Return of the Fallen Volume 1 Chapter 51
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Author: Blue_Rat
ch51
Garn’s speed was quick and he had flown both himself and everyone else out of the Mirian Swamp and arrived at the nearest city, Sekou.
Garn escorted everyone to a large building just beside a garrison in the middle of the city.
Entering the building there were several mages and soldiers in uniform going about their day. Once they saw Garn, they all stopped what they were doing and bowed respectfully. Garn ignored them and approached the front desk.
“Boy, I need to speak to whoever is in charge right now.”
The young man recognizing Garn gave a salute, nodded and placed the tip of his ring on a seal on his desk.
*Shine*
The seal lit up and sent a signal somewhere and not even a minute later, a stout old woman with a head full of gray hair and an officer’s uniform walked over and introduced herself.
“Sir Garn, it’s been quite a while. I don’t know if you remember me but I briefly served under you in the Eden Fall war. At that time I was a rookie and we only interacted with one another a handful of times.”
Garn eyed the old woman up and down.
“You are rookie…”
Garn saw the stripes the old woman wore upon her shoulder and quickly caught himself before he misspoke.
“You’re a general now, Rana, that’s good.”
Rana was about to engage with a bit of small talk but Garn quickly interrupted her.
“Sorry, but I have an urgent report for the King. I need to contact him right now.”
If it were anyone else who spoke to a general like that then their ass would have been grass but because it was Master Garn, Rana gave a small snort.
“As distant as always, I see. Alright, follow me.”
Rana led the way while Garn turned to the others and said.
“You six wait here, I’ll return in just a moment.”
Rana led Garn to a small private room, before they entered though Rana held out a hand.
“Verification, please.”
Garn grumbled a bit but still fetched into his robes and removed a golden medallion. Rana inspected it for a moment. The outside was entirely made from gold and had an insignia with the image of a large griffin hovering over a snake. After examining the outside, she sunk a bit of magic into the medallion for a brief moment. Nodding her head she handed it back.
“Sorry about that. We’ve had some suspicious movements lately and security has been extra tight. You can never be too careful.”
Garn was interested in the suspicious activity but his report to the King came first.
“Now can we get on with it?”
Rana opened the door and turned to leave.
“Wait, you’re going to want to hear this as well.”
Garn thought it important to tell Rana, seeing as how she was a general and the aftermath of the Mirian Swamp would soon affect the entirety of Sekou.
Rana gave a silent nod before pulling out a small crystal ball from her storage ring. The two entered the room to find it held a few chairs a simple table a few writing utensils and nothing more.
Rana gave the crystal ball to Garn and he placed it in the center of the table atop a small inscription circle. Concentrating on it for a moment he thought of the place he wished to connect to. Faint blue energy exuded from the crystal ball before the small crystal emitted a holographic video of a nearly empty throne room. The only person there was the King who seemed to be in a foul mood for some reason.
Garn called out to his King.
“Your Majesty, I have grave news.”
Garn then explained everything that had transpired and when he mentioned the Sky Beast had said something about a king, King David quickly interrupted him with.
“Which King!? Who dares betray our truce?”
Garn couldn’t say for sure and shook his head.
“I’m sorry, but I do not know.”
Garn then told the King about Rust and how he had acted highly suspicious. The King in return nodded and thought for a moment.
“Garn, I want you and the young heroes here asap. General Rana, you need to prepare the citizens of Sekou. If the Sky Beasts are fighting then it’s only a matter of time before more and more Beast Cores go off. The pollution of their magic will spread and the millions of creatures there will flee, so now is the time to man the walls. I want your city on lockdown by nightfall, you should prepare for a beast horde. Hold the city, protect it. I will send reinforcements post haste.”
Garn had more to say but the king cut the transmission. Garn saw the almost lost look on Rana’s face.
“Hey, now do you get it? Now do you understand the situation we’re in?”
Rana snapped out of it and turned to leave.
“I got it. I have my orders so I’ll be taking my leave now. Sorry we couldn’t catch up some more.”
Rana left and Garn was just about to head out as well when he remembered something. In her haste, Rana had left the communication crystal behind.
(I wonder…)
Garn thought of another specific place and the crystal glowed once more. A holographic video showed a small office with an even smaller desk and behind that desk sat a short old man. The man’s face was buried in paperwork but as soon as he felt a tinge of magic his eyes shot up and he spotted Master Garn.
The small man ran from around his desk and gave a salute.
“Master Garn! Thank the gods, you’re alright.”
This was Garn’s information officer. He was the man in charge of keeping a watchful eye and reporting back on any issues.
“Hmm, what do you mean? You already know the situation.”
“Yes, sir. Remember you told me to keep an eye on all those you felt were suspicious. I’ve had watchful eyes silently following all those you spoke of, including both young hero Ryuta as well as head of security, Commander Rust. The whole time you were all in the Mirian Swamp, Everything the two of them did, I watched it all.”
The information officer seemed to choke on his last sentence, as though he were filled with grief. Swallowing hard he continued.
“Sir, I need to inform you of miss Alice. She…She’s dead, sir.”
Garn’s face turned stern, he already knew that but being reminded of it so soon after, felt like another fresh cut upon his heart. He wanted to say he knew but his stomach began turning in knots. His information officers next words only added upon his grief.
“Sir, it was Rust who killed her.”
The information officer then held up a small crystal ball and a bit of video began playing back. Garn witnessed Rust approaching Alice. With her guard down he crushed her skull in, killing her instantly. Garn had seen the cruelties of the world so many times before and had become numb to it long ago but seeing his apprentice die like that, caused him to grimace and look away.
A cold shiver crept down Garn’s spine and a mix of confusion and hatred filled his mind.
(Why Rust? Why? She did nothing to you, she was innocent, so why?)
Seeing Rust then wipe the blood away from his face with no emotion and then casually walking away. Garn couldn’t take it.
(Monster…to kill my poor Alice, Rust, you are a fiend that must be put down, no matter what.)
“Master…Master Garn, can you hear me?”
The short old man’s voice pulled Garn back.
“What is it, is there more?”
The information officer nodded.
“Sir, once I saw the Wind Sky Beast engage with Rust and the other Mages and soldiers, I immediately knew something was off.”
The information officer played another portion of the video. The image of Rust standing with the mages and soldiers appeared in the holograph. The Mages and soldiers had their weapons drawn but Rust and the Wind Sky Beast seemed casual. The Wind Sky Beast licked its lips and laughed.
“So, I get to have all these people as snacks right?”
The soldiers and Mages looked at one another in confusion when Rust chimed in.
“That was the deal. You need to hurry though, there’s no way your brother can face Garn alone.”
“Hmph, my brother will be just fine for a minute or two, you just make sure your King keeps to the deal once we’ve finished with Garn. Otherwise, he’ll be next.”
Rust looked at the Wind Sky Beast with disgust before he turned and prepared to leave. One of the soldiers trembled where he stood and with a shaky voice he asked.
“Commander…wh…What is going on? What do …What is the meaning of this?”
Rust, though, ignored them all and left. As Rust traveled further and further away, the sound of desperate screams and howls of agony echoed out in the background.
The video was cut from there.
“Master Garn, I don’t know why any of this has happened but if what Rust and the Sky Beast discussed is true then that would mean that our King has betrayed not only all of Treia but all of humanity as well. Master Garn, he has betrayed you.”
Garn went completely silent at this shocking revelation.
(The King has betrayed us. He’s betrayed me. I don’t understand, none of this makes any sense. Why would King David forsake us? Why would he forsake me? I’ve treated him almost like a son his entire life, this can’t be true.)
“Master Garn, you can’t come back. If both Rust and the King are truly conspiring against you then when you return, a trap will surely be waiting for you. Please, Master Garn, whatever you do, you must stay away.”
Garn’s mind flashed with memories of the King growing up, as well as how Rust had become closer to him over the years. Going through them, Garn felt something he thought he had buried within himself, start to grow once more.
(This feeling…This is resentment.)
The more Garn thought about the past up until now, the more he found that his expression became colder and colder.
To his information officer’s warning, Garn shook his head.
“No…I will be returning very soon, however, before I do, I shall entrust you to put a few things into place for me.”
The old man looked as though he were about to have a panic attack.
“Master Garn, you mustn’t! Please, sir, heed my warning and don’t ret…”
“ENOUGH!”
Garn’s words exploded over the small old man’s frightening him to the core.
“I don’t have time to dilly around. Will you help me or not?… Please, you are the only person in this world I can ask.”
The small old man looked deeply into Master Garn’s eyes and felt a wound deep within him. The officer snapped his feet together and gave a strong Salute.
“Master Garn, of course I will, now and forever.”
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