Revelations

. . .

Darx was back in Merton. He was sitting in one of his favorite spots, a small waterfall not far from his house. Darx sat with his legs dangling over the small cliff next to the waterfall, watching the small stream flow into the woods and curve out of sight. Amelia sat down next to him.

“We’ve been through a lot, haven’t we?” She asked him.

“What do you mean, we?” Darx responded distractedly.

“You haven’t realized? All of us, we are all you. There’s no one here but you and your thoughts.” Amelia continued.

“Yeah, I guess I knew that.” It made sense. Wherever this was, whatever it was, it was all in his head. Some kind of a dream.

“Of course you knew it, Darx." Amelia said with a playful punch to his arm. "If I know it, you have to know it. You just might not be aware of it, you know?”

“What do you mean?”

“She means all the things you forget or choose to ignore.” Cal's voice called from behind them as he walked up to the ledge. “The things you are too scared to really see.”

“Yeah? Like what?” Darx retorted.

“Like Amelia and Kase.”

Darx felt the sting, felt his heart ache, felt the cold creep of the darkness touch him.

“I didn’t know.” He said, clenching his fists.

“You didn’t want to know.” Cal said, sitting down beside him.

It killed Darx inside, but he knew that was correct. It wouldn't hurt so much if it wasn't.

“Even worse, the way Amelia felt about you.”

Amelia put her arms around Darx. “Leave him alone, Cal.” She ordered.

“If he doesn’t face his failures he’ll stay a bitch forever.” Cal's voice wasn't mean, he didn't say it to insult Darx. Knowing that hurt Darx even more.

“Shut up Cal, you aren’t helping.” It was Syvis. Darx turned and saw her leaning against a tree, not far away.

“No, he’s right.” Darx said. He thought about those last few years with Amelia. How often she found cause to touch him, climb on him, hug or even kiss him. She even told him she loved him and he refused to see it, or at least he refused to face it, to deal with it.

“Yeah, you ignored the hell out of her and then fell apart when Kase seduced her.” Cal accused.

“He isn’t responsible for what Kase did, Cal.” Amelia stated.

“What about training then? Why did Amelia train with Jax and Kase, why did she go to Kase's house to read those books, putting herself in his hands?” Darx felt the sting of Cal's words, but he couldn't face them.

“She wanted to improve, for the ritual.” Darx offered weakly.

“And why weren’t you with her?” Cal asked.

“I wasn’t good enough.”

“Bullshit, Darx, you didn’t care.” Cal's voice found its accusatory tone. Darx sat there, trying to not cry.

“Of course he cared, Cal.” Amelia interjected.

“If he cared he could have trained with his mom for years, she offered to train him.” Cal continued.

“He didn’t want to be a burden to her.” Darx couldn't even defend himself. Amelia had to.

“When they went with Jax he offered to take Darx, but he declined.” Cal continued.

“He didn’t want to train with Cal and Fabe.” Amelia was defensive, her voice raised, trying to protect him. . . just like she always did.

“Yeah, you wanted it easy." Cal's voice wasn't angry, just condescending. "You wanted your books and your stories and your fantasy about becoming an adventurer and running around with Amelia but you weren’t willing to work to make it happen.”

"Cal, stop." Amelia shouted.

"Let him speak for himself, Amelia. We all know this has to happen." Cal said, and Amelia stepped aside.

“I. . .” Darx didn’t have an answer, Cal was right. He didn’t know then what he knew now, he didn’t know how tough it was, how much work and danger was involved.

“Yeah, you didn’t know," Cal said, knowing Darx's thoughts. "And yet your mother was an adventurer, defended your village, told you so many stories, offered to train you and you chose your fantasy over anything real but difficult.”

Darx had enough. “And?" He lashed out. "So I was a kid with dumb dreams, that makes me responsible for all of this?” He yelled, his voice cracking.

“Why did you fight the troll Darx?” Cal asked, calmly.

“What?”

“The Troll, Darx."

“It ambushed us.” Darx said as the fight went out of him. He could feel where this was heading.

“You left the safe paths.”

“We wanted a test.” Darx said weakly.

“Did you?" Cal asked, "Training with Jax would have been a great chance to test yourself, yet you turned that down.”

“I. . .” Tears were starting to run down Darx's face.

Amelia cut him off, yelling. “That's enough, Cal! He did it for me, for Amelia. He did it because he wanted to prove himself to her!”

Kase’s voice shot through the woods, “You never understood your place and ended up losing everything.”

Darx hung his head, let the tears fall. They were right, he acted like he didn’t care, but that wasn’t true, he wanted to be someone Amelia could look up to, someone his mother would be proud of, someone who could protect his friends and loved ones. But he never put in any effort, wasn’t willing to do the work, not until Amelia left, not until it was too late.

“Darx.” Amelia was holding him, comforting him.

“He’s right. All of it, he's right.” Darx said, his head down, his voice faltering.

“What? No.” Amelia responded.

“Cal is right, Amelia." Darx said, wiping the tears from his eyes. "If I took training seriously at any point, we don’t end up facing that troll. I don't get hurt, Kase doesn’t save us. Amelia doesn’t spend days with him, go to his house, fall into his grasp. . .”

“Darx. . .” Amelia's voice was full of sorrow.

“The worst part is,” Darx continued, the full weight of realization hitting him, “Is I pushed her to him. Amelia saw my weakness and worked hard to get stronger to keep me safe. She always protected me. When she couldn't heal me enough against that troll she went to study at Kase's mansion. And he. . ." Darx couldn't say it, couldn't finish the thought.

“Darx, this isn’t your fault.” Amelia tried to comfort him.

Darx closed his eyes, hung his head. “No, it’s Kase’s fault. He chose to do what he did, but I let him do it. I was living my own fantasy. I ignored what was going on around me, didn’t take any of it seriously.”

“So what do you do now?” The voice, the one from the light, it was back.

“I open my eyes.” Darx replied. The world was too dangerous to keep living like he had, he couldn't be the naive, optimistic kid he was. No matter how much he wished he could.

“Yes, Darx, see the world. Learn to see the flow of causes and effects, choices and actions. Choose your own path. Don’t let your destiny be chosen for you. Forge it. Take it.”

Darx could see the light even with his eyes closed. He didn’t open them, he wanted to continue. “But what they want of me, it’s so much.”

“Your path is your own, they don’t choose it. Darx, what do you want?”

“I want my mother back, I want Amelia back, I want. . .” He couldn’t bear to say more.

“Then go and fight for them.”

Darx opened his eyes, saw a silhouette in the light, then the light overcame him.

. . .

Darx woke up, looked to the window, the morning light streaming in, the city behind it. It looked the same, but it all felt different. It seemed somehow smaller than it had in the past. He looked to the other side of his bed, saw Neku sleeping in the chair. She hadn’t left his side much at all in days. It felt good to see her there. Neku may be a bit overzealous and misguided in her faith in him, but she seemed to be loyal. For Darx, right now? That loyalty meant everything. Darx stretched, his limbs felt good, better than they had since the incident. He sat up; his head was clear. Darx took a deep breath and nearly gagged. He smelled awful. Like burnt flesh, dried blood, and days of sweat. He stood up and walked around the room. Darx could feel the soreness in his muscles from underuse. Darx smiled. It was a good feeling, he was well enough to know he was sore and smelled bad.

Neku stirred. “Awake already?” She asked, stretching.

“Yes, did you sleep well?” He asked her.

“Well enough.” She replied. “How do you feel?”

“Better, I could really use a bath though.” He said with a smile.

“Do you feel well enough to leave the hospital?” She asked.

“I think so.” He answered, his legs felt good enough to walk, even if he didn't have much strength.

Neku looked thoughtful, maybe even a bit disappointed.

“Look Darx, you need to be careful today," she warned, "I’m not supposed to tell you but someone is coming to vis. . .”

“Well, look who is up and moving around. Imris be praised.”

He had heard that voice before, he turned to see the Priest, Gabriel, standing in his doorway. There were guards on either side of him.

“Priest,” Neku said, standing up quickly to bow.

“Thank you for your vigilance in watching over Darx, Neku." Gabriel said without looking at her. "You may wait for us outside.”

Neku looked at Darx, her eyes worried, “Yes, my Priest.” She slipped past him and into the hallway.

The Priest came into the room, two guards came in with him, both dressed as nuns. One carried a halberd, the other a leather pouch. Both were very attractive. The one with the Halberd closed the door. The other one took out a stone, walked around the room with it, then nodded to the priest before retaking her post just inside the door.

“There, we are free to talk." The Priest walked forward, stopping only a few feet from Darx's bed. Standing there, Priest Gabriel was an imposing figure. "Tell me Darx, have you given further thought to my offer?” he asked.

“To join the church?” Darx asked.

“To take your rightful place as the heir to Zrephia." Gabriel's voice was warm, his smile was comforting and concerning at the same time. "I offer the church’s support, as without it your rise to greatness can never take place.”

“And why would you care if I rise to greatness?" Darx asked, skeptical.

“Because it is your destiny." Gabriel said with conviction. "It is the will of the Goddess. The church, and all of her children, exist to see her will done.”

“And what do you gain from it?”

“What does the church gain from the Goddess’s chosen fulfilling his destiny, Darx? Nothing. It is our duty to see that it happens, we do not seek to gain from it.”

Darx didn’t believe him for a minute and he didn’t want to play this game.

“I’m not from the city, Priest, I’m from a small village. We prefer to say things bluntly, without all the flowery language and deception of the royal court.” Darx knew of the power struggle between the church and the Queen, he was hoping referencing the court would get the Priest to open up a bit.

“I understand." The Priest smiled, took a step and sat down in the chair Neku had been sleeping in. He looked at Darx with approval. When he spoke again his voice was warmer, more familiar.

"The church stands to gain a lot, Darx. We will support your rise, back you and protect you, ensure the people are on your side. When you lead the kingdom to victory over the demons, the people will see the church as the ones that brought them their savior. Their faith will be restored and the church will prosper, Imris’ will shall prevail.”

“And what of the current royal family?” Darx asked.

“What of them?" Gabriel asked flippantly. "They are pretenders, you are the rightful ruler. They will step down or be pushed aside.”

“And what if I want them to stay?”

“I don’t understand." Gabriel squinted at Darx. "Why would you want them around, making things more difficult for you?”

“I don’t want to rule, Priest." Darx stated. "I want to help fight the demons, in any way I can, but I’m not the kind of man who wants to sit on a throne and negotiate treaties.” It was true, but Darx also knew that if the Priest was looking to gain power, it would be wise to not be seen as a competitor.

“I understand, Darx. Believe me, the Goddess’s chosen has much more important things to do than deal with the mundane politics of the capital. The Church can help you there too, you don’t need meddling pretenders only interested in their own power.” Gabriel's smile grew bigger, it unnerved Darx.

“So the royal family steps down." Darx said, trying to hide his distrust of the Priest. "I take over, and you run the country while I fight the demons.”

“We will be there to support you in both endeavors, Darx. Fighting the demons and leading the nation.”

“And you can protect me?” Darx asked the big question. He was starting to recover, but he was still weak. And even at his strongest, he was no match for Kase. After that night at the Oblivion guild hall, Darx was certain Kase would come for him.

“Absolutely, we know of the hassles you have faced from the Oblivion guild, that is already over." Gabriel spoke clearly and confidently. "No one from that guild will raise a hand against you or defy you. I myself have made their leader aware of the fate that awaits their guild if they do.”

“And Kase, you can protect me from an S-Rank assassin?”

Priest Gabriel sat up straighter, his voice serious, powerful yet not loud. “If he moves against you in any form he will be marked a traitor and sentenced to ****. His family would also be branded as traitors and banished from our kingdom. You will be provided with guards any time you wish, ones willing to die for you, and every healer in the city knows you are a top priority, not one person in this city wants to be known as the one that failed to protect our greatest hope for victory.”

Darx didn’t like any of this, and he didn’t trust the Priest. But Darx also knew that Kase was waiting for him outside, and he needed protection. The exact kind of protection the church could offer.

“I will need access to your library, Priest Gabriel." Darx said, he didn't want to be a glorified prisoner. "I don’t know much of the faith. I was raised in such a small village with none of the great churches like they have here.”

“Of course, any subject you wish to read about simply ask, and appropriate books will be brought to you.” Priest Gabriel's face showed his thoughts. He knew that Darx was going to come to the church. Put himself under the Priest's roof, under his power.

Darx scowled. He needed protection, but going to the church seemed like he was giving up his freedom. Beyond that, Darx had been warned about the church. He had seen some of the church’s misdeeds himself. The church even killed Harold, and yet here he was, preparing to walk into a partnership with them. Darx didn't trust the church, but he needed them.

Darx also considered Imris' command to him, to seek out her followers. He thought he had found one in Neku, there had to be more. The best place to find them would most likely be inside her church, even if the leaders were corrupt.

“Darx, I can see you are uncertain. Let me reassure you, ease your worries, put your fears at rest.” The Priests voice was soothing; it calmed his nerves.

“The Church is the right place for you, Darx. We can protect you, supply you with a party, the power to fight for the goddess however you wish.” The room seemed strange, almost distorted, he tried to look around and see but he couldn’t take his attention from the Priest.

“You will lead our nation, our people, to greatness. To victory, peace, and safety. The Royal Family failed your village. Your friends lost their families. So many innocent people killed or hurt because no one is standing up to the demons. We can give you the tools. We can give you the power to make right these wrongs.” It sounded good, it sounded right. This is what Darx wanted, what he needed.

“You can trust me Darx." The Priest continued, his voice hypnotic. "The church is here to help you. We won’t lie to you or betray you. We only want to help make your dreams come true, for everyone.”

It made sense, why wouldn’t Darx trust the Priest? He was the Priest of Imris, the head of the church in Riledo. Darx relaxed. After all the stress and anxiety. After all the troubles he’d been through. He finally felt like there was someone he could trust, someone who would never betray him.

The Priest kept talking, but Darx wasn’t really listening to his words. The sound of his voice was so soothing. Darx just listened to the sound, comforted knowing the Priest was there with him, that he had things under control. Darx relaxed, and fell into what seemed to be the most restful sleep of his life. Later he felt like he was walking, following the Priest. But he couldn’t tell if it was real or a dream. The Priest kept stumbling, servants helped him walk. Someone held Darx's arm too, it was Neku. Darx smiled at her, she looked nervous. Why would she be nervous? The Priest was with them, everything would be okay.

Darx remembered seeing the doors to the church. Going inside, through hallways, past beautiful sculptures, golden windows, everything was beautiful. He was led to a room, a large soft bed, and then silence. No strange visions. No dreams. Just peace, and rest.