Chapter 169: The Two Vows. |
The Duskbound Order’s brand ignited at once, bright dark red flames engulfing Lord Darius in a raging inferno.
The Duskbound Order’s brand could act as a safety net, and also... as an annihilation mark, making its members understand their life and death were under the organization’s control.
Lord Darius gritted his teeth and remained silent throughout the whole process; not a single whimper, beg, or prayer was heard... Even when his soul was burned as well.
He ate the flames with his pride intact, turning into a cloud of ash.
The last thought coursing through his mind was: This isn’t over...
His soul and body were burnt, yet he still thought like this... Was it a delusion, believing he could outrun death, or did it go deeper than this?
Only he knew... or what remained of him.
As his ash drifted, its luster was feasted on by the Shadow Dimension. Yet, the Bishop didn’t glance at it once.
His mind was already working on the next move to offset the consequences of this failure.
It was more than a matter of ego... The Bishop would rather arrive at the Silent Convergence missing some part of his quota than be caught doing the work of pawns or seeking help from outsiders.
What would the other Bishops think of him? They would shame him under the eyes of the Black Veil and his peers.
A Bishop doing pawn duties? It sent a message of a Bishop failing to manage his pawns, which put a risk on his position.
Instead of promotion, he would get demoted.
’I will go... I will take it in and accept the punishment...’ the Bishop decided, his eyes affixed on the treasured eyes of Levi. ’Their emergence must be unflawed... Only then can I guarantee a promotion.’
The Bishop understood that the presentation of the gifted eyes would simply offset the punishment... and he was still dreaming of climbing the ladder.
’Next Silent Convergence, then.’
As his decision was made, the Bishop focused on the ones who ruined his promotion; his wrath was still unsated by Lord Darius’ death.
Levi, Arthur, Lord Idriss, Velmira, Nurah, Jojo, Seraphis, Ysara Blackthorn, Feng Ling, and anyone who had any major impact.
Then, he wrote them in a long, shadowy scroll and folded it to the side... His movements were quick, yet a single glimpse could be stolen of their content.
A glimpse of its title:
A short elderly man with a hunched back stepped forward to speak... each step on the staircase towards the stage sent a sorrowful ripple in Levi’s vision.
High Chancellor Valemont wore a traditional black funeral robe with black leather sandals and white socks.
Once he faced the crowd, he spoke... His voice was weary but composed.
"This land remembers every life lost here," he uttered. "Even if it’s no longer part of Heliodor, these dead still belong to her... and to us."
He paused, glancing at the golden monolith in the distance.
"For every person we lay to rest today, many more stand behind them in memory... It is our duty to honor those who walked into the night so we might still see the day."
He lifted his wrinkled right hand slowly, fingers parted... index, middle, and ring fingers extended.
Sshshs...
The sound of fingers brushing against the fabric emitted harmoniously as everyone mirrored him in unison.
Then, the first tap echoed as fists struck chests.
"One for the Sun, who gave us light and shunned nightcrawlers into hiding..."
The second tap, softer but determined.
"One for the Moon, who watched over us when the Sun could not."
The third tap, softer, almost a whisper against the heart.
"And one for the stars, who guided our lost, and kept the pitch-black darkness away."
Then, the old bell above the monolith rang three times... The sound echoed through the fields, quieting the birds and stirring the banners.
Somewhere, a child sniffled, a mother wept, and a veteran poured a drink... Each person dealt with the grief in their own way.
This showed that there was no proper way to deal with grief... Whatever led us to acceptance and moving on was the right way.
The High Chancellor stepped down from the platform and turned to face the graves... Then, he waved his hand once... And an army of dog-like water elemental spirits manifested near each grave.
The weeping children stopped, their eyes caught in fascination at the cute elemental spirits lowering the tombs into the graves.
High Chancellor Valemont smiled kindly at some of the children in the front row.
"They’re not truly gone..." he said softly, "They’ve just become the light we search for when the darkness returns... Auryn."
A whispered united "Auryn" resounded across the fields as everyone bowed their heads to the deceased...
Levi also bowed his head, but towards Melissa’s, Omar’s, Keira’s, and Selene’s graves.
"Instructor Seraphis was right... Our conflicts were truly petty." Jojo smiled bitterly, facing the same direction as Levi’s.
Arthur, Rayan, and Nurah nodded in agreement, recalling how he said that they might dislike each other, but they’re still on the same side.
"He was half-right..." Levi murmured, his tone low as he gazed at Demetris’ empty grave.
Levi had no idea how the government dealt with the Bane family after both their sons were found to have conspired against the region, but... He knew one thing.
’Darius. Bishop. The Hound.’
Levi’s spiritual eyes burned into the endless graves before him, his voice cold and unforgiving inside his mind... Then, he reinstated his original vow, this time with more zeal than ever.
’Let this vow be remembered by the dead... I shall not rest until each of you is broken and chained by Judgement’s Chainstaff... forced to answer for what you’ve done.’
Unbeknownst to Levi, Lord Darius was already killed by the Bishop... Punished for the crime of self-ambition.
His list of targets was reduced to a mere two...
As for Sir Alaric? He was the sole mole caught alive... Though his survival was also a question since the brand could be ignited cross-dimensionally.
Although the list was theoretically narrowed to two targets... Levi had a long way to go before fulfilling his vow.
Meanwhile, as Ash’Kral floated on the bridge of darkness amongst a scattered gathering of contracted nightcrawlers, an ominous grin couldn’t help but surface on his face.
’Twist him more for me... Only then will he have what it takes to fulfill my dream.’
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