Alfonsi: Chronicle of the Seven Realms

The knight rubbed at his eyes, letting out a large exasperated sigh.

The midday sun was beating down on him. The metal plates of his uniform made the effects even worse as he was beginning to overheat in the outfit.

Turning to his partner who had been dispatched on this mission with him; he spoke.

"I could use some cold ale..."

"Do you not understand the meaning of 24 hour surveillance you damned alcoholic?"

The former rolled his eyes, if it weren't for the hesitance clearly displayed in the other's body language he may have dropped the subject.

"Come on, the scoundrel hasn't left his house in the last week. If we don't take a break and talk to someone besides each other we'll lose our minds."

" 'Lose our minds' my ass. You want liquor and the thighs of your favorite whore. Prostitutes only come out past midnight and if our second in command heard we left this place unattended for that long we'd be banned from carrying a sword."

"...I'll keep my mouth shut if you do."

"Fuck it. One drink, and you're paying!"

"Sir, yes sir."

The blue haired man in the distance who had been casually watching the knights this entire time saw his opening. With quick and elegant movements of fast flowing water he crossed the street and slipped past the door of the now unattended house.

What he saw inside was the sorry state of a man, so different from their initial meeting.

"Now this just won't do." The assistant shook his head, hands braced on his hips as he tutted like a scolding mother.

His 'child' lay curled into the smallest ball a man of his stature could possibly fit into. Barely visible in his grip was a cheap clay jar he clung to as if his life depended upon it.

Nicholas Reed looked as close to a corpse as a living human could get. His salt and pepper hair spiked in every direction as his gaunt face made his eyes seem twice as large.

He hadn't so much as flinched when someone entered. 

Still, he moved his dry crackled lips to croak out one sentence. The hollows of his cheeks expending to get a modicum of air.

"Get out."

The assistant who was opening the tightly shut windows to allow fresh air into the space pranced over to him and leaned down.

"My apologies, I didn't quite catch that."

"Get out! You murderer!"

A coughing fit overtook Nicholas, his unused parched throat cracking with every puff of air he hacked out.

The assistant placed a hand over his heart as if he were genuinely offended.

"Me? A murderer? I have done no such thing... At least not lately."

"You... y-you killed her!"

"Oh dear Nicolas, That simply isn't true. She was already dead."

- - -

Nine days ago

"Your wife, bring her to me."

Nicholas stiffened under the man's words. They didn't seem like a suggestion, they were a verbal command. It had him ready to defy on instinct.

"Why?"

Michael sat across from him in the rickety chair that seemed to squeak with even the slightest shift in weight. Still, with a glass of dark wine swirling in his right hand and his ever present mysterious blue haired companion standing at attention behind him; he was the very picture of elegance. Commoner wear and all.

The fucking bastard.

"We have already come to a deal. I'm not so uncouth as to not uphold my end, I will help as my assistant has promised I could."

Still suspicious, Nicolas continued to interrogate him.

"What is your magic specialization1? Why can't I sense any magic from you? What tool do you use that helps you hide it?"

The blue haired assistant and Michael had the same smile spread across their face without even glancing at each other.

"I could say, but a physical presentation might appeal to your researcher mentality. Seeing is believing as they say."

Nicolas clenched his jaw. Indeed, there was no way to even know if the man was lying or not if he spoke of his magic. 

Still, bringing Diana to him was a gamble that could go horribly wrong.

Nicolas had been gambling for a while now. Though he faced severe losses not long ago, he was quite ready to throw everything he had into this bet. So long as Diana could look at him again and offer one of her shy wobbly smiles. Any bet was worth it.

"She and I will be here tomorrow."

Michael set down his now empty glass and clapped his hands together with a tone of finality.

"My lovely assistant will guide you back. Oh, and perhaps you could stop blindfolding him. This man is now our precious companion, we must display a worthy level of trust."

"If you insist. Come along Reed, let's get you home."

Nicolas stood, his mind made up. He would place the last coins in his possession in the hands of these men.

It turns out this entire time they had been transporting him to the Town of Dimcliff after walking him in circles.

Nicolas huffed in annoyance as he readied Diana for the transportation room. He had no idea how the two procured something only the highest of nobility and royalty were granted access to, but he didn't question it. He didn't particularly care.

He met the assistant before an inconspicuous little house in the commoner residential district away from the main streets.

"Just in time I see. Come along then."

Nicolas looked over the man. He really never gave any clues to himself. Always dressed plainly with an ever present smile on his face. Nicolas didn't even know his name and while Michael disturbed him, this man did equally so.

Only moments later he found himself trailing behind his mysterious blue haired companion as Diana's wrapped body floated beside him with the help of a simple levitation spell.

The air of Dimcliff was a depressing as he heard and now that his eyes could see the place; Nicolas could concur it was ten times worse than rumors warned.

He was led to what looked like the shell of a large family home. The place was deteriorated with the only possible way of fixing it being tearing it down, though in Dimcliff all the places of residency and business held the same sentiment.

Before him the door opened and Michael welcomed Nicholas with raised arms and a warm smile. As if he spent every waking second yearning for this moment.

Dressed in a loose shirt and pants, feet bare on the creaky floor Michael walked forward. A strange wind picked up, swirling his black hair around him and Nicholas could hardly breathe. It may have been the closeness to the dark mana or the aura of the man himself. Perhaps both.

"Today is a day of change. Can't you smell it on the wind?"

"Most certainly."

Nicolas swore the assistant and Michael must have some telepathy magic of a sort. The way they always seemed to be exactly on the same wavelength was unnerving.

"Come, it is about time I meet the woman you have spoken of with such favor."

The group was led to a room similar to one Nicolas first met Michael in, down to the dusty floors and sparse furniture.

Muttering a soft incantation under his breath Nicolas released his spell on the Diana. Allowing her to float gently onto the table stationed in the middle.

Diana was unveiled before everyone.

Michael hummed in approval at the magically mummified woman.

"You certainly took good care of her. Well, I suppose I shouldn't dillydally anymore. If you would take it from here..."

The assistant stepped forward and before Nicholas could begin to voice his confusion the man pointed his hands to Diana. Without an incantation or spell the entire casket was up in a wall of bright blue flames.

His hands moved on reflex to pull her out of the fire. It was an illogical move and if Michael hadn't stopped him he may have burned off the flesh from his wrists down.

"Now, now none of that. These hands are precious."

A peculiar feeling of emptiness overcame Nicholas, there was no anger or sadness, just a profound sense of loss.

"Magic is a beautiful thing, a miracle even; but there are elements we must never tamper with. I will not allow you to continue down the path you have decided. I cannot let you try Nicolas Reed. The guilt you hold for causing this woman's death is not proof of some love you hold for her. You tried to use her in hopes that bringing her back would resolve your lingering culpability. Somewhere along the lines the anger in your heart turned into obsession, Diana doesn't deserve that."

Nicholas stumbled away from the man, from his words.

That wasn't true. He loved Diana, he just realized it too late. Yes that was it. That had to be it. Her death was an accident... he wasn't a murderer... No he couldn't be. He never intended to hurt her.

"Ah... he ran away."

"You are too hasty Michael. Let's give him time to grieve."

The assistant bowed his head after speaking and clasped his hands together as the fire dwindled leaving only ash to remain on the otherwise unscathed table.

"Samsara."

"How rude of me, my apologies Lady Diana. Samsara. I'll be sure that Nicholas gets the ashes you've left behind"

In their shared moment of silence to honor the passed a head peaked beyond the open door. His red eyes practically glowing against his tan skin and black hair.

"Ah! Joran, perfect time. A new friend of ours seems to have lost his way. Do me a favor and make sure he gets home alright will you?"

"That strange man?"

A look of mild annoyance passed over the young man's face.

"Oh don't give me that look. I hardly ever ask you for help, besides this is your specialty is it not? Surely you can spear some time out of your stringent schedule hm?"

"I can practice on him?"

"Of course. I did promise, didn't I? Just be sure to tighten his leash. We don't want a repeat of what happened last time do we?"

He was out the door far faster than he entered.

The assistant sighed with his cheek resting on his hand. "It feels like just yesterday when we found him covered in blood and dirt just outside Wanderer's Edge."

"They do grow up so fast don't they?"