15 Scholar

M A R L O N

The bones shattering beneath the flesh has a unique sound. I must admit that, it isn't as disgusting as it looks. The unpleasant thing was the view of the Rixilian spitting out his flimsy blood. The scourger twists his arm further drawing out a churning scream, he looks at me through the mane of his greasy locks from the floor- a trail of blood seeps out through the gash by the side of his face.

"Think you are close to breaking me Lord?" my title is venomous in his tongue, but I appreciate his hatred- it only meant he was loyal to his land. I like patriotic prisoners, they are the hardest to break. A challenge that I am here for-

"I don't need to hurt you, Kaleb. What the guard here does isn't my taste. Such treatment of our guests is against my morals" I hold his chin for him, his sticky blood and bodily fluid stain my palm- I should have worn my sheath today. His dropping eyes drills into mine and I feel a surge of power. He believes I have something worse planned than having him physically shredded. As a matter of fact- I do.

Isn't it why I am the dungeon's last resort when a spy or defector has a heart of iron? An iron heart so I can melt it. In a literal sense.

It was an accidental finding, I was attempting to regenerate a dying goat's lungs, but-

"I haven't tried this on humans Kaleb, nor on animals because it's deemed to be exceedingly painful" I bring the vial to him, retrieving it from my coat. The blue liquid is beautiful to look at, but my prisoner here doesn't seem to share the same notion, his muscles tensed at the sight- of the victim's seal on the cork. I flicked it open and an immediate pungent smell and spice fills the room. I had to squint at the disaster I created- it could be such a deadly weapon in war if leaked.

Something that hurts like death but doesn't kill.

My parents ground me for a reason.

"What is that sir" the scourger, twice my size backed with contempt as I bury my nose by my collar to breathe "Is that a stimulant?"

He is allowed to be appalled, I seldom bring a tool or stimulant to torture vault. I often use my intellect to strip them of their fidelity, frighten them into getting what I need. But this wise- I lack patience and motivation. Some things have occurred, unexplainable things- there are people somewhere out there claiming to know the core.

To have seen it.

To have found what the world has been after for centuries.

"We know it's someone among your people to have confessed about the Prism," I say, prism- a term commonly used for Core among Rixilians as their study considers the void to be a reflective platform that causes the mutation in us. But I don't, I believe it exists till this day controlling the element it gifted us with- Feeding. Living. Existing. Alive "Tell me the name and, ta-da- I dig a grave for this little nuisance in my hand because honestly, I don't dare to be credited for something so awful"

He seethes, one of his teeth was missing from the bloody mess his mouth was.

"I don't know," he said, taking a shaky breath in "but even if I did, I will take it to my grave"

I nod, I don't know what else to do. this man killed a child with a slit to the girl's throat, she had seen him escape, and of all things he could have done to keep his secret safe- he thrilled in the death of a young Antarian girl. A child of six. This man is the reason I have no boundaries-

I flip the vial, the toxin spills by the open wound in his chest. For a moment nothing happens- his petrified face begins to hope as I start to walk away for sink by the wall- washing away the gunk and blood in my hands. The first of his screams only rips through the air when I close the door behind me.

The smell of the vault stays with me, when I enter the tavern, it elopes with the reek of fancy smoke and misery of the people, I search for the most miserable soul here - discovering Hann by the classic private booth of his, he built it in here with a secret passage for a purpose- he likes to hide, disguise from the binds of Palace and his title, repress from his obligations.

He ignores my presence and reads his reports the sooner I let myself relax. And hence I know today wasn't about detaching oneself, but contaminating ourselves with the disaster we are soon to create.

"They chose Erix over Lian"

An unreasonable snort escapes me, it doesn't sit well with Hann- he taps his restless foot against the beam of wood beneath the table, awaiting a response.

"Let me have my last laugh before I am not left capable of enjoying one" I reach for the drink which he pushes to side, my empty fingers curl with dismay. My lips twist in a frown "It's nothing we did not see coming. Cheers to the bright side, we have the others under the wing"

This time I reach for the drink and he lets me.

"Our wing"

I emphasize.

A fitter of burn tingles by my ankle, right where the Vixen had scratched me at the night in orphic when I had tried to save her life. It might scar and for reasons unknown, I haven't yet had it treated. Almost as if I naively preferred for it to leave a trace. Caselena Birch, the mute aspirant might appear harmless and angelic in sight, I had no second thoughts before volunteering to take her under for training.

Visibly confused were the council at my choices, but none questions as I had leverage because-

I am rich.

And I am a highborn.

And I willfully took the responsibility of a low-ranked group because I felt the need to see her again. See her every day so she acquires the adaptable skills from me to survive- Because, by the manner she behaves, she won't be shy of having a parade of enemies lining for her in lurking corners in a week or so. Powers make one unforgiving, and she has none to defend herself with. Not with a temper as such and silence as hers.

Hann sighs, exasperation hot in his eyes. I pivot from the images of her that seem to fog my mind more often than a comforting count.

"Timo Kasper is what we want" he weighed his choices, then continued "He is what Lian wants"

"And yet we aren't conscious of the extent his powers holds. He is a child of Arminhood" I sound unusually tight, carefully arranging my thoughts "But he is also unaware of it. Doesn't it seem a bit odd to you"

"He got Aliferous"

"He has a torch for a brother and a mute for sister. Not to neglect that their original identities were destroyed by Julian and merged into defectors' strategy. You and I, know nothing of his existence" It's a dark spot in our bright vision, and as a ventim, there's sparsely a day i infer to trust people. I cannot trust the man I wake up as to be the one at night. To be aware of too many fragments has its flaws. I can't help but be extreme- change colours- break myself down and When I try to be an inspiration.

I become a muse.

"Is it Lian you don't trust?" Hann asks, the faith he has in his Prince is painful to watch. But I let him be what he is. Humane.

"Does he trust me?"

"He does what he could"

"That is using me?"

He is deadly quiet, the flame of lanterns dances at the subtle breeze. His brunette hair is lighter tonight.

"Perhaps you should speak of your insecurities to him" his suggestion is met with a profound chuckle that amuses him. My laugh fades into a dense stare "I am a son of warlord. My sister leads an Army. My mother couldn't think or speak of anything else but my marriage to privileged a blood"

"Do you have a lady in mind?" Hann asks, deeply curious as I run a hand over my face - I hear his smug smile at the terrible attempt to lighten the mood.

"No- but my sister sure could be dying or losing her limbs out in frontline" his smile gets wiped in a jiffy, "If something happens to her, I am your Lord. do you want me as one?"

Hann is sympathetic to my apprehensiveness, his sympathy attacks my senses and I despise the weakness I was exhibiting. he is the most humane among us three, it perhaps could be a result of his purity in blood. He is born like his father. A plain.

but I believe he is pure.

Too pure for our world and to be working among us. Too real to be an oath. Too sacred to be with Julian.

"We are approaching a war General" I say taking a grand sip of the sour drink, it soothes my coiling nerves but burns my throat "And I intend to help the Ezdan in any form of way to stop it"

***

It has been a good hour since Hann left me to dwell in the pages of documents from the battle front. They have been quiet for too long and that is daringly a very bad sign. With the rumors milling around of cores discovery- it won't be long before the other realms pledge their support to Rixile. Dothen- will be the first to their aid.

With our Heir's life communed with a prophecy, there isn't an obstacle that could discredit the conflict.

That is-

That is unless we retrieve the Ring from Azure, and for that we need Timo. Timothee Kasper- the name is as flat as he looks. Thin, pale, pretty and small, he remains passive until provoked. A feisty cub of lion, it's what he prompts me of. Short paw, baring teeth and the strength to look into our eyes when spoken to.

I have to seen largest of men cower at our presence, at Lians presence- but not him. Timo is different. Different so much that I haven't had the strength to ask him of his proficiency. A boy who looked into the eye of future- he deters me as no one else has before. And all he does is look at me long enough. Not will this be a regularity for long, He is my job.

And I will learn him, understand the last piece of him before anyone else could- before he himself could,

Because once his truth is out the world will come for him.

The world will come after us.

Eyes follow me on my way out, I don't stop to provide a polished gesture of politeness. These men here are hungry pigs feasting their egos by humiliating men and women alike- if anything it repulses me to read their motives that are clean as day in their faces. I might not be a saint- but I have a sister, so I know what I will do to a man who would very much look at her with lewd tendency as a few men did at the mute girl by the table.

The dumb mute girl was here.

My pupil stood there collecting empty jars from the table with a sunny smile directed at the men who laughed and hooted at her. A lock of hair fell on her face - her loose braids does nothing to conceal how lustrous and long her hair was. she was the subject of every man's lust and every women's envy here- and there she was, oblivious to it.

A man grabbed her wrist and I fully had intended to see how she defends herself, but she politely leaned in to listen to him whisper in her ear- I refuse to dwell on how it commenced, but I had stepped out of the shadows to the public lounge- a place no one expects a high born to occupy.

But here I was, standing by the group where the bearded man was the last to take notice of me. They all stood up in rush, dropping things and vanity altogether. He did let go of her hand. I notice. I notice everything.

They had nothing to say- they don't need to. Not when they weren't part of my attention. The girl was.

she appeared- Mad.

Mad at me. With an audacity.

I have slowly begun to hate her.

"Miss Birch," I say, holding the fervour in "Will you be as so kind to let me escort you out?"

Her hazel eyes capture the very spirit of quarrel but she looks around- slowly. She sees the influence and control I have in the room- she puts her head down. She obeys. Rational.

A young woman is quick to bring her the robe, once out I navigate the path for us to a secluded street. It was deep in the night and the place has gone to sleep, tarts and leaves rustle in wind. At the final straw I turn to her, she is there kicking at the gravel softly- sulking and walking over not realizing that I had stopped walking.

"What were you doing there?" I ask, calmly. It was a chore to keep my voice low. She halts, her eye widened at my query as if my question was foolish. As if I was absurd.

'It was my first day at work' I scorn at how I had been looking at her lips for an answer, but I see her hands sign with ferocity 'you ruined it'

I- what?

"Do you-". I take a step forward unconsciously -happen to realize the kind of herd you were surrounded among?"

She is silent- thoughtful for a second. Her cheeks flush at the cold night- such misgiving features of hers.

'All men are same' she declared. I know she was yelling. If she had a voice she would be yelling at the belief she has and I am left wondering what must have caused her the impression. I am angry at even the thought of her deliberating of me as one of them. But she does- doesn't she? 'i need the money, the palace allows us to work. with my liability- there isn't much I am beneficial for my Lord- is there?"

She forces a diligent smile to stifle the dislike she has of me. For what I had done to achieve such heights of animosity is blind to me. I start to walk, this wise backward with a smile. It confuses her but she syncs by walking with me.

"Work for me," I say, she blinks away the tremor of shock- but I see it. pitifully she wasn't fast for a ventims eye. "I compel help from you, the pay will be good. I am generous"

'i deny'

My ego is crushed.

"The arrogance will get you in trouble Miss Birch"

Her smile is enraging. It's delightful. It's wasted on a stubborn girl like her.

'And it always gets me out of it as well' her lean fingers draw the hood up, she curtsied before moving. Leaving me behind- her etiquette felt like a slap, though the nature of it I follow her until she is safely inside the Falls ground. Not once did she spare attention to me during the journey, It was infuriating. It was- interesting.

She was.

My dwelling would have ended in the library where I had other important matters to occupy my time with, that is if I hadn't been tackled by the lonesome corrioder and shoved against the wall. An elbow locks me in a pose and I grunt a greeting.

"Why did you do it?"

Lian- Julian Ezdan was a gifted man. a very very intellectual being who can surpass the ventimes aptitude in his sleep- but yet chose to remain humble.

Hidden.

Not humble, nowhere near humble.

He saw through me, he easily could.

"We need Erix to get Timo to Azure" he twists his forced vice as I wince with a smile "I knew you wouldn't have allowed it, he doesn't have to know what we seek- we make him think that he won"

I see his eyes flame like never before and I am curious if he will, in will- hurt me. I would let him, I had my fair share of sadistic roles to play in the vault to add a Prince to it. But I doubt that I would win against him. Win over the mystery of Julian that keeps me up at night. I always lose to a person I can't decipher- and he accommodates the top of hierarchy.

I have grown up with this bastard.

And I know of him lesser than the language of rats.

"The boy-" it sounds like a threat, a deadly one "-is someone I need"

He retreats his arm and my knees slump. I breathe confused. Of all the priorities I inferred him to be outraged upon- he was worried for the boy?

"Erix is not a successor anymore- he became a Lord after his father's death. We cannot forget that" my wits flicker and fail at his coldness. fatigued from the day I glare at him "His hostility will wield us the problems we aren't prepared for. He will be the obstacle-

"If Erix hurts him- " his words carry anger of a realm like he hasn't known peace since the selection but I raise my hand to stop him- I know how to give him what he wants,

"He could do nothing with you there with them"

He is quiet- He is stable. He is listening in the shadows. He almost looks like a shadow. Unreal.

"If two aspirants can have one trainer" I rake in a sharp breath as he closed his eyes at the lunacy I was on to "So can it be the other way"

So....how did you like my surprise?....

What do you think of Marion huh? :)