บท 9: Breaking Apart
A/N : Hello, it's me Erebus, you know the person you guys love the most? Anyways we had to re-write this chapter due to some...shall we say character issues? So yeah, this is the remake of the last chapter. You can skip until the time skip, its the same till there, but after that its widely different. Sorry about the inconvenience.
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"I'm sorry… but this is the last decision. There is nothing that can change our minds."
Jaron was about to finish informing guild leader Kaspian when an uninvited guest entered the office. A tall man with chin-length-red hair was escorted by some guards. The man also had a golden crown on his head indicating that he was a king.
"I heard the news. I'm sorry for what happened, but I also have an offer." As if knowing what was going on, the man began talking.
Jaron remained silent, refusing to give the man a sliver of his attention. This action irritated all the guards, and Kaspian who was kneeling to the man was left gobsmacked. The man himself meanwhile ignored all the fuss and continued.
"For your service, I will pay. Just two of you and everything you desire shall be yours." Said confidently, thinking that Jaron had already accepted the deal.
Jaron rose slowly from his seat still gazing down at the ground as fought the wave of anger roiling inside him. When his eyes met Blaine's, it could no longer be contained and washed over the occupants of the room in the form of pure killing intent.
The guards tensed and went to raise their weapons only to find their arms bound to their sides, and everyone could see the fury behind Jaron's deep blue eyes.
"*King Blaine*..." Jaron practically spat as if the name was a curse. "I don't know how you thought this conversation would, but you got lucky enough to choose the only person from our party that wouldn't strike you down as soon as those words left your lips."
With a breath, Jaron reigned in his killing intent and strode forward until he was face to face with Blaine and glared at him.
"Let me be perfectly clear *Blaine* The Legendary Party is disbanded, and if I so much as hear one rumor that you are searching for any of us… Well, let's just say you wouldn't like what happened as a result."
.
At that moment a resounding knock was heard from the door of one of the houses in the town of Ashber.
Standing in front of the door was a black-haired man, with his head hung low.
A few seconds later the door opened, and an auburn-haired woman was seen behind it.
"Fayden, come in. What's wro-" She was cut off as the man, now identified as Fayden, spoke.
"Eleanor is dead."
The world seemed to stop for the woman, as she processed what the man had just said.
"Are-Are you sure?" She refused to believe it, that her sister was dead.
The man looked up, his normally bright silver eyes seemed dull, "Of course I am, It was me who killed her after all."
"Y-You are joking right?" The woman again asked in disbelief, tears were forming in her eyes.
"We didn't want to tell you after we learned of your pregnancy, but I thought it was necessary. Now, farewell." Quickly bidding farewell, Fayden disappeared from the place.
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The day after Fayden visited Leywin's, Jaron decided to also visit.
*Knock* *Knock*
Jaron waited for some time, before Alice's husband opened the doors.
"Mr. Jaron, you didn't choose a good time to visit… Alice already knows." Reynolds said with a long, heavy sigh.
"Idiot didn't tell you the whole truth did he?" Jaron asked, knowing what Fayden would do.
"He left after saying a sentence, Alice couldn't stop him." Said Reynold, moving to open up a path for Jaron.
"Thank you." Jaron thanked Reynolds and entered the house.
"I wanted to talk with both of you, Alice, and you both need to know things…" Jaron told Reynolds, who responded with a nod and went to get Alice.
"Jaron, I knew you would come." Reynolds returned with Alice who was holding the newborn child in her hands.
"We all were planning to come together with Eleanor, to congratulate you… Unfortunately…" Jaron couldn't finish what he wanted to say, he looked down and tears started falling down from his eyes.
"I-I'm sorry. I couldn't protect her…" Wailed Jaron as he couldn't hold emotion anymore.
"I know that that idiot didn't tell you all the truth, to be honest, she died of infection. We couldn't protect her… It's all our fault. Fayden just made her death painless… I'm really sorry." Jaron bowed down, almost burying his head in the floor.
"Jaron?! Please stand up, what are you doing?" Cried out, Alice. She handed her child to Reynolds and ran up to Jaron.
"I don't blame any of you, please stop. Eleanor wouldn't want to see you this way, would she?" She helped Jaron to get up.
Jaron saw the reflection of Eleanor in Alice. He tightly hugged Alice, surprising her, but later she also returned the hug while patting his back.
"Where are the others now?" She found enough courage to ask.
"Fayden disappeared right after visiting you. Vonde found a new ability to somehow disappear from our trace too. Ash is on his tail and then I'm here…" Explained Jaron.
"You must have dived in a high-class dungeon, if it turned out like this." Voiced Reynolds.
"SS-Class dungeon." Jaron answered shortly, making Reynolds almost drop the sleeping child in his hands.
"N-No way… They couldn't task you with this…" Both Alice and Reynolds could see the bigger picture behind all this scenario.
"We just couldn't decline… Not because we couldn't but because we simply didn't want to lose reputation with citizens." He added.
"And… Please accept this. We all were gathering this for you, we couldn't decide on a present so decided to gift the money. Congratulations again, Fortunately… Eleanor wrote a letter before she left us." Jaron handed the storage-ring to Alice, and also took out a letter from his pocket.
"Also… We buried her, you don't have to worry about this. Sorry, we did this in Beast-Glades, but you don't have to worry about some beast… you know reaching her."
"Thank you…" She muttered.
At that moment the baby in Reynolds' arms began stirring, as Alice moved to him in an instant.
"Oh, So he is the child huh?" Jaron wondered out loud.
"Yeah, we decided to name him Arthur." Said Reynolds with a not so bright smile, he was still sad about Eleanor.
"Cute…" Jaron closed the distance between them and poked little Art.
Arthur in response tried to move his face away from Jarons finger, but Jaron still continued to poke him. Later Arthur glared at him, his soul piercing eyes dark locked onto Jaron's dark royal blue ones. The internal battle with glares soon ended when some smell came out from Art's underwear?
"Oh, little Art needs to change diapers." Alice took Art in her two hands and went somewhere.
"I won't be taking any more of your time. I have to go now, again I apologize." Jaron bowed to Reynold and left the house.
12 Years Later
Arthur and his mother Alice were sitting inside having a conversation, a conversation about a group of people that piqued Arthur's interest during his adventures with Jasmine.
"I want to know more about the legendary, and Jasmine said that you would know more than her about them." Arthur said while his mother sipped on her drink, he could see that face she got when she was thinking before a smile graced her lips.
"Well that's definitely true, though you have met one of them already. His name is Jaron and you kept trying to dodge his pokes as he poked your cheeks, it was so cute." A blissful smile rested on her face as she recounted the memory and Arthur absentmindedly rubbed his cheeks remembering that moment.
"Do you know where I can find him?" Arthur asked hopefully, he needed to find this group if Sylvia's warning was any indication.
Alice set her cup down and tapped a finger to her chin with a helpless smile.
"I don't know about the other 3, but Jaron does appear in the Xyrus adventurers guild from time to time. You might have luck looking there or asking Kaspian, he might know." She finished with a nod looking at Arthur who was already standing up and heading to the door.
"Thanks Mom! I'm going to go look for him right away." Before Alice could get a word out otherwise, Arthur was out the door and getting a ride to the city on a carriage.
Once at the guild he was allowed to meet directly with Kaspian who had a surprised look on his face as Arthur entered his office and sat across from him.
"I wasn't expecting to see you back so soon. What can I help you with?" Kaspian leaned forward with his hands clasped on the desk.
"I want to know where Jaron of the legends party is." Arthur stated seriously. Kaspian's eyes widened briefly before narrowing in on Arthur.
"And why do you think I would know where he is? While he's not as mysterious as the other 3, he comes and goes as quickly as the wind." Arthur sighed in annoyance but saw the small smile on Kaspian's lips.
"What? What do you know?" Arthur asked.
"I happen to know that Jaron is due for another meeting soon. He always comes at random times, but I always receive a message to make sure my schedule is cleared days before he arrives. And-.."
Kaspian paused as a new presence entered the room through the window.
"And I would appreciate it if you didn't expose my habits to people. Though I suppose I can let it slide for Arthur's sake." A tall and athletic man with long black hair falling to his mid back and piercing royal blue eyes was now standing with his hands clasped behind his back.
Arthur jumped back and pulled out Dawn's Ballad in front of him as his mind raced.
'I didn't even sense him, how did he just appear beside me like that? He must be strong.'
"Put down your sword little Art, I'm not going to hurt you. Your mother would never forgive me if I was too rough with you." The calm almost monotone voice continued, but Arthur could detect a hint of warmth to the voice.
He lowered his sword eventually sheathing it as he took in the man across from him and the realization dawned on him.
"You're Jaron?" He asked, and the man nodded with a slight smile. Though it turned pained for a flash before going back to the neutral look he kept.
"I am. It's good to see you again Arthur. Well, face to face that is. After you decided to disappear into the Elven forest I've been keeping an eye on you from time to time."
Arthur nodded and relaxed the tension in his body. Jaron gave off the exact opposite of what the Elderwood Guardian did. It gave off overwhelming pressure and bloodlust while Arthur couldn't feel even the slightest hint of anything from Jaron.
'This is what a Legendary Party member is like." Arthur thought to himself.
"What did you need with me Arthur?" Jaron asked as he took the chair that Arthur had been sitting in previously. A cup materialized from a ring on his finger with a light liquid that gave off an aromatic fragrance.
"I would prefer this to be a private conversation if that's alright with you." Arthur responded and with a glance from Jaron, Kaspian stood and walked to the door.
"Just call for me when you're done." He said as he exited the room. Jaron still took the caution to raise a sound barrier around him and Arthur.
"There, now no one can eavesdrop." Jaron replied as if all of this was natural, but Arthur was failing to hold back his surprise.
"Kaspian just left with a glance, what's that about?" He asked, finally turning to Jaron who just shrugged.
"He respects me and I respect him. If he had asked me to leave I would have. Now forget that and tell me what's so important that you have begun to seek out me and my companions." When Jaron rested back into the chair with his arms on the rests Arthur felt like he was looking at a king. Not a warrior king like he was in his last life, but a true king who knew his way around the sky tongues ministers he had to deal with as King Grey.
All his thoughts were hidden, but Arthur felt like all of him were exposed for the world to see. He shook the encroaching thoughts and steeled himself.
"Someone I trust told me that danger is coming and this continent is in grave danger, and that's why we need to get your party back together immediately!" Arthur replied vehemently and Jaron nodded. Which caused Arthur a little confusion.
"Yes, indeed I know of the approaching danger. While I'm not completely sure of where 2 of my party members are, I know their general location. The other I am in constant contact with."
Arthur's face twisted in anger and he approached Jaron.
"You know about the coming danger and you're doing nothing about it?!" Arthur raged at Jaron who just tilted his head to the side.
"What makes you think I'm doing nothing? My former party members most likely know of the state of affairs. Fayden is somewhere in the beast glades if reports of large amounts of mana beast being culled is any indication.
Vonde is a bit trickier, but there have been reports that lead me to believe he follows you even closer than I do. As for Ash I know his current whereabouts as he resides in the grand mountains at the coldest peak."
Arthur looked abashed but pushed forward.
"That's still not doing anything to prepare for the war! Why have you not told the king or the people?" He fired back and Jaron smirked.
"It seems your teacher, the one that gave you that power, didn't tell you everything or perhaps didn't know. The kings of all 3 races already know of the coming war, and that's precisely why all this assimilation between the races has been happening so fast.
From my sources, spies if you will, in the castles there is going to be an announcement in the coming months. Rest assured that I have been doing my preparations, far before we knew there was a threat outside of Dicathen."
Arthur stood stunned by Jaron's words, as this was him stating he had spies in the king's courts of all 3 races, and he had been preparing since before he knew of the threat outside of Dicathen.
'What could he have possibly been preparing for if not for the war with the powerful beings that killed Sylvia?'
"Don't look so surprised Arthur. A king has to be prepared for everything after all."
Jaron stood and Arthur unconsciously took a step back as he looked up at the man.
"Prepare your things Arthur, I suppose now is as good a time as any to bring the party full back back together."
He walked to the door and opened as he dropped the sound barrier, Kaspian was waiting on the other side.
"Send the ones I asked for to the usual spot, my trusted helper will pick them up and take them where they need to go. Are you sure you don't want to get your niece and go too?" Kaspian gave a warm smile but shook his head.
"No, as much as I'm sure you're right about the safety of your kingdom, I can't abandon the guild with this war looming. Nor will my niece want to leave her fellow classmates, I hope you won't think less of me."
Jaron stepped forward and rested a hand on his shoulder.
"I would never think less of you, if I could take in everybody I would, but the time is not right yet. We'll see you again soon and with luck in one piece."
Jaron dropped the hand from Kaspian's shoulder and held it out, Kaspian grasped in a firm shake. Jaron turned to Arthur with a small smile on his face.
"Come on, let's go find my troublesome brothers."
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