- CHAPTER FOUR -
Weeks have passed and Regnus has yet to truly regain its footing since the Quiet Night.
The King ordered the construction of the wall, though it does nothing but feign ignorance of the danger outside. A move has to be made soon or the Kingdom will be swallowed in darkness.
A doctor is making a visit to Vicadum, tending to the damage he wreaked on his own hand. After tapping and prodding the area a few times, the Doctor places his hand on Vicadum's and wishes him the best.
"You've done quite a number on yourself young man, rest well and be glad it wasn't too greatly extensive."
The Doctor smirks at Vicadum, he then stands up from beside the bed and walks out of the room.
Matrelus has her hands clasped to her mouth as ever, she watches and fears bad news from the Doctor.
"How is he?"
She parts her hands delicately to speak.
The doctor comes to a stop and reliefs in a sigh. "That boy is lucky. He managed to do just enough damage to his hand that the sword and nail are likely to be grown around."
The Doctor stops and cleans his glasses.
Matrelus can only be saddened that the sword is attached to him at all. Tears swell in her eyes.
The Doctor picks up his tools and places a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Your son is tough. Any other kid, any other circumstance, he'd likely have lost his hand."
Matrelus can only muster a small ridge in her lips resembling a smile. Quickly returning her gaze to Vicadum laying in his bed. She watches him, and he watches the moon.
"What possesses your son, Diagis."
Matrelus speaks to his memory, pondering.
The net morning comes, and another after that, until eventually the Kingdom resumes its tune as it ever did. Since being walled in, it's the first time things seem to be okay. The baker bakes and the children run off to school.
Vicadum waits at home. His attitude in the past few weeks has changed and no one is to say for better or for worse yet, but the difference does astound. While the village kids attend regular schooling, Vicadum tempers his excitement as he waits for his invitation to the Knights' school.
An academy built for the training and education of the Guard Families.
Though, no word has been sent to any of the other families, Vicadum darts his eyes down the road, waiting for a deliveryman to come heralding his dream every passing day.
Every few people that pass, Vicadum runs his eyes over, looking for a loose letter that might have his name. Men and women walk by with paper in hand, raising the hopes of the young knight-to-be.
Today though, as he figures it's about time to give up for the day, Vicadum notices a young girl and recalls that she's been passed the street a few times now. Vicadum wonders if she's lost for a moment and questions if he should help, but closes the curtain and walks away. Another day goes past.
During the week, Vicadum catches glimpses of a small figure hovering around him. He knows it's the same girl, but isn't quick enough to catch her in the act. He's even given chase twice, yielding no result. Vicadum can only think to set a trap, putting together a surefire way that he'll be able to see her and ask her why she follows him.
***
An opportunity presents itself in the form of the hulking female, Hand of the King, D'tera.
She is marched along with by a formation of clanging soldiers, their footsteps are more than enough to stop the town from its goings-on to listen to what the sternest of faces has to spit out.
"Subjects. Your King invites you to join him at Sun-High tomorrow. Here he will announce his strategic decision of who will become the next line of Guard.
The Families are to be in mandatory attendance, and the people of Regnus are invited to come to hear their King give them peace. He has thought long since his hiatus about what is to be done and is ready to formulate action. That will be all."
The ranks form up and are set to march back towards the castle. The town begins buzzing with the news of the Announcement. Vicadum gets word of the town gathering and immediately begins work on a scheme. He plans to get this girl's attention and prove her sleuthing and spying on him. It also didn't escape his thoughts that it's highly likely the next line of Guard may be chosen from the Families. Vicadum heads home to prepare his plan and to try his hardest to contain his excitement.
The possibility of his becoming a knight doesn't allow him to get much sleep. Heavy lids wear Vicadum down as the sun rises into his room. "Aaaaaaaagh!" he moans out, frustrated that his own excitement of his future knighthood kept him awake until sun up.
Vicadum takes a deep breath in, swelling his lungs with the room, and he wills himself up. He looks down at his arm and sword and cracks the smallest smile.
"This thing will get me where I need to be." He thinks.
Vicadum isn't used to moving with his sword just yet, the side of his bed is reamed with slices and cutting marks that tell as such. Getting off of the bed, he goes to reach his right hand to the post, clanging the sword against the headboard, causing him mild pain. The jolt wakes him up a bit though, and he shakes it off, rolling his weight forward off the bed. Stretching his waking muscles wide he is ready to start his last day as a civilian.
Vicadum very slowly gets dressed, as is his new normal pace. He dresses for the King, in threads he has kept away from every possible danger cloth could meet. Vicadum does everything possible to prim his look, even going as far as to chew the mint leaves his Mother Matrelus lays out for her cooking.
On the other side of the house, a very annoyed Vientus broods in his room. Vientus waits and counts the minutes going by, tapping the tip of his dagger at the window sill. Impatiently awaiting the town folk to rush towards the castle. He can no longer take it, his temperament only lasted him this long. Vientus too has aspirations to become a Guard, for less righteous reasons than even Vicadum's dark drive to improve on his father.
Vientus seeks power, for power's sake.
Vientus and Vicadum have rarely gotten along, growing up under the Hero Diagis, it was always a competition. Neither of them was one to compete for victory over the other, but for attention from their Father. Losing him meant that only becoming the Guard to surpass him would be their truest victory. Vientus fighting to become the most powerful of the Guards, and Vicadum to become a better Hero. Diagis left darkness in his sons that he could never have guessed.
Vicadum finally leaves his room to see the door left wide open. Not wanting to be behind, he races out to gather with the town underneath the balcony at the King's court.
He hasn't had much time to temper his body for so much activity with the sword, having to be bedridden to recover from the shock. Where his heart is set on being a lightning bolt and striking wherever his eyes meet, his body fails him and he gasps as if air avoids his lungs. The sword heavily weighs on him more than he knew it could.
Catching his breath from the short distance he's made from his house, he looks up to see the crowd's pace quickening. He smacks his lips together and inhales sharply, this time jogging to meet the town. Up ahead he sees the Smith, kids playing with wooden swords, a local rancher pulling a hog along with him, and lastly, he catches a glimpse of red that he knows so fondly.
The Sun suddenly lights a little warmer, the air becomes crisp and sweet-scented, and the weight-bogging Vicadum becomes a leaf on the wind.
Filovis walks with her friends towards the Castle, and Vicadum spots her from many blocks away.
The tragic dissipates, his chest dips, and his tongue begins to writhe in dryness.
"Hi…" he blabbers out, assuredly meaning to have said it much closer and louder to her. Passing townsfolk look at him with unease and confusion.
Vicadum shakes their looks and continues onward, running a block over to see her again and as he starts to get a run going, he notices a shadow misplaced. The building's shadow being cast on the ground before him has the shape of a human on it, his seeming stalker. He watches the shadow move behind a chimney stack, then looks back up to Filovis.
Allowing this to take priority, Vicadum quickly pretends to take a breath, having stood still too long to be doing anything natural. He looks around for a lower roof, a storefront awning will have what he's looking for. A platform low enough that if he were to swing up at it, it would catch its intended victim. He sweeps Market Street to see a few stands that might work and he pretends to peruse around a little.
Watching to make sure the shadow still follows him, he picks up an apple, breathes on it and looks intently at it, a nonchalant act to keep up the appearance. After a few more stands and items, he finally makes his way over to the final stand, his chosen place to catch this shadow. He kneels down to tie his boots, stopping all movement in his chest, holding still his extremities and even his thoughts, a perfect stillness only matched by his Father.
Vicadum can hear the beating slowing deep in his body, his stomach swishing, and saliva smacking. Listening past these sounds he can gauge the immediate area. A bird flaps away a few houses over, the entire town stomping blocks away to clamour for the King, a cat hissing at another, and finally, landing footsteps atop the lower roof above him.
He watches as the shadow edges itself closer.
"Come on. Just a little closer you."
Vicadum calls his prey in.
As the shadow peeks over the edge, a pebble is shifted from the roof and begins to fall. Vicadum is ready to strike, swinging wide he accidentally hits the falling pebble, batting it back upwards. Vicadum had no control or idea that the pebble would be in his striking range, still, he sends the rock projectile directly at her. Square in the chest, the rock thuds against her sternum. She is shocked and winces to the side, being struck off to the side of the roof.
Vicadum acts quick, jumping up to catch her mid-fall to soften her blow by hugging her tightly on top of him. The two of them fall and Vicadum takes the brunt of the fall. Vicadum is forced to let go as the fall spreads his body wide, for a moment she remains huddled on top of him but rolls off his chest. Vicadum is down by the pain and she has fainted from the shocking pebble strike. Vicadum shakes off the pulsing ache attacking his back and crawls over to check if the shadow's okay, quick to realize the follower is a young girl.
He inspects her up and down, still wearing the same clothes as when he saw her while waiting for the delivery man, confirming that it's her.
"What's she doing?"
He thinks to himself, but he knows he can't let that be the first question right now.
"Hey! Are you okay?"
He raises his voice a little, letting worry shake him some.
"I think I took all the damage there, so what's happening?"
Vicadum rubs his chest and states his saving action.
He lets himself fall back on his legs, confused.
The girl begins to slowly writhe; she moves her hands over her head slowly, letting out a moan.
The pebble struck her in her sternum, so she begins to move her hands to the region. Vicadum's eyes widen, and his cheeks blush. He doesn't avert his eyes.
She groans and feels the center of her chest, moving from outside in, Vicadum now averts momentarily, but quickly returns.
She opens her eyes as she touches the tender area, and chokes on her own scream.
Sunlight blinds her as she looks up at a nervous Vicadum. He moves into the beams to cover her head with his shadow, a hazy filter screens her view. Feeling her chest for the aching, she feels the bumping of her heart.
"Hey, are you going to be okay?"
Vicadum moves in and asks. "I didn't mean to strike you, I just wanted to scare you"
The nervous boy explains himself.
Nephaeros looks down at her chest and sees the reddened center, and how her hands are pushing her breasts together. Vicadum reddens.
Nephaeros immediately notices that he's looking and screams out of embarrassment.
"Ahhhh! No, I'm sorry!"
She exclaims, pushing out from under him, sliding on her back to eventually meet the wall and sit upon it.
Nephaeros is around his age, a budding rose. She's grown to be quite the beauty and doesn't exactly know it, but knows enough that this is entirely embarrassing.
Vicadum can only try to make things clear.
"No, I wasn't looking, I didn't see anything" He raises his hands to her, waving them back and forth at chest level.
"Anything!?"
Nephaeros covers herself.
"No, not that there's nothing-"
Vicadum opens his arm.
"Ahhhh!"
"No!"
Vicadum quickly brushes off the timid nature and goes to question his capture. Nephaeros quickly stands up and looks around the area.
"Who are you? Why are you following me?" Vicadum stands up from the ground now too.
Nephaeros, after scanning the area, answers abruptly. "Nephaeros…Because..."
She then runs straight towards him, kicking her back foot off the wall she leans against.
Vicadum reacts poorly and backs away from her, baffled by her answer and action.
Nephaeros is in a short sprint as she jumps off the wall at chest height, kicking off and reaching the same roof she came from. Scaling to the higher roof to get away, she gives Vicadum one last glance and smiles.
Vicadum yells for her to stop.
"Hey! I wasn't done…"
Raising his sword at her fading shadow. He exclaims in anger and confusion. "Agh! ... Nephaeros, huh?"
Taking a moment to catch a few breaths, Vicadum looks at his sword and remembers his day's mission. checking back up to the roof where the girl disappeared, Vicadum smiles.
Leaving this alley, Vicadum walks onwards to the King's balcony, quickening his pace to see if he can meet Filovis along the way, remembering he saw her only just ahead before being interrupted.
As he gets a run going, his breathing becomes short and staggered, both his excitement and his running cutting him short of the town gathering. He stops to take a break against a shop, leaning his backside against a door and he dips his head to catch his breath.
His Father's voice echoes for a moment.
"Breathe Vicadum!"
A memory of his first time lifting a wooden sword with his dad, Vicadum's first memory of wanting to seek out the title of Guardian. It was here that he learned of his father's importance. The memory seemed bittersweet now, Vicadum can only think of his father in this way.
Vicadum sees his father as a failed hero. The man who couldn't help but die in the face of a new enemy, who didn't return when his leaving was always to be a promise of return. Vicadum's path leads to one where he can prove that a real Hero always returns, always saves the day, and always makes people feel happy.
Becoming a Guard is that ideal embodied, people look to the Guards for safety and encouragement. The world can shine brighter with the heroic acts of the Guard, standing to protect the Kingdom and the people from the attacks of coming armies or from bandits.
Vicadum shakes his head of these thoughts, not wanting to let his Father's waste of memories impede his day. He strikes from the wall, breathing clearer and more steady, matching pace with everyone passing him to get to the gathering. The crowd murmurs in confusion, intrigue, and excitement. The Kings and Queens have always been the people's beloved, only King Maloin has chosen to keep himself above the people. This doesn't escape the minds of Regnus and makes him a rare and awesome sight to see. A hush sweeps over the crowd as a loud boom comes from the doors to the King's Balcony.
Mumbling praise and question, the people don't know whether or not to cheer for their King or to keep quiet as the mood of this suspense holds. D'tera comes to the balcony's edge first and looks out to the vast crowd. Her head lies perpendicularly straight with her chest; she peers downward at the people below, giving a look of near disgust. She sneers a breath from her nose as if to laugh at them for being too afraid to cheer for her King.
"Your King." She says, loud enough that the few below her begin to clap.
The crowd catches on and follows suit, eventually erupting into a roar. The King finally comes out as the kingdom is warmed up.
He walks out into the sunlight, a rich and golden glowing cloak flows at his feet. He glides across the balcony as if the ground is unworthy of his footing, making it to the edge where he can see everyone, and everyone sees him in turn. He smiles as his subjects showcase their love for him, fueling his energy.
"REGNUS!"
King Maloin roars with mighty vigour, he shouts to his Kingdom. Almost impossibly, the crowd increases the volume of their praise further. After a good measure of worship, Maloin raises his hand to halt them; it takes seconds for them to adhere.
He breathes in this moment and lets the sincerity of his thoughts catch up to him, the crowd feels the dip in pressure and intensity as they stare contently.
"I have failed you, Regnus."
The people begin to look at one other, questioning his meaning.
"When we lost our greatest and best - "
Vicadum tunes out of listening to the King babble about his Father's failure. His eyes roll and he starts to scan the crowd for Filovis' hair, hoping to see her and move a little closer.
"But I am ready now, ready to give you insight into what this kingdom will do next. I have found how we will make our Guardians the strongest we've seen."
Fists clench below him, mothers and fathers hold onto one another as a true sun ray appears to shine on them."
"-I apologize that it took me until after we had lost our last line of defence to do so, but I assure you, this will be the last line."
The people of Regnus look up to their King, deciding to trust his words of strength and assurance. The King gestures to the Guard Family remnants, passing his sleeved arm over them to drizzle with praise.
"The Families will see the chance to become great, and to become this Last line."
Vicadum has recognized the ponytail that Filovis' keeps her scarlet strands tied in, and he begins to inch his way over to her. Vicadum scootches along between the onlooking families, not caring about what he assumes is still nonsensical praise for his Father. Once he reaches her proximity, he stands still and lets his eyes race from his feet to her head. Once when he looks up, he sees her turn her head to look at the other families, shocked and confused.
Vicadum looks towards the balcony to see if he can contextualize what happened, and the town is buzzing again. When he looks up to the balcony, D'tera stands above him, her sword drawn and dug into the railing before her.
"You heard your King correctly! A battle will take place, and the victors will become the next to rise above and become the Protectors of Regnus."
Vicadum is shaken to his core by her short words. Anger wells up inside him, and a jealous fury screams his disappointment in himself for not knowing how to fight well enough that he may not become a Guard through trialling combat.
"And secondly, "
Vicadum stares daggers into D'tera, awaiting further angering news.
"It won't only be the noble guard lineage that can compete. We wish to call upon any and all who wish to fight. Your chance to become great starts with your victory."
Vicadum can only sneer.
"So then, maybe I just have to beat some nobody, that shouldn't be too hard."
Vicadum reliefs in this idea.
He looks back at Filovis and she wears a worried look. Now that he is outside of his own head, he looks around at the other families and surrounding townsfolk. The rest of the kingdom feels unease at this news, but naturally, a buzz occurs, and eventually, an event is made out of this coming fury.
***
The tournament to further their paths is a week away, and Vicadum has undergone no training to speak of, not since the first few sword-playing days with Diagis.
Vientus sits at home, only sharpening his daggers, D'tera rests at the King's side, gripping her sword, and King Maloin wrings his hands together as if a masterful plan has gone underway.