Seventeen

"So where's this Legend fellow at?" Julien yawned as he stepped into the room, a warm blanket draped about his shoulders.

"Stealing—"

"Gem's doing research," cut in Mana, interrupting Oberon. "In the Hall of Lore." The mage then turned his attention back to the book he was reading, a thick tome with a rich scarlet cover. Oberon made a grunt of disapproval before taking another sip of peach tea.

"Sounds fun," the bedraggled lord snorted, pulling his blanket tighter and seating himself next to the general at the kitchen counter. Oberon stood and rummaged in the cupboard, seeking a second mug. "It's pretty nice down here, huh, Mana?"

Mana looked up from his book again. The spacious room was well-lit by an ornate crystal chandelier that hung from the ceiling by a silver chain. The floor was carpeted in red rugs. The sofa Mana occupied was red as well, though it seemed more orange in the firelight from the torches outside the open window. The subterranean street on which the small manor the Libran men occupied lay was empty. Two doors led into the room: the one Julien had come through, opening onto the staircase to the bedrooms, and one other, the entrance to the complex.

"Sure." Of course, Mana felt the scenery could use some vegetation. Being in this luxurious room was much like being home in the Mana Palace. Reclining in such a place was not the reason for which Mana had left Central Libra behind. His eyes snapped back to the book at hand immediately after answering his cousin's question.

Oberon had finished pouring Julien's drink, and the lord of Tryn took a long sip. The aroma of the steaming tea filled the room, sweet and energizing.

"I'm not sure I've quite expressed how thankful I am for you being where you were when you were, general," Julien said, looking straight ahead at the wall beyond the counter. "If it weren't for you, I would be dead now, floating in that blasted lake."

"It was nothing," Oberon replied.

"But, while I'm thankful," Julien continued, "I need to ask what you are doing here, and with Eldran militia. Are you in Terra under orders from the Guardian Lord? Or some task you took on due to his Right's suggestion?"

"Neither. I was in Verga City, investigating the destruction, after being informed by Lord Kieku that it was caused by the descendants of Gem al'Kondo. There, I met the one who calls himself Legend... to be honest, since then—"

"With Verga's government in shambles, Eldran military in Terra is signature for disaster, general! Did you not think of that? We're lucky that we managed to get protection before the protection got us! There are many lords in this place who would happily see money leave their coffers in order to pay the Underworld to annihilate your men."

"I'm more worried about the Guardian Heir's magic," muttered Oberon over the rim of his mug. "This place gives me the creeps, and I would gamble that there are dabblers all over who would see a sanctioned mage as a chance at revolution. If we let the fact that we have the Guardian Heir here out, I imagine the city will react violently."

"The city doesn't need any catalyst for violence, general," Julien said firmly. "You haven't been here before. UnderMist is not a place that follows rules you're familiar with. Violence doesn't erupt with oddity—a lack of violence is the oddity. From what I've seen of your actions in the army, you're a man of honor and and you have a strong sense of justice and normalcy. For all of our sakes, discard it while we are here."

"Yes, sir. More tea?"

"Please."

Oberon took Julien's mug and and poured more of the murky liquid into it.

"Here."

"Thank you. Say, Mana, where did you find that book?"

"Gem brought it back from the Vault of History," replied Mana, this time without so much as pulling his eyes from the page he was reading.

"What's it about?"

"Creation."

"Everyone knows the Creation story," laughed Julien. He took a long sip at his tea and then chuckled a bit. "Is Legend bringing you home children's books?" Mana didn't reply. "Alright, tell me how the author fills a book that fat with the Creation story."

"This part's about Nai, and his Judgment."

Oberon snorted forcefully into his tea, tipping the whole mug over. Apologizing, he bent to clean up the mess. Julien turned from the counter and looked back at the Guardian Heir, lounging comfortably upon the sofa, reading.

"Nai?"

"I'll let you read it when I'm done, Jul," Mana sighed, exasperatedly.

"I look forward to it," Julien grinned half-jokingly, reorienting himself to face the counter once more. "Enjoy your book, Mana, but don't forget why we're here."

"I haven't forgotten."

"Why you're here?" Oberon asked cautiously. "Isn't it a mistake? I thought you were aiming for Verga City."

"Ah, I guess there's no point hiding it from you," Julien ran a hand through his messy hair, brushing his uneven curtain of bangs from his eyes. "Lord Mana and myself left Central Libra in order to seek out the Crystals of Mana. The grandest, most secretive Crystal Hunt, if you will. We're planning on recovering the Crystals and bringing them back to the Mana Palace, where they belong."

"That's ridiculous, sir. You should return to Central Libra immediately. A Crystal Hunt in this year? Don't you know what's being said, about some evil force destroying those that seek the Crystals?"

"I know," Julien replied with a wide smile.

"It may well be superstition, but if even the toughest men of Libra are afraid of embarking upon Crystal Hunts, there's something worthy of consideration. I may be out of line in saying this, but I expected better reasoning from you, Lord Tryn. When there are domestic problems at home, most importantly the steadily increasing power of the Marauders, chasing after some risky fantasy is not commendable."

"I know," smiled the lord.

"Do you understand the dangers involved, general?" Mana asked from the sofa, laying the book down on the low table beside him. "Kieku is after the Crystals and is prepared to kill anyone who interferes with his plan."

"Don't throw such accusations around lightly, Mana!" Julien chided. "Kieku—"

"You know very well that Kieku is after us, Jul."

"Is this true, Lord Tryn? Is Lord Kieku—"

"Did you know that he was a mage, general?" Julien asked flatly. Oberon's scarlet eyes widened. The only word he could think of to utter was, "no." "Don't lecture me on safety and procedure, general. You did something far more risky than I, bringing Eldrans into this city. I allowed Lord Mana to undertake a quest he felt necessary for the clearing of his family's ancestral guilt. I did nothing to spark war, and had it not been for Kieku, everything would be going well."

Mana stood and walked over to the counter.

"Kieku tried to kill both Gem and me. He's got powerful demons under his control, Ly'ban who abandoned the Inferno. Also, an incredibly strong dabbler called 'The Joker' serves him. Please, general, stop admiring him. He's not the ideal servant of Guardian Lord."

"Understood, Milord. I shall relay the message to my troops, that Kieku and we are no longer allies." Oberon stood and walked past Mana, heading for the street door.

"Wait, general," commanded Julien. "Your outfit." The red-eyed man never removed his near-full plate armor save for when he slept. It was a symbol of his dedication to knighthood and the Libran Alliance, and it was always clean and shiny. "While in UnderMist, you're best off blending in to whatever extent you can. There are some extra sets of traveler's rags upstairs. Wear those."

"Understood." Oberon turned and left the way Julien had come, already unfastening the buckles of his gauntlets.

"So, Mana," Julien said, as soon as Oberon was out of earshot. "Do you have any evidence that Oberon isn't working with Kieku?"

"No, except that I'm still alive."

"Is it true that Kieku tried to kill you?" 

"Yes. Like I said just now, he tried to kill both Gem and me."

"Did he say anything as to why? He can't be just going around killing people for no reason. I've known him since I was a little child, back when he used to take time away from the Mana Palace to come guide me as the orphaned Lord Tryn. He always seemed a little odd, and his recent actions are enough to warrant death under The Purge, but—"

"Don't say that, Jul. The Purge won't be the cause of death for anyone anymore." Mana pouted as he spoke, upset that the mage-killing edict was not only still in technical effect, but that it was also still a part of the way people thought. Intelligent, forward-minded people should be able to get over its rules.

"Right," apologized the lord. "But my point is, he seems different from before. I can't imagine that the Kieku whom the people know and love is capable of killing anyone; it just doesn't make any sense. That's why I think that, even if he did do something horrible like that, he must have had a reason, or something, some way of justifying his actions, or..." Julien struggled to find words. He frowned as he concentrated on bringing his thoughts together, and then his face loosened as he resigned. "If he tries to hurt you again, I won't let him live," he promised, a tinge of indignant anger coming to his face.

Silence filled the room as Oberon reentered, wrapped in a drab gray cloak and wearing a hood that concealed his blue hair.

"I'm off, Milords," he said with a slight inclination of the head. He crossed the room, opened the door to the street, and was gone.

"So... Kieku is after the Crystals?" Julien asked.

"So he said. Apparently his servants—that is, the Ly'ban, Thief, and Joker—are all Crystal Hunting here in Mist currently."

"And that's why we're holing up here? You believe that there are Crystals to be found in this place?"

"I'm certain," replied Mana confidently.

"And this Legend fellow, he said he would help?"

"He hasn't said that he would, but I expect that he will once he finds out that there's no way to stop Fate. That's what he's off researching, you know. How to stop being Legend Reborn."

"What a unique pursuit," Julien commended jokingly.

"Ah! He's coming," Mana exclaimed.

"You can tell? Jikkuu? Is that how?"

"No. I can tell because he's my brother. Because he's Legend."

"I'll go out to greet him," suggested Julien. "I'm quite eager to make the acquaintance of this brother of yours." So saying, he walked out of the complex, leaving the door open. "Oy!" he called from outside. "The street's empty, Mana."

"He's using the Net!" Mana called back, and even as he spoke, a large burst of flame placed the green-haired bounty hunter in the middle of the large room. "Welcome back, brother."

"Hey, Mana." Gem looked exhausted, and dragged himself weakly over to the counter, where he fumbled with the cabinet to retrieve a third mug. Picking up the teapot, he grimaced briefly and then set it back down. "Empty."

"I'll make some more," smiled Mana. "It's fairly easy here, since we managed to get a place with running water." Making his way over to the sink at the end of the counter with a black kettle, he asked, "so, how was your day?"

"Uneventful," Gem shrugged. "Are you here alone?" he asked over the sound of water rushing into the kettle. "I thought that that general was with you. Also, has Lord Tryn woken up yet?"

"Yeah, Jul's here with me. He's been up for a while now; he just stepped outside. Ah, there he is." 

Julien had just walked back in and closed the door. Turning from it, he seemed very surprised to see Gem seated at the counter.

"Hello."

Gem turned and smiled the weak smile of a man who had not slept enough in days. Mana created a flame with Jikkuu and placed the kettle atop it. Gem inclined his head to the Lord of Tryn.

"Milord," he said, "it is a pleasure."

"<i>Roof-runner?!</i>" Julien exclaimed, unable to hold in his surprise.

"I advise silence, <i>Marauder Lord</i>," hissed Gem under his breath. Julien's face changed instantly from shock to stone, his eyes narrowing and his mouth thinning. With one warning glance, Gem told Julien not to say anything. Then he spoke normally."Let me introduce myself as Gem, great-grandson of Gem al'Kondo."

"It is, indeed, a pleasure," spoke Julien slowly. "I am Julien al'Donaan Tryn, cousin and guard to Lord Mana here. You are Legend Reborn?"

"Hopefully not for much longer." Gem cracked a smile. "Hey Mana, I almost got caught today—I'm this tired because of all the running. Some library guard thought that he could sneak up on me. And, well, he did, because I was too absorbed in my studies. I didn't even find any useful information."

"Maybe you should give up?"

"That's impossible, Mana," laughed Gem. "I can't allow Verga City to happen again."

"What do you mean by that?" inquired Julien, puzzled.

"The city was destroyed by Infernals who were chasing me, Milord," Gem explained. "Since then, I have made it my goal to end the catastrophes that arise as a result of my presence. The only way to do this, I believe, is to stop being Legend Reborn. To best Fate and remove myself from its loop."

"Couldn't you just die?" asked Julien.

"Jul!" cried Mana.

"It's only the truth," the lord argued. "If he were to die, there would be no more Infernals chasing him. Why spend time researching? You say that your presence attracts demons, is that it, Legend?"

"Yes."

"Then die," Julien said, "and all will be saved. Surely you're not too selfish—"

"No," cut in Mana. "No, no, no! Brother can't die!"

"Again with brother." Julien raised his voice, his tone accusatory. "Mana. You want this man to be the death of General Oberon, of me, of the people of this city, even of you? Infernals? Bane above! If they come here, don't think for a second that this man won't leave you to die."

"Excuse me," Gem said calmly, "but I am capable of defending individuals against the power of the Inferno."

"You can't even accept yourself as Legend Reborn!" screamed Julien. "I doubt you can even defeat another human in your current state." The Lord of Tryn resisted the urge to spit at Gem's feet. For minutes, Julien was silent, glowering at Gem. Gem gazed back at Julien, his expression one of relaxation. Mana could tell that Gem had no interest in arguing with Julien, or, more precisely, was much too tired to care to defend himself.

"Uh! The water's boiled!" exclaimed Mana, surprised at how quickly the time had passed in silence. With a wave of his hand, he extinguished the flame, and then he created another pot of peach tea. "Here you go, brother." Carefully, he poured the first mug of the pot, a little bit of liquid escaping from a crack near the tip of the spout and dripping onto the counter. Julien seated himself next to Gem, returning to the place he had occupied before stepping outside. He tightened the blanket that had loosened while he was yelling and he held his own mug up. Mana poured him his tea without saying a word.

Gem emptied his mug before speaking.

"I <i>have</i> already accepted myself as Legend Reborn," he said quietly. "I have accepted that I am he, and that his skills and memories are gradually flowing into me. I have accepted that I carry the curse of remembering his death. I have accepted that those around me are prone to danger. I have decided to change my destiny <i>because</i> I have accepted it, and believe that this is the only way to responsibly deal with it."

"But, you could—"

"Yeah. I'm selfish."

Mana frowned as he refilled Gem's mug, and then returned to the sofa where he reclined with the book Gem had brought him. Silence filled the room once more as Gem sipped as his drink. Julien watched Gem, his own mug of tea forgotten. 

"Rather than study," Julien started, and then stopped, searching the right word.

"What?"

"Rather than study... why not use your skills as Legend Reborn?"

"I intend to do both," Gem replied, taking another long sip of tea. "I need to forge myself a new runeblade in order to defend myself against the demons who pursue me. But fighting them can not be all I do. You do understand that constant conflict with the Inferno would only result in more destruction and more casualties, correct?"

"I do. So you're going to make yourself weapons on the side while you figure out a way to end your destiny?"

"Yes."

"And are you going to help Lord Mana in his Crystal Hunt?"

"That depends," Gem replied, "on whether or not helping him interferes with stopping Fate. I am of the opinion that it would be better for him to go somewhere else, somewhere far away from me. Somewhere he won't encounter Kieku or Ji—a Ly'ban—or any of the Infernals who are after me."

"You're a pretty defensive guy," commented Julien.

"You're fairly aggressive," remarked Gem, pouring himself a third mug of the still-steaming tea.

"You wouldn't consider making runeblades for us, would you?" Julien asked hesitantly.

"For Mana, sure. It would be a pleasure. But I would rather not place such weapons into your hands, Milord. You do understand."

"I do," replied Julien darkly.

"Why not?" piped Mana from the sofa.

"You'll understand some day," Julien sighed. Mana shrugged and returned to his book.

"He accepts the things you say without question," Gem noticed. "Since we met, he has been constantly questioning the things I say or do. He calls me 'brother' yet he treats me as though I were some suspect in a crime."

"Aren't you?"

"I am not."

"Roof-runner, eh?"

"Please, Milord, be quiet," sighed Gem. "I was a mercenary in the Underworld, nothing more and nothing less."

"Underworld, is it?"

Gem massaged his temples.

"If it weren't for the gravity of the things you've done, Lord Tryn," he whispered, "and the fact that I cannot reply to your jests in kind, I get the feeling that we would be very, very good friends." Gem finished his third mug and then stood.

"You're off again?" asked Mana.

"What did you put in this tea, Mana?" inquired Julien, inspecting his own mug suspiciously. "How can the man be able to head out again so shortly after returning, dead tired?"

"I'm just going to go lie down for a bit. Good-night, Mana. Good-night, Lord Tryn."

"Julien's fine, ... Gem."

"Good-night, Julien."

Mana waved cheerily at Gem's retreating back as the bounty hunter made his way to the stairs and then disappeared from sight. Julien gulped down his mug and poured himself another.

"This stuff is delicious, Mana. Where did you find it?"

"Oberon supplied it, Jul," the mage replied. "He has surprisingly good taste. I wouldn't have expected him to be able to judge tea. I rather imagined he was an expert on swords, or armor, or something of that nature."

"The general's full of mysteries."

"Yeah... reading this portion about Nai, I was quite surprised." Mana flipped a couple of pages back and scanned for the right paragraph.

"Nai?" Julien asked for a second time that evening.

"Yeah. You know, one of the sons of Chaos, like Bane and Maha. It says here that after Bane created everything, Nai most commonly assumed the form of a human with long blue hair and blood red eyes. Prior to Oberon, I had never met anyone with such features, so I made the connection..."

"There's no way that Oberon is a son of Chaos," Julien laughed.

"I know," replied Mana. "But he's definitely full of mysteries."