Drunken Truths And Forming Bonds

"I've gathered the attention of high-ranking nobles. Ignoring the grand duke of course, more on a personal note." Hellas says as the mood starts to become too heavy again. Digging in the past unintentionally leading to different highs and lows.

"Shouldn't you drink yourself with that local noble couple? You and… Your sister." Tika says slowing down at the end.

"That was mostly my sister, I was lucky enough that the hunters were short-staffed." Hellas responds shrugging off the responsibility to drink himself.

No one drinks both Sol and Tika slightly swirling their cups, both seemingly unsure of how to react to the situation.

"I'm not quite sure." Sol says thinking about the many golden eyes. "They were powerful and influential, but I don't know about nobility…. Their name did carry quite the weight… In their area at least."

"If you drink then I will also drink." Tika says holding her cup in the air. Sol takes his cup, softly clinking them against each other as they both take a large gulp.

"I'm guessing my father counts?" Tika says looking at those she's known the longest.

"If you want to count him." Cristal responds curtly, taking another gulp of her own drink.

"What? That man is even less important than a brothel in a city of eunuchs!" Gunnir nearly slams his fist on the table either his injuries or the unwillingness to break any more furniture holding him back.

"He is a noble lord… Even after everything… Blood doesn't change." Tika responds her eyes unshaken and calm resembling her magical essence.

"A noble's blood is no different from that of a commoner these days. You can't tell me all those generations stayed "pure." just look at how many of them now walk around with limited mana or even magicless… No offence" Gunnir apologizes as he looks at the high noble sitting at the other end of the table. A man who looks in his latter sixties but has already passed a century.

"None taken I'm just a normal old man at the moment." the grand duke responds, everyone taking another gulp of their mead and water.

"Finally it's my turn." The grand duke says as he sees that no one else intends to speak further on the subject. "I've been in love." The grand duke states his falsehood. His tendency to ask rather personal questions fully noted in the mind of the pink-haired ranger and the emerald-colored-eyes shade demon.

Three pair of eyes immediately dart to the pink haired ranger as he plays with his necklace. Instead of taking a simple gulp, he finishes his entire cup in one go. Gunnir sees Hellas finish his drink and takes a gulp of his own, secretly wishing that the water was alcohol.

"Well, two romantics. Do tell." The grand duke says unable to read the room. Tika and Cristal also start to drink. No longer focused on the game but on the ugly scarred wound that has once again come into sight.

"What can one say when it comes to that? She came like a storm in my life… She became my sun… And then she left… Leaving me in the dark." Hellas says tears forming in his eyes, the expert archer's hand holding the cup trembling. "She loved flowers and I came to love them because of her. She told me how she loved watching the season's shift, to see the flowers return. "I want to be just like that." She used to say with a smile on her face. "Even if we're not here long let's make memories as beautiful as that flower field."" Hellas falls silent unable to continue, his eyes and hands not matching the monotonous voice. As if he's repeating a simple daily nightmare, something he knows from the back of his hand. The other three of his long serving companions unable to say anything as the story doesn't solely affect Hellas.

The grand duke looks around in a panic meeting the eyes that he used to fear and now once again the only unshaken eyes in the room. Dalbert Estian meets the emerald colored eyes of Sol both unaware of what's going on.

"Euhm… I'm so…" The grand duke tries to apologize, Sol covering the noble's mouth. Making him unable to speak.

"She must have been very special… Congratulations." He says as he drops his hold on the grand duke's mouth. The grand duke staying silent as he sees Sol take the lead. Five pairs of eyes keenly watching his next words, wondering where he would take the memory of one of their dearest.

"The way you speak of her… I'm guessing that there are plenty of memories as beautiful as that flower field."

"There were." Hellas responds, the others simply nodding their heads.

"Perhaps we should end it here today." Sol says seeing how in such a short time, his companions were mentally beaten.

"No…No… We should at least finish your turn. Fair is fair." Cristal says, her words reaching the others as they ready themselves.

"If we're broken already… I am happy." Sol states his falsehood whilst he stands up, signalling the end of his participation. He doesn't look back as he leaves the table, immediately going upstairs with his slow steps. The sound of his footsteps and the other tavern goers, the only ones making any sounds.

He enters one of the reserved rooms, preparing for a rest. The desire for it having grown these past days, the accumulated short nights a clear factor. At his side dark and blood fused mana starts to form, a wounded shaded figure forms next to Sol. Even at first sight, you could see that the entirely out of mana made being was close to death. His form torn as it struggles to keep itself together, many different scars as if tortured having cut through the being. The cuts itself carrying a magic familiar to that he himself uses, magic of Appolyian. "It seems you failed." Secessus says to the shade figure, holding his hand over the shaded figure's face.

"…"

"Rest." The shaded figure disperses into the surrounding darkness. The surrounding darkness once again formless and without life as its master wished it so.