We are here...” “Magma?” Lucious looked questioningly at Floki. “...Remember your spectacular assessment? The mess you spread over the training ground? This is it.” Lucious looked at the magma veins in confusion. “...According to an old legend, the magma consumed everything. People. Beasts. Forests. Home. Country. Everything... It is the damning flood of fire recorded in the Principle’s text...”
“Then, why does it come out from my barrier?” Unable to understand the reason, Lucious grasped his head with painful realisation. Of course, the Principle would love to see him dead. Digesting the fact with grim acknowledgement, Lucious almost missed Emma’s gasp as the lady Maeist froze and pointed mortifyingly at a direction. Following Emma’s gaze, Lucious widened his eyes in utmost surprise when he saw a silhouette sitting at a rock not too far from them. With the head lowered, the silhouette was unmistakably a man with his arms resting on a sword sticking on the ground. With adequately strong arms and shoulders, the man was in his middle age with grey hairs and beard. But that was not the reason for Emma and Lucious’s mortified reaction. It was that the silhouette donned the plate armour carved with the emblem of three shields on both spaulders. He was one of Knights of Sheldon.
No, it cannot be. No one in Knights of Sheldon owned a plate armour. Especially, no one could own that plate armour except the founder when he received the generous gift from the former Baron of Tressmoor. Lucious has seen the man with the armour for several times during their seasonal major hunts for dangerous games, taking leads and issuing commands to the small Union about thirty members, more than half of them were trainees and amateurs. And now, Lucious was looking at the man who led the reckless charge into the cave of the Abyss and presumed to be dead with the rest of the seasoned members including his brother.
“...Grawyrad...Is it really...?” Lucious was about to walk toward the resting Grawyrad when a firm grip on his shoulder stalled him. “...Wait...What is it, Flo...” Lucious’s voice trailed off when he saw the expression on Floki’s face. Contouring his face and gritting his teeth in obvious hatred, the old Maeist twisted his mouth in monstrous rage and directed such terrifying gaze toward his old comrade. Lucious was utterly stunned by the reaction. “...F...Floki...What’s the matter...?” “...What’s the matter...you said...? That thing over there is everything that’s wrong.” Floki growled between his teeth and pointed his finger at Grawyrad who was oblivious to his anger. Lucious was taken aback as he closed his ears instinctively at the loud roar of the raging Floki.
A sudden prickling sensation washed over Lucious as his skin tingled with a surge of Natura. Standing at Lucious’s side, Floki called upon the earth element and stomped his leg forward. “Floki! What’re you doing? Somebody stop him!” On the contrary to Lucious’s desperate pleading, no one moved to the rescue. Reversely, the rest of the members eyed cautiously at the resting silhouette and tensed with anticipation when the silhouette rose suddenly and evaded Floki’s earth spear. It was then Lucious realised that no one in the squad believed the figure ahead was Grawyrad and neither should he. If that man was not Grawyrad, then who, or more precisely, what was he?
Trying in vain to compose himself at the terrifying realisation, Lucious focused every fibre of his attention to the figure as he patted sands and peddles away from his armour and looked at his assailant. With grey hair and beard, the eyes filled with calmed intelligence was crevassed in the wrinkled strong cheek and pointy nose and chin. With a thin smile that would captivate ladies when it was still young, Grawyrad walked toward the squad casually with his arms outstretched harmlessly. “...What’s the stitch, Floki? Aren’t you happy to see me?” Even his voice was identical to the real one. Swallowed with bewildered recognition, Lucious could not find anything wrong with the man except that he was supposedly dead and the behaviour of the rest of the members confirmed this.
“...Let...go...” “Hmm? Pardon me, Floki.” “...LET GO OF HIM, YOU DEMON!” In contrast to the calmed Grawyrad, Floki screamed in exasperation with his fists tightened until they cracked. “What do you mean by that, you old sow?” Approaching Floki with outstretched arms, Grawyrad appeared harmless and innocent as one could get. “How could you not recognise me, you snot bloke? Even Clypeus brats know better than you. Isn’t it, Cassian?” Stopping in front of the squad and turning to the leader of the squad for help, Grawyrad seemed genuinely surprised when he caught the deadly straight face from his former student. “Aww...come on...Cassia? Lowen? Olwen? Old Pop? Julian? Embrance? Anybody?” Looking at each member with a sincere expression, Grawyrad’s gaze fell on Lucious. “...Lucious...” Stiffened at the mention of his name, Lucious raised his eyes to meet Grawyrad’s and found a paternal warmth in the gaze of the old warrior.
“...Remember the first time we met? Stringing along with your defiant brother, you two were practically inseparable when Marsha bring you two to me. You were only ten at that time...” Gazing behind Lucious, the supposed Grawyrad looked nostalgic. Lucious could not help but recalled a flow of memories during his childhood, playing with Daelous and Ruffia, and training under the ruthless Floki as Grawyrad beating fundamental teamwork in each of them. “...So much has happened...” Lucious nodded grimly with his head lowered to stifle his running nose. “...I’m so sorry, Lucious.” Lucious jerked his head to Grawyrad who bowed his head slightly in apology. “...My reckless decision has brought you pain.” “...Old Grawy...”
Murmuring in affection to the old warrior, Lucious brushed the swelling tears in his eyes and regarded Grawyrad once more. There was nothing wrong in any sense. His speech and the way he brought himself undoubtedly belonged to the leader of Knights of Sheldon. But there was no way he is alive. Recalling the enraged outburst of his mentor, Lucious steadied himself as he brought his gaze firmly to Grawyrad. Sensed the change of the young trainee, Grawyrad flattened his expression as he regarded Lucious warily. “...What do you want, Old Grawy?” “Ha! Now we’re talking.” Clasped and rubbed both of his hands together, Grawyrad was radiant with joy. “...You see, Lucious boy. I’m trapped in this accursed place.” Indicating his surroundings with obvious displeasure, Grawyrad continued.
“It’ll be most helpful if you can bring me out of this place.” “...How?” Lucious tensed warily at the development of the conversation. “It’s simple. Just treat this old man with the dignity he deserves and brings him with you.” “...By that, you mean treating you like how I treat the old Grawy?” “...Well, of course, you should treat me like what I’m supposed am.” Grawyrad was slightly annoyed by the sluggish conversation. “...You don’t trust me, either. Don’t you?” “...I find it hard not to...” “...I see. But then why did you talk to me?” Putting a hand on the spot where his heart was, Grawyrad tried to reason with Lucious. “Isn’t it because there is always a chance that I survived this hell?” “......” “...Or more precisely, seeing me alive here make Daelous’s chance seem more plausible?” Unable to conceal his deepest desire, Lucious was rattled for a fraction of a second.
“Isn’t it so, boy?” Noticing Lucious’s hesitation, the old warrior did not miss the chance to reach deeper. “...What if I tell you that your brother is still alive?” Widened his eyes with the prospect of the possibility, Lucious trod carefully. “...How can you say for sure when you yourself are under the doubt?” “...Trust this old man. Your brother is not among the ashes of the Abyss.” Unable to help, Lucious laughed hysterically at the most absurd thing he had heard since more than a month ago. Catching his breath, Lucious recovered his composure and regarded the cautious old warrior with a tired smile. “...This is getting stupid, but I’m afraid it ends here...”
Raising his eyebrows in vigilance, Grawyrad was surprised as he found himself been surrounded by the shield knights without his knowledge during his conversation with Lucious. “...What’s the meaning of this, Lucious?” “Well, it was a bet.” Said with a flattened tone, Lucious looked at Grawyrad coldly. “I’m a coward. The one who ran away and lived when his brother ended up scorched to death. To be frank, I’m afraid of talking to you even now.” With his legs shaking slightly, Lucious leaned on his staff. “No matter how I wished for it, you...he’ll never come back. That I’m certain. That’s why I’m talking to you despite my fear. Cassian knows me well enough to sense something.” Looking at the leader of the squad with mixed feelings, Lucious continued. “I don’t know whether you are Grawyrad, or not. But, I was there and I knew there was no way one could survive that horrifying onslaught.” “...Do you know how many times did I relive that experience after the tragedy? Don’t make fun of me!”
Hissing with grief, Lucious glared at Grawyrad. “Rest assured. I’m sure Julian knows how to prove your claim without harming you. That’s if you’re really human...” Indicating the white-robed Maeist to do his job, Cassian observed the man in question without letting a faint movement missed him. “...Please relax, although it might sting a bit.” Casting a mocked sinister smile, Julian approached the shield knights when Grawyrad began to laugh uncontrollably. The sneering laugh was so unlike the usual calmed and collected Grawyrad with bad humour that not only Lucious, but the rest of the members including Floki froze at the sight of the familiar old warrior as the face distorted into condescending snickering.
“...Well, there’s no helping for it. I don’t think it’ll work anyway...” “Let him go, you fiend.” Even after his cover was blown and surrounded by enemies, the fake Grawyrad still look relaxed. “Easy, Floki my man. What you see here is also your friend...Parts of him, I suppose.” Shrugging his shoulders, the fake Grawyrad flattened his expression as his eyes turned chilling and devoid of emotions. “Really, a pity...I started to like this vessel and could have returned him to you lots...” The air became thickened with tension as the space around the fake Grawyrad quivered and twisted by the magnitude of Natura and malevolence it released.
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