9 -{Ark II-Beldon: Chapter IX: The Meeting}-

A war isn't merely foughten on the battlefield, but also in the mind of the individual. – Of Undated Origin.

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After another hour of collecting what little she could, Elizabeth finally agreed that she didn't need a thousand things. And so we set out, with a suitcase, and a large duffle-style-bag.

And now we're only around a few blocks from where the Fable-Patch tavern was; our rendezvous point. 'Our' being mine, Ella, Ralph, and Valair's…

Yet, now I had Elizabeth with me… and not really thinking of the consequences that would be entailed with her arrival. Although I had already started making plans on how I would introduce her, and then there was the fact that she was a Blessed… Not necessarily something that would be easily 'hideable' from the others.

However, at this moment I didn't care about what might happen down the road, literally. Elizabeth and I were just casually talking about random things that came to mind… Like how long she's been living in this city, or where my hometown was, and what it was like.

"So, you only have one sibling?" Elizabeth continues our conversation.

"Yeah, and ironically you'll be meeting her soon enough…" I scratch the back of my neck with my free hand before letting a small chuckle out, "we're pretty much one in the same, although she's not a Cursed…"

"Wait… is she a soldier too?"

"To be honest…She's way more classified for the job than I am, and she'd mop the floor with me if I tried to fight her…"

"She's that good?"

"I've only been in for around two weeks now, so I've got nothing on her couple years of experience…"

"For that long…?" She more or less questions herself, "then how am I supposed to compete with that?"

"Depending on what you're getting at, I don't think you'll be fighting her for a good while…" I state with a sarcastic tone, "And I'm for certain that you'll fit in with us new recruits, if not the newest recruits we seemingly get everyday…"

Silence draws in between us as I choke on what to say next.

And that's when I finally realise there didn't seem to be any of the others at the rendezvous. Then I look at where a bench was resting next to the door of the tavern, and sitting there was a woman with silver flowing hair which poured over her shoulders.

Pointed ears poke through her hair and twitch as I approach. Then she turns and I see Valair's face…

– Sensitive hearing… no sneaking past this one… – Demoros comments at the fact, and I realise we were still around three buildings away from her, – I'll try to remember this next time… –

I roll my eyes as he snickers at himself. Then I look back at where Valair's sitting and notice that she'd turned back towards the setting sun. She was now wearing a blue dress which matched the colour of the sky on a clear day, although I know that when she came here she was in more of her mercenary get up…

"Alex… why are you staring at that person?" Elizabeth knocks me out of my trance.

"Sorry, I just… that's Valair one of the people I came here with, but I'm not sure why she's here alone…?"

"Well, how would I know?" She elbows me, "why don't you ask her?"

"Right…" I roll my eyes at her, however, only silence remained afterwards.

Moments drag on as we walk the distance towards Valair, and with every passing second, the silence surrounding us only seemed to deepen.

"Hello, Alex," Valair's calm voice broke through the growing silence, however, her eye contact remained on the sunset sky.

"H-hello, Valair…" I try to act as natural as possible with Elizabeth standing directly behind me, "why are you here… alone?"

"That's… that's…" She begins to repeat herself as her gaze goes from the sky towards the ground, "I… I wanted to see if… If you would like to go… out to dinner with me…?" As she finishes she looks up at me with a bit of red contrasting the pale composure of her face.

"Oh… uh…" I blink twice as I try to recollect what was just asked of me. Then embarrassment floods through my veins, and I instinctively rub the back of my neck, "I'm… I'm not sure what to say…"

Demoros's laughter then fills the emptiness surrounding us, then it fades into silence as a tinge of anger flicks inside Valair.

"Oh… you brought someone with you…" Her smile was slowly fading now.

"I… uh…" I stumble upon my words.

Elizabeth steps out from behind me and does a slight bow, "My name is Elizabeth Rose, and I live here in Beldon… I-I met Alex after he saved me from some thugs, and then I helped him recover after the fight…"

"First off; you were in a fight? Do you not realise why we're here, at Beldon!? And second; why would you bring a random woman to our rendezvous point?"

"It's not what you think. She wanted to join up, so I thought I'd bring her to you since you're more knowledgeable about this kind of thing than I am…"

She just glares at me while tapping her foot. Wrong answer… A whispering thought enters the back of my mind as a tension of anger passes through her.

"That didn't answer the question…" She grumbles, "tell me why you brought someone you just met, to me?"

Elizabeth steps in front of me and bows once again, however, this time it was at an almost ninety-degree angle, "Sorry, don't blame him… It was my fault, I thought that it was possible for any m-marked people to join…"

"Marked?" She turns her attention from me to Elizabeth, then narrows her eyes "show me."

Both Elizabeth and I are stunned by her order and look at each other before Elizabeth rolls up her sleeves.

Pulsating light green markings stretch up the back of her forearms, and both mine and Valair's eyes widen at the sight. However…

"You… You're a Blessed!" Valair growls in a low tone.

"Y-yes…" Elizabeth tries to speak, however, is cut off by Valair.

"Not only did you bring a civilian here, but you brought a Blessed!? Have you no thoughts on your actions!?" Valair shouts at me.

I step forward, while slightly stepping in front of Elizabeth, "I'm sorry… I figured that we would allow anyone who wants to take on the fight with us. Or was I mistaken?"

"Do you not realise what you've just brought here? Do you not realise what you are, yourself?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes. It. Matters. Blessed hunt down Cursed, that's how it's always been, and how it always will be!"

"But does it have to be?"

"That's how it's always…"

"Yeah, that's what everybody thinks, but is it really true? I saved Elizabeth, and she's a Blessed? And in return, she not only helped me recover but also stuck with me afterwards not wanting anything out of it…"

"How do you know, maybe she lead you on from the beginning?"

"That would've been a possibility, however, I feel all negative emotions, remember? I would have felt it at the least, if not seen it."

"Right, and did you ever think of what happens next? Or did you ever think of how it would feel to be the only Blessed surrounded by an army of Cursed?"

"I've already promised my protection, so it'd be my obligation…"

"Obligation? Right. And what about your position?"

"Do you really think I care about that!? If I did I wouldn't be here whatsoever. I'm only here because it's the closest thing to making things right in this damned world."

Silence stretched on as the last word rolls from my tongue. I take a few deep breaths to calm myself down as energy flows from my markings and into my bloodstream.

"And what about the rest of us?" Valair now had tears in her eyes.

"I'd do whatever it takes… even if it takes my life."

"What if you have to go against the Rebellion? W-what if you g-get outcasted?"

"It wouldn't matter. And if it comes down to it, then I guess they'll just have to condemn me…"

"B-but why?" Valair was now standing in front of me.

Her eyes glisten in the sunset lighting as I remain our eye contact. She was only slightly shorter than me, but actually almost rivalled my own hight.

"Because although I may be Cursed and have a demon in my head, I will always protect the ones close to me," My voice was calmer than I thought it would've been, and before I know it…

Valair embarrasses me in a tight hug, then before I can react I feel even more pressure hit my back. I turn slightly so that I can peer over my shoulder, and embarrassment grabs hold of me.

– What never been hugged before? – Demoros jokes, – ah… who am I kidding even this would embarrass me… –

– Wait, did you finally open up to me? – I sarcastically question.

– Shut it, – Demoros grumbles then begins to chuckle, – enjoy your double hug while it lasts… –

It wasn't that soon after, the rest of the group showed and we, more of me, explained why Elizabeth was there, and what we were going to do. And afterwards, we walked mostly in silence, well, I mostly walked in silence, on the way back.

"Ugh… sleep…" I groan as I slam my entire body weight into my cot.

– Not bad for a vacation… wouldn't ya think? – Demoros snickers.

– If you don't count getting beaten up and stabbed… Then yeah, it was pretty good, – I sort-of agree before letting a smile slip onto my face.

I finally close my eyes as soon as my head finds the pillow, and then I was out.

"Alex… Alex… Alexandrith… We… Alex, we need to… talk…" A whisper sounds from beside my bed, however, it wasn't from a voice I could recall.

And so I turn over to look at whoever decided to wake me from my slumber. Yet, I don't like what I find, and immediately launch backwards.

"Don't worry yourself… I wouldn't possibly be able to hurt you… you are my host after all…" The creature states.

It was just a black mist of a human figure with an unappealing wicked smile made out of jagged glowing white teeth. Its white eyes follow my every move as I peer around the room looking for an exit.

"Can't run from me… no-no-no, doesn't work like that…" It rises from the floor, turns, then begins for the centre of the room, "Alex-Alex-Alex, You don't realise what you are yet… that suits me perfectly… I am your benefactor after all…"

It vanishes with a wicked laughter which echoes throughout the room before reappearing in the centre of the room.

"You said I was your host, but Demoros is the demon I host… And I know it's not possible to host two demons…" I question him as I get to my feet.

"Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha… No-no-no, it doesn't work like that either…" Its grin grows steadily larger as it speaks.

"Then what are you?"

It frowns slightly before tilting its head onto its hand, "hmm… how to explain… If there were only a book… or a passage somewhere…"

Then it grins before vanishing once again… to then only appear in front of me once more. I jump, however, it grabs my shoulders and looks deep into my eyes. I see nothing in its eyes, and hollowness envelopes me.

"I am you…" It lets out another wicked laughter as it dissipates and reappears in the centre of the room.

It was now an identical copy of what I look like in my silhouette form, although the jagged smile and piercing white eyes remain unfazed. As if it were fixated on its prey, and if I were a fidgeting sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

"Do try not to be afraid of me… I dislike those kinds of actions from my hosts…" Its grin slightly droops.

"Hard not too… anyway, you never answered my question…"

"Right-right-right… Let's just say, I'm not demon, angel, nor man… ha-ha-ha… You could also say, your my host's host…" It laughs and makes hand gestures as it takes.

"So what are you, if you're not demon nor angel… then how can I possibly be your host?"

"Well-well-well, I would've thought you'd go for the more favoured approach… I'm not a demon, angel, man, nor anything that should exist in this world… yet here I am…"

"That doesn't quite answer the question…"

"Oh, but doesn't it? It a twisted way, you are less real than I am… in this world… for I am everywhere, and you are one… an anchor… my anchor…"

"Anchor?"

"Host, ya-da-ya-da… Although to answer a question you never asked… Demoros is my true host, and you, his…"

"I kind of got that… now, onto the question at hand…"

"Fine-fine… I'll stop my stalling…" It grins before taking an old duelist bow, "The Darkness, at your disposal…"

"Wait… what…?" I raise an eyebrow.