The Co-accident?

As Cyrillus made his way back towards his meeting point with Sagaris, Cyrillus began to feel the full effects of the "Tearing Joy" coursing through his veins. He stumbled and swayed like a tightrope walker struggling to maintain their balance, his movements unsteady and uncoordinated. Well, he had already forgotten where the meeting point was at some point and just kept moving forward. Hoping to ask someone when he saw someone sensible enough!

He found himself in a bustling plaza with people coming and going from various shops. There were no houses nearby, perhaps due to the plaza's central location and easy accessibility. While scanning the crowd for someone to ask for directions, he locked eyes with a group of people standing together and looking around. He raised his hand towards one of the men, and the other person waved back. For some reason, perhaps due to his drunken state, he felt his heart pounding rapidly. To check if it was indeed so, he placed his hand on his chest, only to feel a cramp. He then raised his hand high in the air to stretch his muscles. 

As he stretched, he noticed a man from the group walking towards him. The man didn't speak but made a gesture. As sober as our hero was, assumed that the other party did not like to speak, much like that b*stard Kieron and the bartender. So, he too chose to communicate with hand signs. Why? Because every trade has to be equal. If you give me rice, I'll give you wheat. That's equal trade. If you give me the silent treatment, I too will give you guys the silent treatment. So, he began conversing with the other party using signals that even a three-year-old could understand. He pointed at the man, made a fist, and spun his other hand, implying, "You must know the area quite well?"

The person in front of Cyrillus quickly nodded his head. Cyrillus was delighted, "At least he's smart enough to understand what I'm saying. He is definitely the smartest of the unspeakable trio!" He placed his hand on his chest, thanking his luck, and nodded towards the guy with gratitude in his eyes. 

He then made a fist with his thumb remaining straight like a thumbs up, placed it to his lips, and drew a circle above his cheeks with a finger. Clear as day, it meant, "I have been drinking, and I forgot where to go." The man's face became stern, and he stood straight, nodding slightly to imply that he understood. Cyrillus was seriously thinking of making a statue of this guy and asking others to learn from him.

Cyrillus made a sign of an unfinished triangle, resembling a hut roof, and widened his hands above his head to indicate the large size of the building. He was asking for directions to the mage association, which he believed to be a huge triangular building. With a determined nod and a quick salute, the man who understood his hand signs turned around and left to guide him to the association. Cyrillus thought the guy was being too serious in guiding him to the mage association, even going as far as getting his whole crew to go with him.

But, as a huge purple guy with a shiny golden gauntlet and five colourful stones once said, "Reality is often disappointing." When the person reached his group and discussed something with them, the whole crew looked at Cyrillus with powerful, burning gazes. He felt that he should have never watched that category of films in his previous life. All of them nodded at Cyrillus together, and just as his hopes were raised, all of them ran away! Every bastard from that whole freaking crew dispersed in every direction possible, leaving the drunken master crouching in the middle of an unknown city after agreeing to help him! But he was not depressed at all. He finally opened his mouth and called out to a random person passing by, "Hic...excuuuse me, do ya knooow I'm a b-b-bit drunk? where th'mage associa-she-on is?" smoothly asking for the directions. The friendly passerby might have been in a rush, but he randomly pointed our hero in a direction while covering his nose and ran away as fast as he could.

Cyrillus looked at the man who had run away, shrugged his shoulders, and then turned to start moving in the direction the person had pointed him, like a solitary wanderer searching for his way through the world. As he walked, his mind wandered to the events that led him to this moment. He had left his hometown to become a mage, seeking knowledge and power beyond what he had ever known. But things didn't go as planned. He ended up drinking too much, lost in an unfamiliar city, and searching for the mage association. 

He couldn't help but feel a bit foolish. Suddenly, he heard a commotion up ahead. As he approached, he saw a group of people gathered around a street performer. The performer was juggling knives while standing on one leg. Cyrillus couldn't help but stop and watch. The performer had incredible balance and skill. standing right in front of the performer admiring his act was a well-built person tall and strong, Cyrillus knew he had seen this person somewhere he noticed the red band around his arm, it was a bit different. "Hey, youuuu big guuuuy! It wasss Hic...hic... I'm trying to find my way to the mage association, but all I found was you! Hic...hic... I bet you don't even know where the association is! "before the big guy could even respond, his eyes widened. 

A huge pillar of light suddenly shot up into the sky, illuminating the entire area. The following shockwave swept away everything in its path, causing Cyrillus and the big guy to be sent flying losing their balance. 

The ground shook violently as debris and dust filled the air. "No! No! what is happening!?" shouted the big guy getting up, running off towards someplace.

Cyrillus who was partially shielded from the damage lay still looking up at the sky that was painted red as if an artist had spilled red colour all over the canvas, unmoving slowly closing his eyes all the sounds faded in the distance all that remained was silence.

--

Marcus's upbringing in a gritty, crime-ridden neighborhood sculpted him into a survivor. In a place where danger lurked on every corner, he discovered the necessity of self-reliance and the importance of protecting his loved ones. It was within this crucible of adversity that a fervent sense of justice ignited in his heart. His unwavering belief in the power of change drove him to take action and strive for a brighter future.

As he grew, Marcus channeled his determination into honing his fighting skills. The bustling streets became his training ground, and his resilience turned him into a skilled combatant. However, his ambitions extended beyond personal prowess. He became a charismatic figure, rallying those who shared his vision of a just and fair society.

Amid the chaos of their neighborhood, Marcus and his allies found solace in each other's shared purpose. Together, they joined the ranks of a burgeoning rebel group, one that sought to overthrow the oppressive government and replace it with a more equitable system. Marcus's unwavering commitment and charismatic leadership endeared him to his fellow rebels.

Yet, tragedy struck when a mission to infiltrate a heavily fortified castle took a dire turn. Marcus, the unwavering beacon of their cause, was captured by the enemy's relentless soldiers and subjected to a swift and unjust execution. His untimely demise left a gaping hole in the leadership of the group he had founded.

In his absence, the responsibility for guiding the rebel movement fell to Hedesious, Marcus's trusted friend and most devoted lieutenant.

 Hedesious, a shrewd and determined leader, remained unfazed by the rumors circulating about his betrayal of Marcus. He continued to hold the rebel army together through cunning and ruthlessness. Some suspected that he had always harbored ambitions for power and that he had joined the rebellion only to further his own agenda. Yet, despite the whispers and doubts, Hedesious's leadership remained unchallenged as they worked towards their common goal of overthrowing the oppressive government.

He soon received a critical piece of information: the mage association possessed a formidable weapon known as the Stone of Amplification, a relic that could turn the tides of their ongoing conflict. However, it was stored securely, deep within the mage association's fortress. Hedesious recognized that stealing this artifact was a monumental task, fraught with danger. Still, he was determined to seize the opportunity and tip the balance in their favor.

In preparation for this great heist, Hedesious assembled a team of highly trained fighters. These individuals had been groomed from a young age and instilled with unwavering loyalty to the rebel army. No order was too extreme, and they would execute it without hesitation. Hedesious relied on their discipline and trust as he planned the heist.

To ensure the success of their mission, Hedesious adopted a meticulous approach. He even established a small tavern in the city, cleverly concealing his true identity. For years, he masqueraded as a simple-minded tavern keeper, minding his own business. Slowly, he recruited individuals and assembled teams while gathering invaluable information about the mage association's defenses.

Timing and precision were paramount, as the heist would require absolute perfection to avoid detection and capture. Their very lives depended on avoiding even the slightest error. Yet, despite all their meticulous planning and careful calculations, something had gone terribly wrong. Hedesious and his team had faced an unexpected obstacle, and the success of their audacious mission hung in the balance.

The question now loomed: what had caused their meticulously planned heist to fail?