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Uriel found himself staring at the empty space where his partner had just vanished through a portal. His worry threatened to overtake the broken earrings again. He’d need to get them fixed sooner rather than later now. He couldn’t handle the emotions warring within him at the moment.
He had almost killed Dazien, had almost let the conditioning of his past and the order of his liege destroy the one thing holding him tethered to this world. If Phoenix had been a few seconds slower to react, where would they be now? Would they all be annihilated because he would have surely chased after his king even unto death? Would he have condemned the entire city because he didn’t think he could live without his king?
While he had been ready for a life apart —resolved to isolation in order to keep House Wayland safe— that felt very different from being condemned to live in a world without the person he loved still in it. He hadn’t wanted to be a burden, not to have his entire world turned upside down and stripped of meaning.
After that condemning order, Uriel wasn’t entirely sure where he and Dazien stood with one another. Even if he hadn’t killed his partner, his king had still given a command that hurt him. Would Dazien do it again? Where was the line now? Why did their boundaries feel so blurred all of a sudden? Was it his fault?
A tug on his arm drew his attention to his other best friend as she gently used her [Ruler of Relativity] on his sleeve. The smile she gave him helped his body relax, and he moved towards the Wayfarer wrapped in voxen tails as she waved him over, “Come sit with us. I could use more warmth.”
He chuckled, “Reduced to a space heater again?”
“You seemed lost,” Saiya whispered, “Do you want to talk about it?”
As he sat on the cushioned bench next to Phoenix, he gave a small sigh and admitted, “Not really, though I probably should. What happened down there… Well, it was a lot for all of us, I think.”
Uriel smiled as Phoenix took his hand, glad for the comfort it brought in knowing that she didn’t hate him for literally murdering her. “Thank you for keeping your promise,” he ended up saying to her.
“What?”
“I waited for you, just like you told me to. I knew what you were promising by it. Thank you for saving us.”
“You know you don’t have to thank me for that,” she replied with a huff, and he chuckled again.
“I know. I’m just grateful that my trust in you isn’t misplaced.”
Saiya raised a brow at him as she said, “I hope you still trust all of us despite the AOA’s betrayal.”
“It’s not that,” he replied, then realized what it was that had made him feel bothered and clenched his jaw. He didn’t want to speak it aloud.
Phoenix’s eyes met his, and he almost wished she hadn’t seen through him. She leaned her head against his shoulder as she whispered, “I’ve never heard Dazien use that trigger word of yours before like that. I think that surprised me the most…”
Damn her for being more perceptive of him sometimes than she was of herself.
“He never has before,” he confided, “Shortly after I came to the orphanage, he ended up following me to one of my meetings with Priest Jacob.” He laughed at the memory, “He was trying to be sneaky about finding out what happened to me and thought I wouldn’t notice him. Daze ended up talking with Jacob after I left, and he was kind enough to explain some of my triggers to Dazien. Not just the words at the time but the actions as well. I almost killed him the night before when he woke me from a nightmare.”
“What? How?”
“Well, he was only thirteen at the time. A scrawny Mundane kid waking up a terrified and incoherent Crystal Caster. Even with the Silencer on, I almost punched him through a wall.”
Both women winced at the mental picture. He sighed again, “I’m honestly surprised I didn’t kill him by accident multiple times as we grew up.”
“You mentioned almost destroying a playground earlier,” Saiya said thoughtfully.
He nodded, “The one time I actually took my old Silencer off on purpose.”
“Old Silencer?” Phoenix asked.
“Yeah. Before I became an Adventurer, the one I was given was connected to the Monster Alert System in the city. If I took it off, it would trigger the alarms as though a monster had spawned. It’s the kind that is normally given to criminals who are believed to be capable of rehabilitation and rejoining society; those who don’t just get executed.”
“But I thought you weren’t a criminal.”
“It’s also used in certain cases of dangerous transfigurations that can’t necessarily be controlled by the Caster,” he added, “Which I do qualify as. That was made quite clear during that time I took it off in an attempt to protect Daze. The entire reason we’re allowed to take it off at all in the first place is to be able to defend ourselves or others in the event of an attack. So when Daze was attacked by some random Crystal Caster, I took it off. That ended up being the first time he saw the effects of my [Raging Inferno] Talent.”
Uriel fell silent at the memory of that time. He had thought for sure Dazien would shun him for it. To see him in that state of rage and destruction, which always morphed into some form of maniacal laughing in the end.
He hated the fact that while the effects were ongoing, he didn’t hate the feeling. When he finally let go like that, he didn’t only feel angry, he felt free. It was the only time he could feel that way, and he worried that he would chase after that freedom someday.
The aftermath was never worth it, though. It was like a high with the worst kind of crash. He didn’t want to destroy everything. He didn’t want his friends to suffer or fear him. That’s why he struggled so much to control himself. The training to hone his body and actions to respond as he wished. The Silencer to keep everything from escaping his tight grasp. The earrings to calm the rage that might threaten everything he held dear.
That wasn’t always enough, though. His rage would escape his control, and people would get hurt. That’s why he depended on his partner so fervently. He knew that if he lost control, Dazien would be there to claim it for him. His King would be there to quell the storm within his soul. Not only did he want the man, he needed him.
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“Wow,” Phoenix said, then gave him a broad smile, “Daze must be really devoted to you if he survived all that and still loves you.”
Uriel chuckled, “At first, I thought it was just his stubborn pride keeping him by my side. I thought he just didn’t want to admit that I scared him,” he paused for a moment before adding quietly, “After a while, I thought maybe he just saw me as something to fix… It wasn’t until he stood up to a god that I realized he truly saw me as his friend.”
“So when did you become more than friends?”
He felt the heat rise to his cheeks, “That’s a bit of a complicated question, I think. I realized it a few years before actually telling Daze that I… Well, that I wanted more with him. It never felt right to tell him. He struggled enough with people chasing after him like that. I didn’t want him thinking that’s all I wanted too. I thought I could remain content with being friends if that’s all he wanted from me.”
He didn’t divulge that his king offered him exactly what he desired most: to be given a sense of direction and a purpose other than destroying. It wasn’t long after he met Dazien that he knew he wanted to follow the man, to serve him, to be his seneschal. It was when they got older, and Dazien’s more romantic and lustful side began to show, that Uriel realized he had wanted that as well.
“Dazien is more than just my friend, or my partner, or my king,” he tried to explain, “He’s the one person I’ve trusted enough to give complete control to. To grant me the moments that free me from my fears. To be completely honest and vulnerable with. He’s the only person I’ve willingly surrendered everything to.”
Uriel found himself clenching his fist and tightening his hold around Phoenix’s hand as he finally said in a bitter whisper, “And he ordered me to kill that person.”
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Dazien stared across the desk at the Sapphire Caste Assistant Director of Investigations in mild disbelief as the cinderen man said simply, “I’m sorry, Noble Wayland, but that’s not my signature. I would never assign a mission to a party I’ve never met with before.
“I normally handle longer-term scouting missions that usually require extensive planning and preparation along with specific skills for remaining undetected. I mean no offense by this, but your party is the complete opposite of the low-key, visually unremarkable, and unmemorable scouts I need.”
“Mister Varros, do you know who could have possibly forged your signature on an official mission then?” he asked with clenched fists, “I know Mister Miramel was working with them, but he said that other people had mentioned the missing people—”
“Well, that was obviously a lie since I’ve heard no such claim.”
Dazien felt his jaw clench in irritation and pointedly asked, “Then can you explain to me how an Investigator such as yourself completely missed the blood cultist that served the Maniac working at the front desk here?”
Varros narrowed his eyes at him, and he noticed the slight twist of a sneer being forcefully held back as the cinderen replied, “While it’s unfortunate to hear your report, there is only your word against his at the moment that such a connection exists. We will investigate the matter further once the Duke has made such a mission request of the AOA or if Mister Miramel is discovered at the scene. Until then all I can promise is writing the complaint down for later review along with all the other —often unfounded— complaints we get from Adventurers that feel entitled to complain about the staff here.”
He lifted the fake mission request up and said in a more sincere tone, “I will, however, be looking into this matter of forgery personally. I will not have my own veracity questioned because someone thought it suitable to steal my name for their own gain. Once my investigation is over, then I will inform you of the results in writing.”
“And Mister Miramel—”
“Will likely be part of that investigation and is no longer your concern, Noble Wayland,” the Assistant Director said with finality, “Now, I suggest you return home to your family and recover from your ordeal.”
Dazien promptly stood, not trusting his tongue to keep from lashing out at the moment, and turned to exit the room. Opening the warded door, he found Rayna was waiting just outside it and quickly fell into step with him as he navigated towards the lift.
“I’m guessing from the angry stomping that it didn’t go well?”
“No,” he growled, “It did not.”
“So what are we doing next? Asking some people at the front desk where Ramir might have run off to?”
“He said they would look into it, but my guess is that anyone who wasn’t at the Scarlet Banquet’s lair when Knight Thevaris arrived is going to make a run for it. I know I would if the tables were turned. They’ll be long gone by the time that prick gets around to looking.”
“Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you call an Adventurer by any kind of derogatory term before. He must have seriously pissed you off.”
“Yes, Rayna. I’m pissed that the man who served us up on a plate to a group of cannibals is going to get away,” he replied as he slammed a finger against the rune for the lift, “I’m pissed that the organization I trusted to always do the right thing is turning out to be as crooked as the shifty pawn shop on 3rd street that charges daily compounding interest.”
He decided to forgo the lift and headed for the stairs as he said, “I’m pissed that the evil guy is going to get away with killing Snowbelle, lengthening Paul’s time in stasis, and murdering my mom!”
Dazien halted his descent downstairs as Rayna was suddenly standing in front of him with her furred hands raised defensively. She looked at him with concern as she said, “Woah there, King… I know this might sound weird coming from me, but you should probably calm down a bit before—”
“Before what, Ray?” he asked with a snarl, “Before he gets away? ‘Cause that’s exactly what’s going to happen now.”
“I was going to say before you do something stupid again like you usually do when you get angry. Like snapping at a friend,” she replied with a flat look.
He gave an angry huff, “Now is not the time to be passive, Rayna. I thought you, of all people, would understand—”
“I do,” she said, “Trust me, I really do get it. But I’ve been around Saiya long enough to know there’s a difference between being active while keeping your cool and letting your emotions drive you into being reckless.”
She gave a lopsided smile, “I know I don’t have Sai’s aura to help you, but just breathe for a few seconds, and then you can come up with one of your awesome plans.”
Dazien paused at the odd compliment and managed to run a hand through his hair in an effort to calm himself. He knew she was right, sensing those flames of anger burning within his chest as his emotions tried to break free of the bottle he had tried shoving them into. He took a deep breath before managing to ask in an effort to distract himself, “You think my plans are awesome?”
“I mean, we don’t always follow them, but they’re usually pretty solid,” the bard said, her smile a bit lighter as she lightly punched his shoulder and warned, “Don’t let that go to your head, though. Your plans become total shite when you get emotional. Like telling Uriel to kill you? Worst plan you could have ever come up with.”
He shook his head but smirked, “I may have been a little influenced by a mutual friend.”
Rayna snorted a laugh, “Sibling martyrs. I’m going to need to figure out some way to tranquilize you both the next time either of you think about running off to die. You know she has an excuse, at least, right? It’s not a great one, but it’s better than none at all.”
Dazien gave a soft chuckle and began walking again, feeling much calmer now, “I had an excuse. Padma shouldn’t—”
“Yeah, hate to break it to you, but she is definitely worth less to us than you are, especially to Uriel. I’m not one to buy into Mender’s ‘every life is equally worth saving’ pile of siva dung. I’d be picking you over her any day of the week. The fact that you tried to make Uriel live with that was pretty crappy, though.”
He frowned at the steps he descended as he replied softly, “I know. I admit, at the time, I wasn’t quite thinking clearly. I didn’t think about how he would feel with the last words I would ever say being a command like that. It was just the only way I could think of to keep him from killing Padma. I saw that look on his face. He was going to go through with it.”
“Yeah, but Phoenix probably would have done the same thing to try and stop it,” Rayna pointed out, “And if she hadn’t stopped it, you’d be dead and likely the rest of us as well. It would have been Phoenix and Uriel alone and at the mercy of the DOD, which didn’t sound like a pleasant time based on what Uriel told us about them.”
Rayna stopped him as they were moving down a hall towards the exit and pointed at a sign on one of the doors, “Hey! What about in here?”
He read the label that said “Personnel Records” and asked, “What about in there?”
She rolled her eyes at him, “This would have an address for the staff’s homes, right?”
A grin crept across his face as he said, “I have a new plan now.”