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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cerulean_Wings" data-source="post: 4072167" data-attributes="member: 55060">Chapter 32Self-doubtThe first moments after the fight was over were shrouded in silence. Vincent stood in the same spot he had been at the time of throwing his spear, unmoving. Without much ceremony Gilliam dropped to his knees and took several deep breaths. Meanwhile, Gon looked around, contemplating the corpses of the two apprentices with interest, and Darius kept his eyes on Vincent, looking serious. Kahleen healed her wounds with a flash of amber that shone around her figure, and Hantel did the same, although his magic came in a cerulean aura. Gon began to rummage through the bodies of the apprentices without a word, doing the same with Ignus once he was done. Shaman and Seer went to ease the injuries of the rest, using their remaining magic to do so, and the former cancelled her entanglement spell. At length, Vincent came out of what looked like a trance and walked over to the corpse of the illusionist, plucking his weapon of choice out from its perforated neck. “Now that he’s dead we won’t have to bother about watching our backs” Gilliam said with obvious relief. “There’s no one to chase us to the end of the world”.Darius was busy with wiping his blade with a spare cloth, but he heard the words just fine. “However, we still don’t know why he was after us in the first place” the soldier said. “There could be more like him, waiting to take his spot once he goes down”.“If they come, we shall deal with them just like we’ve done with Ignus”.It had been Vincent who said those words, and the conviction with which he did so made the rest feel as if there was no other option, if only for a moment. “Well put, squire” Hantel praised with a smile as he finished his healing spell on him. “Feh, they barely have anything” Gon was complaining. “Even the all-powerful Ignus barely has items of use”. The roguish soldier placed one of the apprentice’s robes on the ground in order to display the items he had acquired through the body-search. The objects included Ignus’ robe, which was etched in runes along the sleeves; the two wands from the apprentices, several magic scrolls from the illusionist, along with a pendant he had been wearing and a pair of silver bracers. “All magical” Kahleen observed after summoning a simple power to assess the item’s essence. Gon smiled proudly and folded his arms across his chest. “I’ve got a good eye for this kind of thing, y’know?”. The rest gathered around the display in order to take a better look. Bending down on his knees a bit, Gilliam scanned each object for a brief while. “We can’t tell what they do until we get an experienced arcane user to do so” he said with a sigh. “This will have to wait until Tidebreaker, then” the mercenary concluded as he straightened up. “Tidebreaker?” Darius asked at an obvious loss. “The fortress set up by House Dagoth?”.“The one and only” Gon replied in the mercenary’s stead. “Geez, Broken Blade, you really need to fill that tiny brain of yours with more worldly knowledge!” the red-haired man said with exasperation. This drew a scowl from Darius. Before the blond soldier could give his opinion over Gon’s intellect, Kahleen interjected.“We should make it there in five days, which means we’ll have to hunt in order to have something to eat” she informed the group in her serene voice. In normal circumstances, the notion would’ve been accepted without so much as a blink; yet these were not normal circumstances by any means, as the Spirit Wood was not a typical forest in which one with expertise can easily catch animals for dinner. The expression that formed on Gilliam’s face pretty much indicated how much he was looking forward to hunting in the enchanted woods. “As long as Berethor guides us, we will be fine”.It was not Hantel who said this, but Vincent, leaving the others quite surprised, and the priest quite happy. “Indeed, that’s all we really need, in the end” the aged priest agreed with a nod. Gon wrapped all the items in the cloak they laid on and begun to stuff it into his backpack. “I’m ready” he announced. Gilliam recovered his swords, and as he bent down to do so noticed something peculiar. “What’s this?” he wondered as he picked up a small ivory token shaped like a whip. Like the whip that had attacked him not long ago, to be precise.“It must be the item’s actual shape before it’s utilized” Kahleen theorized. “We’ll need to find out its command word if we are to use it”. Reluctant as he was to keep the object that had caused him difficulties in the past, Gilliam decided that he might as well turn his enemy’s weapons into his. The mercenary pocketed the token without another word. Everyone reported to be ready, and so they walked onwards, their destination the same as before, their path less dangerous now that the illusionist had been slain.However, Darius remained behind, walking much slower than the rest, and soon there were several feet of distance between him and Gon, who was at the back of the formation. “Keep going, I’ll deal with him” Gilliam told the others upon noticing the soldier’s behavior. He trotted back to where Darius was now standing, and saw him glancing around awkwardly. Gilliam stood ten feet in front of Darius, hands on hips. “Well?” he asked at length, seeing that the soldier did not give an explanation for staying behind. Darius seemed to come out of a trance then, and he blinked twice.“Are you coming with us or what?” the mercenary insisted, keeping his tone even.Darius sighed deeply. “You actually expect me to continue traveling with you?” he asked in disbelief. Gilliam’s eyebrow went up. “Yes, I actually do, Darius”.“Why?”.The question had Gilliam thinking for a moment, out of surprise. “Because you are a part of this group, and our group is heading towards the north of the continent” the mercenary responded with a rather condescending tone. “Good enough?”.The blond warrior shook his head. “No. I don’t believe I’m doing anything for this group, other than getting in other’s way and risking my own life. I’m not prepared for this, Gilliam”.His words drew a chuckle from Gilliam. “Really? And you think that any of the rest were somehow prepared to deal with any of the situations we’ve been through?”. Ignoring his words, Darius went on. “I’m just a soldier, Gilliam, not a knight like you’ve attempted to make me believe!” he practically shouted. “And I don’t believe I can go through any more battles, any more encounters with death. This isn’t for me”.Gilliam nodded as he considered the words. “True enough… you’re not a knight” he agreed. “You’re a coward”. Darius looked hurt by the comment, but did not deny it. “And we don’t need cowards in this group, Darius Broken Blade”.The mercenary placed his index finger pointing at Darius. “Go away”.“What?” the soldier asked dumbfounded. “You’re just letting me go?”.“You expect me to try to convince you otherwise?” Gilliam asked incredulously. “I can’t keep dragging you along the journey, Darius, not anymore. I thought that if I gave you a little push you’d spread your wings and fly on your own, but it seems as if you’re afraid of doing the flying part”. He shrugged as if it really did not matter. “In the end, you’ve proved me wrong: you can’t fly by yourself. You’re a coward, and as such you can’t stay with us”.Gilliam gestured towards the way that lead back home. “Go. Back to Master Ender, to whom you’ll report what we’ve done so far and of your own self-dismissal” he said with a tone that indicated a settled matter.    Darius remained frozen on the spot for a long moment, silent; his head tilted down in defeat, his shoulders slumped. He moved his lips and a barely audible sound came out at length.“What was that?” Gilliam asked with curiosity.“I said no” Darius repeated, louder.“Oh, so you want to stay, coward?” Gilliam taunted.“I’m not going anywhere save forward” Darius insisted, his voice obtaining more conviction with each word. His posture had gone back to normal, and he was now facing Gilliam. “I won’t let you” the mercenary responded, drawing his twin swords in a flash and entering a battle stance. “You’ll have to kill me if you want to continue the journey” he said with grim finality.Darius hesitated, but only for a fraction of a second; he drew his own blade at once, assuming a fighting pose as well. “If that’s what it takes”.“You’d try to defeat me, someone clearly more skilled than you, in order to advance?” Gilliam asked.“I’ll cut down anything in my path” Darius responded with a slash that was meant to emphasize his intent.“Why?”.The question appeared to take the soldier by surprise. “Because…” he began, and trailed off. It took him an extra second to find the answer. “Because I have my honor, and without it I’m nothing, just like House Kashtar or the Honor Guard”.Gilliam sheathed his blades just as quickly as he had drawn them. “Good enough” he said approvingly with a nod. “Let’s make haste and join the rest then”. The mercenary turned around and began walking without another word, leaving Darius even more perplexed.A test, then Darius reasoned, and he put his own sword away. Together, they jogged to reach the group, who were actually waiting in place for the two of them. “What took you so long, boss?” Gon inquired with annoyance.With a sly smile on his face, Gilliam passed him by and went back to the front of the group. “Oh, just discussing Darius’ future training”.“Training?” the rest, Darius included, asked.“Yes, knightly training” Gilliam responded matter-of-factly.</blockquote>

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