Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Right Choice?

A whisper of afternoon breeze hit tall walls of the empty fortress. The Exorcists gathered outside, hopping on their own horses and others sat on horse carriages. The Commander in front. Signaled his horse to move forward. The loud crunching of its heavy hooves brushed the ground. The Commander gazed forward, deep in thought.

A memory lingered, just from earlier. Inside the green tent, face to face with Scarlet.

"The source of the curses has been slayed, Nathaniel got his hands on its core and a fellow exorcist, Chloe was corrupted." He said, as if summarizing her report.

"That's right. I'm certain she was corrupted when the curses seiged this fortress two nights ago." Scarlet commented as she pulled out a piece of cloth from her pocket. A symbol of exorcism that was stitched on their shoulders. She placed it on the wooden desk.

"...It's forbidden to bring her remains because of her corruption. This is what I could bring back, for her loved ones." Scarlet added as her fingers left the cloth.

The Commander picked up the cloth. A long silence followed, before the Commander opened his mouth. "Every exorcist that I watched over. Most of them came from the outer wall of the capital, and Chloe was one of them." He paused as he shifted his gaze onto his palm, the symbol of exorcism reflected on his pupil. "...She became an exorcist to escape a twisted life of poverty." He slowly lifted his gaze towards Scarlet, meeting her eyes.

"The moment of her dying breath, do you think she regretted her choices?" His words carried heavily. Chloe's dying smile lingered onto Scarlet's mind. The distant voices from outside of the tent became audible.

Scarlet turned, her cloak snapped, one hand rested on the grip of her sheathed blade strapped on her lower back.

"...Who knows?" She whispered, enough for at least the commander to hear as she left the tent.

The commander gazed down at his palm once more.

"...She must have. Everything, is afraid of the end." He whispered to himself as a horse neighed, making him come back to his sense.

A few exorcist behind him. Scarlet was riding her own horse. The silver ring on her middle finger reflected the sunlight. A memory lingered onto her mind as the warm breeze hit her face, the night when the special grade was slayed. Scarlet followed Nathaniel from a distance, her footsteps were weak and delicate because of the fatigue. The sound of horses passed through the trees. She finally made out of the forest. Her gaze lingered onto Nathaniel's back, facing a tall woman, behind her was a group of robed people, still on their horses. Nathaniel held out the core that was wrapped with his cloak, Reina's gaze followed as it dropped on the grass. The core glimmered as it was being rayed with moonlight.

"Good work, Nathaniel~." Reina commented as she lifted her gaze to Nathaniel.

"Our deal. I'm not taking no for an answer." Nathaniel recalled their deal back at the mountain as his fierce gaze lingered onto Reina's.

"I, Nathaniel, son of Ethan. Upon my father's death. I seek vengeance through a duel with Reina." He lifted his hand close to his face. Manifesting black flames as his gaze deepen into Reina's eyes.

Reina's fingers twitched, white strings coming out of the tips. Her hands moved like a puppeteer. "I, Reina, Son of Earl. Responsible for Ethan's death. I accept his son's duel." Her tone firm as her voice was carried with a cold breeze. A long silence followed as Nathaniel coughed blood, the flames on his hand extinguished as his body collapsed on the grass.

"...Using magic even though you're at your limits. Of course you're gonna pass out." Reina said to herself as her eyes remained onto Nathaniel.

"...Did the kid really kill a special grade curse?" One of the robed men uttered as they all gazed down at Nathaniel's fallen body.

"...No, he didn't do it alone." Reina lifted her hand, her fingers twitched once more. Scarlet stepped out of the darkness of the trees above her. Her eyes widen as she wasn't walking consciously, she was being controlled, thin strings could barely be seen around her body that weren't present moments ago. She tried to reach her blades, sheathed behind her lower back, yet she couldn't lift a finger. Just continuing to walk forward. Was she weak because of the fatigue? No, that can't be it.

"...An exorcist?" The robed man uttered as he managed to cast a gaze at Scarlet's shoulder, a symbol of exorcism evident.

After a few more steps. Scarlet stood in front of Nathaniel's fallen body.

"I'm surprised, Nathaniel wouldn't work with anyone. So, what do you want in return for helping him slay the special grade, hm?~" Reina asked, her tone playful yet her gaze was deep into Scarlet's crimson eyes.

"...Bring me back...to the fortress." Her tone weakened as she became unconscious. Her body still upright because of Reina's strings.

"Trisha, carry them on a carriage." Reina called out as she picked up the core, the woman named Trisha caught Scarlet as the strings disappeared from her body.

"...To think that these two teenagers would pull it off." One of the robed men commented. Reina paused her steps, the man's words made her mind creep into some thoughts, before she hopped on her horse as she gazed up the full moon on the dark sky.

"...Let's go! A detour to the fortress and back to the capital! " She commanded as the group rod their horses and carriages. The sound of hooves and wooden wheels filled the air as they rode though the moonlight.

Twenty four hours passed since then. Inside a horse carriage under a starry night, ragged and stressful breathing could be heard. It shook violently, Nathaniel immediately opened his eyes, sweat running down his temples with his heart racing violently. He slowly sat up, a nightmare he can't seem to remember again. Nathaniel shook his head as he got off the carriage. He turned his back, only to see a tall wall that reached the sky, at least fifthy meters tall. He realized they're back at the capital. The streets were mostly empty as the houses were full of light.

"Slept good, Nathaniel?" A feminine voice asked infront of him. He shifted his gaze at front. It was Trisha, tall with short charcoal hair. Her mustard eyes met Nathaniel's.

"Where's Reina?" He asked. Trisha pointed a thumb behind her, a two floor tavern could be seen. Distant voices of their group, their silhouette could be seen dancing on the windows.

Nathaniel made his way towards the tavern. Only to be interrupted by a grab on his shoulder.

"Eat before your duel. Reina's capabilities are beyond special grade curses. You already know that." She uttered, as if a demand. Nathaniel held his stomach as he was lost in thought.

From the second story of the tavern. A glimmer reflected as the special grade core was unwrapped from Nathaniel's cloak. It was Reina and a merchant, inside a cold room, with bookshelves, a grandfather clock beside and potted plants in each dark corner. They both sat across each other. Reina's boots on the table as she leaned back from her wooden chair. The core held with one hand. An open window, moonlight casted down between them.

"This better fetch me up a good price as usual, Nick." Reina expressed with a smirk on her face before tossing the core, the man named nick caught it with one hand.

"...Oh it will." He replied as he examined it. The twisted facial feature of the special grade inside the core made him carve a smile on his face.

Laughter and chatter from Reina's group could be heard underneath the wooden floor. The sound of beer mugs and cutlery filled the room.

"Seems like your men are at it again in my tavern. Seriously Reina, they'll dry my supply if you let them loose overnight." Nick commented with a sigh as he tossed the core back to Reina. The smell of beer and meat seeped in the room.

Reina sighed as she put her boots on the wooden floor. "Nick, we've been outside of the capital, fighting curses for their cores.'

"Let us stick around in your tavern until tomorrow. Give my group their meat and drinks. I'll pay for everything." She explained as she gazed at the core.

"That's all I wanted to hear." Nick replied with a comforted smile on his face as he started counting gold coins.

Reina watched him as she propped an elbow on the table.

"...Do you really love money that much?" She asked with a lazy tone as her gaze lingered onto the gold coin between nick's fingertips.

"Who doesn't? Just looking at it...makes me feel happy." He replied with a smile as his gaze lingered onto it as well.

Reina playfully sighed. "At least get me a drink you cheapskate." She said as she settled down the core on the table.

"Ah right." He lifted his gaze. "Let's have a drink then." Nick added as he shifted his gaze onto the closed door.

"Brooklyn! Bring out some good liquor!" He called out. "Right away sir." A reply from the other side of the door, as if someone's been standing there the whole time.

"Brooklyn? A new servant?" Reina asked while strings appeared between her fingers, like cobwebs. Nick's attention was busy counting gold coins on the table.

"Uhuh? Ah yes. I got him from the Outer wall. Poor people out there would do anything to live inside these safe walls made by the Archon of Preservation after all."

"But that upbringing made him stupid and useless." Nick replied as his gaze lingered back onto the gold coins between his fingers.

The corner of Reina's eyes, she saw Nathaniel outside of the tavern, sitting on crates as he was eating bread, it tasted hard and dry. In front of him was Trisha. Their mouths were moving but she couldn't make up what they were talking about.

"Is that so? Anyways, can you be a witness for me? I got a duel coming around midnight." Reina stated as she shifted her gaze onto the grandfather clock. Fifteen minutes left before midnight.

"A duel...?" Nick asked but immediately, Reina cut him off.

"Oh, by the way. It isn't his fault that he's stupid and useless. You're just using him wrong." Reina said as she shifted her gaze outside the window. Her eyes casting down to Nathaniel.

"There's a different way to correctly control anyone." She stated with a smirk onto her face.

Two minutes before duel.

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End of Chapter.

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