Chapter 55 – Rain bow (3)

Alasair… I know I have heard that name before. No. After… after Hailo's mom… maybe I read it. Whispers. Something which was just momentary. Something in the passing.

Think.

So many years… and somewhere in there I heard that one word, that name. Something of a meaning. Something somebody around me knows. Who is that someone?

Think.

Did the trees ever shake in a way to make the sound which sounded like that name? Did I hear Rahambose mention it? Then it'd be useless to chase that.

Think.

So much happening. They all lost their powers. And then I give Hailo another thing to worry and look for. Am I strong enough to find what this is? Is it even if value?

Think.

If Skyto can just learn a new weapon… Skyto. No. Not him. His trainer. Szen.

"That's surprising," Szen says, as I stare through the floor: and I finally look towards him with my deep-in-thought expression. "I almost jumped. But now I wish to jump with joy. How nice of you coming to my… home. Which I believe I had locked."

"I opened the lock with a twig which had randomly fallen at the door. So with all due respect… change the lock."

"I can't recall times where I required a proper one. Except now," Szen says, but calmly moves around the room. "Oh and that… thing. Scared the living shit out of me."

"Does the name Alasair ring you any bell?" I ask, and Szen looks to me with surprise. "Rings a bell in me. And the noise is aching my head."

"Wife to General Tyle…" Szen says. "Of course."

I nod.

"Why not just ask him about her? You guys are friends and all. He's a good sport, after all. He will… help."

+

"Hey!" I hear yet another scream, but this one makes the others freeze and stop. "Leave the man alone!"

As I realise the youth of the voice I look up – barely, and find a quite young kid of probably the edge of his teenage.

"Pfft, aren't you of the royal family?" one of the people ask the kid.

"Yeah. He's one of the SECURITY slaves. Thinks he must be part of royalty too."

"Yet he'd be of a higher standard than this man," another says, and kicks towards my stomach.

The kid grits his teeth and red fiery aura burns put of him. In quite a while he scars and scares everyone away from me.

"Are you alright, sir?" the kid asks and helps to lift me – but I shy away.

"I… I'm a mere Shrouder. It's alright."

I see frustration in his eyes, but he sweetly asks me. "You are more than your title. What is your name?"

"Szen."

"I'm Tyle. Can I help you-?"

"-nobody does," I coldly interrupt. "What do you want?"

Tyle looks to the ground with embarrassment up his face. "That is true. I do have a motif… I wish to understand… of how I can be of help. To people like you."

I feel my own shock in my face, and Tyle bites his lower lip with anxiousness.

"You see… my friend is like you."

+

"It won't be that easy, I'm afraid. Besides, I only wish to know the meaning of the name."

"Ah…" he smiles and folds his hands while facing me. "You want it easy?"

I sigh. "I just mean… I don't want to remind him of his dead wife."

"That's very nice of you. But what makes you think I'd give up somebody's personal information to you?"

"Like you said: he's basically a friend. So that should be fine."

"And what if this were a test of how I'd withhold your secrets, against threats?"

"Threats don't ask this nicely."

"Then play me out the scenario properly."

"What?"

"Any weapon of choice. Don't be shy."

"Now? In here?"

"This is mine," he says, picking his giant sword again from where he had placed.

I just stare at him for a moment, before taking the sword out of my back. He waits for me patiently.

I push the bottom of my feet at the chair I was sitting at – a moment ago, to push forward. As Szen clenches his body stable, in a defence stance – I push my other feet to the ground and sweep my pushed feet back and below the chair, in a forward fashion. The sweep tosses the chair towards Szen – who dropshis sword to hold the chair and push it sideways.

I duck down, in case he decides to throw the chair at me. And I grab his sword, and go back as his hand tried to grab it too. Showing him his sword, as he watches without moving – I toss it behind me.

"I didn't think you needed that," I say.

"True too."

Szen comes forward to throw punches at me. But as any bulkier and skinny fight – I dodge it away. But he was quite fast with fists than with that sword of his, I should've guessed. So I use my swords hilt and let him hit it. Both he and I back away from the pain that caused.

"That didn't work as I expected it to," I say.

"I'd have preferred you stab me instead."

"Yeah… sorry," I say and throw the sword to the ground – then raise my fists. "This'll be bad."

"It'll be interesting."

As he throws his fists at me, I push it away from the back of his hand. A few punches fly towards our faces, his more than mine – I was left defending for the most part. As we go backwards, I walk further back and walk against the wall's surface – then I pounce forward in a swift movement, with my fist forward.

"No," Szen says, holding my fist and swinging me around.

"Yes," I grunt.

As he twists me back, I spin my legs and put one leg above his and my hand and shove it downwards. Then I force my other knee forward and place it close to his neck. He gasps, as I stay this floating stance while barely keeping myself up – from against his body.

I look in his eyes, a bit of horror and amazement at the same place. His knees give in, and we both fall down together. I move a little away and let him cough.

"Vessel of shining gems," Szen coughs.

"What?"

"Alasair… it's a name which means that somebody has a wide variety of qualities. And they shine in every direction with that. Basically an emotional or… sympathetic or… quite a lot of interpretations to that name. As anything from Nightrale."

"But doesn't that-"

"-also sound like something the Crystal-cave should be called? Yes. I've though that too. But the question turns to a no-brainer real quick. The Shankans hated the interpretations and stopped being helpful."

"As could be expected of many," I sigh.

"Nobody besides this Rainbow wants to mess with the Crystal-cave," Szen tells me, and I stare at him. "Because many such as Lithin, Alasair… and Rustizen Villers… have tried."

"King Rusty?"

Szen nods. "Or so I've been told. But just like many others… he failed too. And interpretations and gossips say that he paid a larger price."

"His disappearance."

"Don't ask Tyle."

I surely wouldn't but… why would he suggest that? And as if Szen heard my question on my face, he starts talking again…

"He wouldn't know," Szen sighs. "He would've forgotten it. That's what Nightrale does."

I don't get it but… it hits me. And I shake my head as if I wanted me to be wrong. "No, you me-?"

"-well, that's your answer then," Szen gets up, and offers his hand to lift me up. "Good spar, kid. You exceeded my expectations. And I'm glad."

"I… take inspiration."

"TYO, right?" Szen asks, and I nod. "You claimed she's around. Why not ask her help."

"You think it is easy finding her? Besides, as strong as she is… she is young, and this would be a lot to put on her."

"Well, she has gotten stronger I heard."

"Really, how so?"

"They call her Sync now. A lot of things occurred on Monsteruin."

"Tell me more."

"It is getting late. Don't let your friends get worried. Go."

I just stare at Szen for a moment, before walking out of his house.

Alasair… King Rusty… what had really happened? Why'd they go to Nightrale? If I let the dots connect… Nightrale wasn't just some random place which Rahambose decided on destroying. Something surely happened there. But what?