Chương 23

Clara could only throw up her hands and surrender to the tension of the patrol. Rufus poisoned the well by insisting they ask a guard. He pointed to Kirk Albion and demanded to know what his Tier was. The guard sweated, his eyes swiveling back and forth from Kirk to Rufus, but said Tier I. Which only made Rufus believe that Kirk had bribed him to lie. But while Kirk was much more sedate, he didn't help the mood. He was constantly walking while frowning.

Occasionally, he would stop and glare up at the sky, as though it were responsible for his woes. Clara wanted to throw her hands up into the air. This is one of the last great days of summer! Feel the sun, hear the birds and the bees- why are you both so moody? They followed the slope down through a forest path. In comparison to the liveliness of the forest, the silence of the group was onerous. Clara cleared her throat and asked.

"What was Ascension like?" Clara did her best to hide her smile when Kirk grimaced; the young man's face broadcast exactly what he was feeling. He said, "Ascension wasn't so bad, but the Refinements- they are painful. You need to stay conscious through the whole process, or they aren't effective."

"It must be soo hard, being Ascended and Tier I," Rufus growled. Kirk shot Rufus a sour look and the silence fell across the trio. They reached the bottom of the slope and started moving across the valley floor. Wildflowers smiled above the grasses, improving Clara's mood. A rustling in a nearby bush spooked Rufus into jumping, but it was just a grey fox that poked his head out and then hurried away. As they proceeded north, Clara paused. Her expression brightened at a few small, blue flowers underneath a tree.

She hurried over and out her personal journal. She didn't bring her charcoal, but as long as she noted down the distinct features, later tonight-"What are you doing?" Kirk asked. Clara jumped, snapping her small book shut.

"Nothing!" Kirk shrugged.

"Oh." Just as the blonde-haired young man turned away, Clara blushed; this time, she would have been the cause of a silence.

"Nothing important. You know my… enthusiasm for plants. So when I see a lovely one, I mark it down." Rufus held a finger to his lips.

"No discussion. Who knows who might be listening." Clara flushed and looked down. But Kirk ignored Rufus.

"What's so special about this flower?"

"Just the fact they are still blooming now- There must be a microclimate here." Kirk shook his head.

"Can you explain that?"

"You want to hear?" She practically squeaked. Kirk nodded. Rufus groaned.

Despite Rufus's paranoia, Kirk, Clara, and Rufus weren't attacked during the second half of their patrol. The sun hung proudly in the center of the sky. Kirk wiped sweat off of his forehead as they approached fold in the rock used to reach the ridge of Peakhold. Yet as their group prepared to climb, a pair quickly picked their way down the path. Despite the heat of the day, they were cloaked. From their steps, they were heading toward the main road, leading back toward the interior of the Kingdom.

Coincidentally, as they cloaked individuals passed, Kirk gave them a sideways glance. The figure glanced back. Kirk froze.

"Zuri?" The two figures stopped. Rufus also halted and frowned, but Clara tugged on his arms. She offered Kirk a smile.

"Friends of yours? The patrol is basically done, so we'll head up first." They left. Almost unwillingly, Zuri reached up and lowered her hood. She sighed.

"Do you trust them? You probably shouldn't have used my name."

"What?" Kirk felt thrown. But as Maett removed his own hood, he refocused.

"Are you free tonight? I have more questions. With these new Runes, there seem to be multiple versions-" Maett hoisted his bags and Kirk trailed off. Zuri shifted her weight from one foot to another. Kirk looked them over once again. A strange possibility occurred to him.

"You're… leaving? Right now?"

"Such are the vicissitudes of fate." Maett shaded his eyes and looked around the valley.

"Circumstance conspires against us. This whole Imperial Sanctum kerfuffle, with a Maester on the way- despite his attitude, Baelz is fairly well respected and connected. Plus, you are aware of my Ascension task. Serendipity looms; I have little choice." Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work! Zuri cut in.

"They may ask about us. Because we intend to return to my home and erect a grave to my sister… there will be suspicions. As much as possible, you should distance yourself from us. If asked, we never met." Kirk felt the corners of his mouth turning down.

"You want me to lie? Pretend we aren't friends?"

"It's the easiest way to survive," Zuri said. His Ancient Bladed Beast Archetype growled; it knew how to survive, and this did not seem like the correct method. All at once, he felt frustrated, exhausted, and vaguely hurt. He also had a question in his gut that he released.

"If we hadn't run into each other here, you would have left without telling me?"

"Haven't we demonstrated that necessity of that?" Maett winced slightly, but didn't relent.

"How could your words be credible, that we weren't associated, if we were seen embracing on the eve of a departure?"

"Why would it matter to me if my words were credible?" Some of Kirk's frustration turned to fury.

"Isn't the bigger issue whether they are true or not?"

"Look, I get it Kirk, we blindsided you with this," Zuri said.

"Plus, I had a hand in this, I know. It's a bit of a repetition of the past, isn't it? I don't want you to be involved, so I push you away. Truly, I apologize. And you have my utmost thanks for finally allowing me to get justice for my sister. But it has to be this way."

"Why?" Kirk said.

"Because our world turns via deceiving facades," Maett said.

"That is the society that humanity has painstakingly built. Should it be this way? Perhaps not. But in many cases a little deception will prevent innumerable impediments." Like the deception that the energy in the Rift causes pollution? Suddenly, Kirk's complex thoughts settled. He raised his chin.

"No, I won't lie. You are my friends. That matters."

"Kirk. Kid," Maett pressed his lips together.

"Don't be stubborn. Impetuousness is the behavior of a child."

"You so often default to deception," Kirk countered.

"How can you be surprised when you've struggled to Ascend for so long?" Even as he said the words, Kirk felt a twinge. His tone was harsh. And he watched as Maett paled and then reddened in embarrassment.

"You-" Maett flexed his hands. Zuri moved between them.

"Maett, enough. Even if he- and you Kirk. You are free to do whatever you want. But for all that I admire the sentiment of what you are saying, sentiment is a small part of the world. A larger part is action and results. Please, before you do anything rash, think about the consequences. Now, goodbye. We will- I hope we are able to meet again." With that, Zuri led Maett away. The slender man cast one more frustrated, furious glance over his shoulder. Kirk flushed.

He stood there, trembling and breathing heavily, for a time. It was the first time since he had been reborn that he had lost his temper. He didn't much like the feeling. The walk back up to Peakhold was a blur. Ancient Bladed Beast kept nudging Kirk as it sensed people staring at him, but he ignored it. He stomped his way back toward the residence quarter and had almost made it to his tent, when a thought brought Kirk to a stop. The auburn-haired woman. Has she been out there all day?

He cast his mind back, but he had been so frustrated as he walked through the middle of the hold that he hadn't even looked around. Heaving out a massive sigh, Kirk turned back. When he arrived, he blinked; the reason he hadn't noticed the auburn-haired woman was because she wasn't there. The manacles were empty, the space cleared. Plus-"Where's my chair?" Kirk muttered. A pair of guards just happened to be passing by. They paused.

"Excuse me, Young Master Albion?"

"Where. Is. My. Chair?" Kirk squeezed the words out. It was suddenly all too much. Maett and Zuri leaving. Their insistence that Kirk lie. The feeling of walking through the gate, and knowing he still couldn't help most of the struggling people-"I-" One guard looked at the other.

"What are you talking about?"

"The chair!" Kirk snapped.

"I brought-" At a nudge from the Ancient Bladed Beast, Kirk paused. Bestial Senses I was abundantly clear. His sharp words and raised voice instantly dragged the attention to him. Nearby, a few dozen Conduits paused, drifting between the various quarters of Peakhold. They watched him. Kirk gritted his teeth. I get it, Maett. I really do. When you act, people react. Kirk spun on his heel and walked away. The guards called after him, but Kirk ignored them.

Instead, his Bestial Senses were filled with the sudden eruption of gossip in the area.

"The rumors are true, Kirkland Albion's temper-""He Ascended quickly though."

"That's the thing. Did you hear? He Ascended inside the Rift."

"Then his temper-""Pollution? Oh…" Kirk practically spat by the time he got back to his tent, water on hot pan. He detested the falsehoods about the Rift. He resented that he had just fed into them. He wished he could squeeze the world until it changed. He acknowledged that other people paying attention to him was necessary for that, but now ached to feel the weight of people's attention following him wherever he went. Kirk closed his eyes. He released a long breath. The price of glory is responsibility.

A restlessness filled him, so Kirk picked up his Larian Saber and walked outside. For the next hour, he forced himself to repeatedly cut, slash, chop, and parry with the weapon. His arms and shoulders and back wept sweat. He released massive breaths, his whole being shuddering with the passage of oxygen to his overworked muscles. Yet he didn't slow. Gradually, his mind calmed. Plus, Kirk finally had the chance to check the limits of his newfound Bestial Strength I.

It currently sat at 2/6, but already he could feel that his endurance and explosive power had increased. Kirk sighed and crumpled to the ground. He panted and looked up at the sky. Still, it's not easy to use this weapon for a prolonged fight. But I'll get there. When dawn woke him, Kirk still resented Maett and Zuri's insinuation that he lie and avoid acknowledging their connection. But upon reflection, he at least understood that they were trying to protect him. In the end, he chose a compromise.

That morning, he took on an extra patrol. In the afternoon, he came back and prepared to enter the Rift. I won't have to lie if no one asks me questions.

"Plus, this is how I grow," Kirk said. The guards by the Rift gave him a strange look, but he ignored them and pressed his hand against the energy. He vanished from Eira stepped into elsewhere.