The Final Lesson, page 15
part #1 of The Final Lesson Series
Solus would be disappointed in him if he was admitting her judgments were correct. He rested his hand on his forehead, turning to meet with the crowds of people lingering below. They seemed to be getting more frantic each passing second, and it was off-putting.
“Maybe I should just go to bed.” He slapped the edge with his palm before leaving the rooftop, climbing down the three flights of stairs back to his room.
Leilana popped a squat at one of the three local inns, sinking in front of the table. She had half a mind to put her feet up and enjoy the moment, but it was considered rude. She had already chewed out the bellboy and the host while asking if they could lead her to the room where Rem and Solus were. Of course, they didn’t provide personal information, rooms included. Of course, they ‘couldn’t due to hotel rules and regulations,’ those savage fools. Didn’t they understand how important this situation was?
Wait, no, how could they? They were too caught up in their own work to even consider anyone else’s problems, but that was adulthood at its finest. Survival of the damn fittest.
Maybe they didn’t want her around because of her torn clothes. But she wasn’t going to explain to them why she was walking around as a homeless girl striving to be an Arcana, not when she was already further along than most. She figured that once she came into some money, she’d have to invest in a change of wardrobe.
After catching her breath in the lobby and fighting against management, she set off for the next one in her path, watching the sunset over Kalonia. People were shoving past, and a pair of broad shoulders colliding against her backside in a haste was enough to send her to the ground, dropping her grimoire in front of her. She sighed, wincing at the sight of her scraped knee before grabbing her treasured weapon, not wanting it out of her sight again.
What was up with everyone? Was it some night rush, and now they were getting antsy?
She rose to a stand, blood gushing down her ripped tights, under siege of completely tearing. She broke through the crowd, her lungs beginning to tighten under the pressure of bodies condensing together while speedily rushing through the tiny streets. As she propelled forward, her shoulder brushed along the miniscule build of another, violet hair coming into view. Her eyes widened and both girls whirled around to face each other.
The silence was impending, and their expressions mirrored one another. Shock. Confusion. And then a sense of heightened strain swiftly followed by lingering annoyance. There wasn’t an ounce of movement out of place in the elapsing seconds; it was as if the people encircling them no longer existed.
“Amiria,” Leilana’s voice cut through the tension. “I hoped that I would see you again.”
“I was actually thinking the same thing. We ended our last meeting on bad terms. I was hoping that we could try and talk it over.”
“There isn’t much to discuss unless you’re willing to comprehend your mistakes.”
“I have no regrets about what I have done,” Amiria retorted. “Master Kosmin enforced the path to madness by giving us a reading, nonchalant while watching us writhe over new knowledge, unfeeling and unsympathetic.” Leilana opened her mouth to retort, but Amiria kept talking, “Master Hinju sent us packing, and he did it with a smile, claiming that he was giving us the chance to travel and learn about other people, but he didn’t think that we would be learning about our ancestors in the process.”
“Amiria,” she hissed. “Stop it. You’re sounding delusional.” Amiria rested a hand over her tote, her fingers lacing around her flute. She knew it. She knew that talking to Leilana would do nothing for her. She never understood anything or anyone, and she didn’t try to. How was she to grasp her words?
“How can I be deluded by something right in front of me?! I held the words of the dead in my hands, of your own brother, a Warlord! I could taste their suffrage! How am I supposed to feel about it all?! Hell, what do you even know about his fate?” Leilana was surprised. Amiria didn’t seem the type to curse, even under extreme pressure. “What do you believe anymore?”
“My opinion hasn’t changed,” Leilana replied. “I believe that there is more to the Warlords than shielding their thoughts. Ennis made mistakes. He knew the risks.”
The sunset shifted to night.
“We can be different!” Amiria stared at Leilana as she continued speaking. “We can defy the odds, and we don’t have to fear losing ourselves just because we’re on a journey to discover others!” Amiria was shaking her head, unable to believe a single word, but the girl pressed on with her attempts of persuasion. “Master Hinju did, and I’m certain that Master Kosmin would have done the same!”
A low growl surfaced from the shadows, taking both girls by surprise. They hadn’t noticed it, but the streets were almost absent of people now. Those that remained were scrambling to buildings, locking up their doors and shops. Leilana grasped the Lasette in her arms, her eyes darting in every direction. Amiria glanced at her flute, her own eyes tracing over the empty streets.
Where had that come from? What even made the sound?
“Don’t you think it’s weird that everyone suddenly started crowding the inn?” Solus asked. “It seems like a hassle, trying to pin people into rooms, and it’s relatively noisy downstairs.”
Rem rolled over in his bed, yawning. It wasn’t uncommon that Solus started talking aloud when he felt concerned. “If anyone is being noisy right now, it’s you.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just worried.”
After a few minutes of listening to Solus’s rambling, Rem sat up, rubbing his eyes. There was no way he was going to be able to relax. “Why are you even awake?”
“Commotion downstairs, didn’t you hear it?”
“No,” Rem groaned. “I was dead asleep.”
Solus gazed out of the window. The streets were desolate, a far cry from how bustling and energetic they were only a few hours ago. It was as if ghosts had plagued the city and thrust everyone into a panic. They weren’t from Kalonia; there were a few people in the city that weren’t used to the customs. One of them was Leilana. What if she was still on the streets somewhere?
It couldn’t hurt to check… could it?
“I’m going outside.”
“W-Wait, what?” Rem shot to his feet as Solus exited the room, grabbing his room key from the nightstand and rushing after his companion. “Sol! Wait up!” He sped up his steps and grabbed Solus by the arm. “Hey! Where are you even planning to go?”
“I want to know why everyone seems to be hiding from the nightfall. It seems too strange that no one is outside. And if there’s peril, I want to make sure that Leilana is safe.”
“But she isn’t even your problem anymore.”
“I know. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t value her friendship.” He grinned. “Don’t you feel a little worried about her? She seemed very concerned about your well-being.”
Rem could feel sweat dripping down the back of his neck. Oh, great. He was pulling this card from his stack again. Every time that Solus tried to guilt-trip him, he achieved it with a big smile on his face, which only added to the effects of the ordeal. It almost never failed; how could it when he had such a charming expression to tie in with his persuasive words? He couldn’t go against it no matter how much he willed himself, and it pained him. How the hell was he supposed to lie to his face and say that he didn’t care about Leilana, knowing full well that he did?
Rem was bouncing in his spot, groaning. “Fine, we’ll go find her. But that doesn’t mean that I want her around. I still don’t trust her. And I’m not sure how you trust her. But you know what? Maybe she’ll prove worthy. I mean, she’s the only one with the knowledge we-” Solus was already walking ahead, and Rem jumped back a step. “H-Hey! You’re already leaving?!”
“No time to talk anymore, Remiel, we must make haste.”
“Solus!” Rem hissed. “At least let me finish my sentences before you go running off!”
A fierce roar shattered the silence, the ground vibrating under their feet. Leilana and Amiria were both trembling, even grasping one another’s hands to ease the tension building around them, though neither of them was willing to admit it. Amiria swallowed, and Leilana stroked the girl’s index finger with her thumb to coax her out of her stupor. Now they understood why everyone ran away before the shade hit. Leilana channeled her magic, the Lasette lifting into the air. Amiria put the flute up to her lips, a shrill note ringing from the instrument out of fear alone. The noise was enough to rouse the beast further, its sharp fangs bulging forward as it snarled and stepped further into view.
The street lights did little to mask the ethereal creature. When it emerged, it was standing upright on its hind legs, carrying a spiked club in its left hand. The horns atop its head stretched down the middle of its back, black fur coating its broad shoulders and legs. Leilana chewed on her bottom lip, rushing through the pages of the Lasette, tracing over the words hovering in her sight. Many times, she had jumped through these pages, studied the lore of the mystical creatures lurking through Adrylis. But never had she imagined that she could encounter a Dirionus type.
Dirionus, beings of high stature and spiritual energy fabled to harness powers recognized by the Warlords themselves, acting as familiars. But they were supposed to be peaceful martyrs to their designated lands. If that were the case, why was this one cloaked in shadow?
“What are we supposed to do?” Amiria whispered to Leilana, taking a step towards her.
“Fight,” Leilana said simply. “Otherwise we’ll be obliterated, and this city is going to keep being threatened.”
“We can’t take it down by ourselves,” Amiria retorted. “We aren’t experienced enough!”
“We have to do this because we’re Arcana!” Leilana hissed, “This is the fate that we have been given! We are born to protect others! Who are we to abandon it?” She turned to the Dirionus-bred creature again and thrust out a hand, a gust of wind propelling forward. The Dirionus thrust the club into the ground and gripped to the handle, keeping itself secure in its place. “Even if you don’t believe in the Warlords, we must think of the people! They run and hide because of this monster terrorizing them! Who are we to turn our backs on them?”
Amiria’s eyes were darting between Leilana and the Dirionus. With a sigh, she stood at the girl’s side, playing a few notes on her flute. A sudden void veil of protection cast over Leilana. Leilana followed the wind strike with several bursts of electricity raining from the sky, which seemed to do little damage towards their opponent. It seemed to almost absorb the power, its club nulling the effects. Maybe it had channeled its energy long ago. Leilana switched to ice, but the Dirionus timed her movements, dodging the attack. Once Leilana’s spell had worn out, it propelled forward, thrusting its club into the ground, kicking up some of the pavement, throwing Leilana off balance and knocking Amiria out of the line of fire altogether. The Dirionus hovered over Leilana, club grasped in both hands.
Leilana let out a sharp gasp, planting her feet on the wrecked pavement, jumping out of the way of the strike, the wind rushing past her ears. She had barely heard the club slam into the ground, cratering the path.
Amiria seized the opportunity to stun the beast, inhaling deeply before unleashing a sonic wave from the bottom of her throat. The Dirionus roared in retaliation, covering its ears, dropping the spiked club in the process. Leilana held up a hand, the Lasette thrusting the ephemeral limbs from within its pages, grabbing the weapon from the ground. She mimicked the stance that the beast had taken before swinging it, the hands effectively hitting the Dirionus, knocking it into one of the nearby buildings.
Amiria stumbled forward, her vision hazing, but she shook her head to clear any signs of vulnerability and stood her ground as the Dirionus regained itself. It locked its gaze on Leilana, who seemed to be recharging her power into the Lasette. It sped towards her, cutting through the spectral hands she had conjured. Amiria belted out another sonic wave, channeling more force into the action, the pavement beginning to thrust upward, knocking the Dirionus off its feet. Leilana flexed her fingers and sent a whirlwind of flames spiraling towards the beast. The combined tactic opened a crater under the beast, and it fell.
Amiria and Leilana approached the crater and peered down before looking at one another, Amiria sheepishly grinning while Leilana retained a confident expression. Their hopes were dashed when a snarl beset their ears and the Dirionus leaped from the crater, striking them simultaneously with the club and knocking them across the battlefield. The Lasette hit the ground with a thud, and the flute clanked against one of the buildings, remaining intact. Amiria gaped at the blood covering her chest, emerging from her ripped dress; she could barely lift her head, already winded from the excess magic usage. She clenched her fist and slammed it against the concrete. Leilana pressed her hands to the ground and pushed herself to a sit, the side of her face caked with the sticky substance. She scoffed, trying to wipe some to clear her right eye.
The Dirionus drifted over the two, holding up the club above them, prepared to strike them down swiftly and as painlessly as possible. Leilana swallowed, never taking her gaze from the beast, a certain quality opening her mind further. Now that she could look it in the face, she saw that its eyes were full of remorse, even if its actions spoke otherwise. Dirionus weren’t meant to be malicious, only helpful. And that resided deep within. Which meant that this wasn’t its doing, not fully.
“Stop,” she whispered with as much energy as she could manage, though she knew that the words were futile for it to comprehend. “You can still make a change…”
Amiria shot to a sit, panting as she looked over at the girl, unsure of what her plans were. Was she trying to talk it down? It was too far gone already. Why put in the extra effort?
The Dirionus thrust down its club.
Leilana shut down and forced herself not to look up at the beast when she listened to the wind move at the swift motion. She felt a tug, but no impact came. She slowly opened her eyes, looking to her left and spotted Solus holding Amiria in his arms, both looking just past her. Leilana followed their line of sight, appalled by what she saw next.
Rem was holding up his sword, blocking the club with one hand, the other emanating a crimson glow. Basked within the aura, she noticed the remnants of a manifested claw. Rem’s expression was fierce and easily rivaled the Dirionus.
“R-Rem… you came back…”
“Go,” he told her, his voice almost guttural as he gave the order. Leilana didn’t hesitate to obey him, uncertain of what he was planning to do. Somehow, he seemed far different from the Rem that she had come to know. She almost collapsed while making her way to Solus but held steady. Solus stood, carrying Amiria, the girl fighting consciousness as she glanced over at Rem.
“Are you going to be okay?” Solus called, taking a step forward.
“Don’t come!” Rem roared, pushing the Dirionus out of the way with his sword, taking Solus by surprise. “Keep them safe—that is your duty!”
Solus gave a small nod, looking to Leilana. “Let’s go.” Leilana stole a glance at Rem, watching as he held up his left hand and pushed back the club a second time, keeping a steady grip on his sword. “Leilana!” She snapped out of it before following Solus.
“What’s the matter with him?” she asked, coughing afterward to clear her dry throat.
“I’m not certain,” Solus told her, “I’ve never seen him behave this way. We saw what was going on from inside, and when Rem noticed the danger, he just… snapped.”
“We’ll have to put faith in him.”
Rem smirked, holding out his glorified hand in a taunting manner. “Come on, you. Tell me about yourself.” He kept striking the club with his hand, listening to the wood splinter, ignoring the timber shards lodging into his fingers. The blood was rushing to his head. The idea of killing this beast, one who had sent Kalonia into a panic, who harmed someone that his best friend valued, amused him. No matter how much he attacked, he couldn’t leap into the mind of this Dirionus.
Maybe it was too lost in the darkness to regain itself. How disappointing.
Rem thrust back his left hand before slinging it into the Dirionus’s chest, ripping out its heart and crushing it, letting it crumble away. The beast let out a piercing cry, its body disintegrating into dust over the course of a few seconds, drifting away with the wind. Its club fell to the ground. Rem sighed, dissipating the aura over his hand by clenching his fist before dropping to his knees.
He overlooked the destroyed roads. All of this broken rubble storming the once crowded streets. The people of Kalonia were in terror, and a grim outlook on the future of Adrylis was rising to fruition because of one creature’s rampage. If one Dirionus could be corrupted by some unknown force, how many more could have met the same fate?
The ice of a blade reached his throat, and Rem’s breath hitched. “Ah, young Prince. I never expected to run into you here.”
Before Rem could manage any form of retaliation, a crimson aura spiraled about his body, clasping around his throat, lifting him off the ground. His lungs were caving, and he couldn’t help kicking his legs to pry himself from the spell’s siege to no avail. As the seconds elapsed, he found himself slipping into unconsciousness. No concern left in his opponent to eliminate him on the spot, he was dropped to the ground. Rem sharply inhaled and grasped his neck, coughing before facing his attacker.
His long silver hair was tied into a ponytail that reached the middle of his back, his face concealed by a white and russet-shaded mask that resembled the beak of an eagle. Rem shook his head, perplexed. Was this person sent here to kill him?
The three had taken refuge inside of a barely-filled corner store. Solus laid a hand on Amiria’s cheek. The girl was breathing deeply and damped in sweat, unable to keep her focus. She ended up shutting her eyes to keep her head from spinning, resting against his shoulder as he lowered her to the ground.
