Crimson Dawn [Task - Azix/Diego]

Task 7 Part II - Azix:

Azix entered his house and collapsed against the door as it shut. He had just gotten home from speaking with Octavius, from dealing with Hammer and his men. He slid to the ground with his back against the door and cradled his head in the palm of his hands. He sat there for several moments, reliving what he had done with his stomach in knots. Finally he shook his head and collected himself. He forced himself to stand up and take a bath.

After cleaning himself vigorously, Azix curled up into his bed and closed his eyes. Tossing and turning, he found sleep would not come, instead images of melting flesh haunted him. Azix found himself wondering how he had been able to be so carefree after killing Manius. It hadn't been until months later when the guilt started to seep in. A part of him wished that he could summon that depraved state of mind, just to allow him to sleep. He didn't dare try, knowing that it could consume him.

It took about an hour before he finally managed to drift to sleep.

Sleuthy slipped in through the back door of Azix’ home, having been informed of the location months ago from Ariella. He had been careful on his travel from Kios to Remano, ensuring that no one would be able to track him. He searched the house room by room until he heard the sounds of restless movement from the bedroom and he creeped closer. Still silent as a whisp, he looked around, spotting an eye patch that confirmed the man’s identity and making him feel free to reveal his presence by knocking on the bedroom door quietly, waiting to see how the man would respond.

Azix had just felt the serene lure of sleep tugging when a knocking noise made his eyes flick open. He sat up and his gaze swept across the room coming to a rest at a figure in the doorway. Azix’s hand went for the wand under his pillow, ”Who are you?” The tone in his voice made it quite clear that hesitation would lead to violence. Azix was particularly on edge after his recent experiences.

Sleuthy raised his hands in seeming surrender, his voice soft but sounded conflicted. “Ms. Ari told us, if anything ever happened, find this house and leave a message. Name’s Sleuthy. Are you the man I am supposed to be leaving a message for? She said look for a man with an eye patch, but for all I know, you are jus’ trying to get some beauty rest.” He kept his hands up and in clear view of the moonlight, hoping it would put the man at ease. Ariella had warned him he might receive a hostile greeting.

Azix arched a brow as the man mentioned Ariella, but it kept the magician from resorting to magic. When Sleuthy finished speaking, Azix nodded. ”Ariella mentioned you.” He brushed the sleep from his eyes and stretched his arms. ”I was trying to sleep, but it doesn’t look like I’ll be getting any. Anyway, you said you had a message?”

Sleuthy nodded, lowering his hands slowly as they were getting tired. His acrobatics to get here unseen had left him rather exhausted. “Yes. Viri sent me. Kios has been gettin’ a lot of Kou foot traffic, bein’ between Portmouth and Remano and all. But a couple of the kids, they went out playin’ in the woods. When they didn’t show up for dinner bell, we went out looking for them, found them dead. Wasn’t no animal, either. Definitely a blade. Don’t get your panties in a twist about us not protecting that kids, we have never had a problem before. Now Viri and Jarl have the kids on lockdown. We don’t know what to do, thought you might wanna know.” Sleuthy relayed the information as quickly as he could, never having been a big fan of extended speeches. He was more suited to slipping in and leaving a piece of paper, but since the man was here, he might as well tell him personally.

Azix leaped out of bed, only hearing a few clipped words as his thoughts raced to catch up. Grumptoes. Dead. Kou. ’Kou is going to pay,’ he thought as his vision turned red. Not letting his anger get the better of him, he fished for some clothes and gathered his gear. After throwing the magic carpet over his shoulder, he turned to Sleuthy. ”Thank you for delivering the message. I must hurry to Kios, but could you do me a favor? I need you to send word to some friends of mine and let them know what’s going on.” Azix jotted down some hurried directions and passed it to Sleuthy. ”Tell O-” Azix paused in mid-sentence realizing he was about to reveal that Octavius was alive, but quickly covered himself. ”Ask for Ol’ Sly, tell them Azix sent you.”

Not even waiting for a response from Sleuthy, Azix flew down the stairs and out the door. Once he was outside, he jumped onto his magic carpet and flew towards Kios.

Sleuthy arched a brow at the words, sensing something amiss, but shrugged and did as the man asked, hoping the man might be sending for help. He might just be a thief, but those kids had managed to find their way into his heart and discovering two of them dead had hit him hard.

[908/1500]

Diego sat in the grass with Gillus watching Octovius and Leo playing a game of tag with Trixie nearby. The last bit of the sun's light was fading behind the trees and they could hear the chirping calls of the evening insects. The Fanatiga looked over to the bronze-skinned man and gave him a fang-tipped smile. Like always, Gillus gave a half-smile before turning away to stare off at a distant point. Diego wondered what ate at the inside of Gillus, for as long as he had known him the man had been laid-back but it never felt like he was fully present. The only exception were two people, Octovius and Janus. Whenever Diego asked Octovius about the man's past, the boy would ignore the question and wander away. The Fanatiga did not dare ask Janus, the woman gave him a headache. One moment, it would seem like the icy walls that surrounded her would start to melt and the next, she would give you a look that would make the dead turn in their graves.

Gillus shifted his body to get more comfortable and fiddled with the staff at his side. A faint chuckle left his lips as he watched Trixie tackle Leo to the ground, only for Octovius to leap on top of her, wrapping his arms around her neck. He noticed the odd expression on Diego's face and arched a brow, "What?"

Diego shook his head, "Nothing...it's just rare to hear you laugh." With a shrug of his shoulders, Diego leaned back so that he could look up at the stars above.

Gillus grunted and looked away, "It is...isn't it?" A silence settled between the two, as silent as it could be with two rambunctious kids wrestling with a man-sized tiger. Finally Gillus turned back to face Diego, "This town is so peaceful. Sometimes, I wonder if I deserve such peace..."


Diego glanced at Gillus from the corner of his eye, but said nothing, letting the man speak. Gillus stood up and wiped the stray strands of grass from his pants. He stabbed the base of his spear in the dirt and leaned on it as he looked up at the stars. "Octovius told me you've asked about my past." Gillus sighed, "I had a fiance once. Before we were to be married, her family sold her to a slaver, trying to pay off their debts. I was a young soldier back then and when I heard what they did...I wanted to kill them. Instead, I buried myself in my work, trying to earn enough money to buy her freedom. It was too late...by the time I got enough..." Gillus shook his head, "She wasn't the same woman."

Unsure of what to say, Diego whispered, "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to be nosy. You just seemed sad...now I know why."

Gillus stared at Diego for a moment, "I suppose you do." In the distance a bell chimed and Gillus turned to the kids, "Sounds like dinner. Come on, it's time to go back."

Leo and Octovius started to protest, but a stern look from Gillus stopped them. Diego smirked, "You can ride Trixie back to the house if you want."

The two boys looked at each other before breaking out into grins. Climbing up Trixie's back, Leo sat in front and urged her forward, using the non-verbal cues Diego had taught him. The electrifying tiger kicked off the ground and took off towards the house at a dead run. Leo and Octovius shouted out in glee, feeling the wind rush against their skin.

Diego and Gillus followed behind Trixie, but soon the tiger with her riders were out of sight. They traveled in silence for most of the way, a few words of small talk here and there. By the time they got to the house, Leo and Octovius were digging into a delicious home cooked meal that Viri had made. Diego took a seat at the large seat as Viri served him a plate and joined in on the friendly banter around the table.

Most of the other Grumptoes, Diego wasn't sure why the children called themselves that, were present, but there were two empty seats. While some of the Grumptoes lived with their families on a large estate deeper into Kios, the children spent their days at Ariella's farmhouse being tutored by Viri. So it struck Diego as odd to be missing some familiar faces. Out of the corner of his eye, the Fanatiga noticed Viri pacing nervously.

Before he could ask what was going on, the front door slammed open and a strained voice called out. "Viri! Come here!"

Diego recognized the voice as belonging to Janus and sensing the urgency in her tone, he shared a quick look with Gillus before both stood up and rushed to the front room. Janus was covered in blood and the Fanatiga noticed the forms of two limp bodies on the carpet. Diego's eyes went wide and he knelt down to see they were the two missing Grumptoes kids. Viri let out a gasp as she entered the room and called for a mysterious man named Sleuthy. Diego had seen him around and knew he trained the kids, but had never spoken to him.

When Sleuthy entered the room, while Janus explained what had happened, Viri grabbed his shirt. "Go to Remano now and get Xenos! Tell him what happened! Hurry!" Without saying a word, Sleuthy went out the door, followed by Jarl who gave the man two spare horses.

Janus' face was a mask of stone, but she was shivering in a mix of anger and hurt. "I went to look for them, like you asked. I found them in the woods like this..." She ran her fingers through her hair, leaving behind thick streaks of blood.

Gillus knelt down by the bodies and examined them, "These markings...this was done by a blade." He looked up at those in the room with a meaningful look in his eye, "Kou."

Everyone in the room looked down, each feeling the truth in that statement. What had started as a small trickle of soldiers had grown into a stream as the armies began making their way closer to the capital. Seeing as Kios had a trade depot at the heart of the town, the soldiers used it frequently to get small supplies. If they had been friendly, it might have been one thing, but the Kouen soldiers were boisterous and acted like they owned the town. Worse yet, the soldiers had picked on the children, requiring Janus and Gillus to interfere a few times.

Diego could feel the anger in the room build to palpable level, "What do we do?"

Viri looked up with tear-filled eyes, "We keep the children here. I'll need you three to spread word to the others and let them know what happened. Get these two's parents as well." Jarl came in through the front door with a grim look on his face and he rested a hand on her shoulder. She gave him a weak smile, "Help me clean this up before the children see." It was too late though, a group of curious eyes stared horrified from the hallway to see the bloody mess in the room.

Viri turned on her heel and pointed to the dining room, "Go back in there and wait for me."

Janus, Gillus and Diego looked between each other and silently departed into the night to deliver the terrible news. Sparing a last look, Diego watched as Viri and Jarl, ashen faced, picked up a body each and carried them upstairs. With a heavy heart, the Fanatiga swallowed his grief and went to carry out his orders.

[1295/1500]

After spreading word to the rest of the community, Diego waited at the village square for Janus and Gillus. He paced anxiously and tried to ignore the feeling of dread that had his stomach in knots. Diego found himself wishing that he hadn't left Trixie and Zanz behind at the farmhouse, if only for her company. Yet, several of the children had turned to the beasts for comfort, especially Ella and Sophie. Plus, Trixie and Zan would be able to protect the kids, should anything happen.


Diego heard the sound of footsteps and turned in their direction to see Janus approaching. Even though her gaze was as hard as steel, he detected faint traces of weariness in her expression. He felt it too, having to repeat the story again and again to the families. At least he didn't have Gillus' job, Diego didn't think he could face the parents of those two kids. Gillus had volunteered for the job, it went unspoken that Janus' icy disposition made her the wrong person to break bad news.

Janus stopped a few feet away from Diego and folded her arms across her chest. Her small rounded shield hung from her belt off her left hip with her sword sheathed on the other. After a moment she let out a sigh and her face softened, "How did everyone react to the news?"

Diego ran his claws through his thick crimson mane, "Heart-broken. Angry. A mix of both. I told them to be cautious around the soldiers and to keep Viri updated if anything happens. They seemed to calm down when I told them Xenos was coming." He gave Janus a curious look, "Who is Xenos?'

Janus hesitated, knowing that Azix had kept his real name secret from everyone. She wasn't sure why he did so, but Janus had respected it. She had found out on accident, having overheard some talk about the man in a tavern. Janus had stopped for a few drinks a couple months back on a trip to Remano with Thus to trade. She had learned that he had been involved in efforts to reform education for the country and also built a training program for the unemployed.

Hearing the good things Azix had done solidified her loyalty to the man. Up to that point, she had simply seen herself as another hired guard for a small village. Her sense of duty dictated that she was loyal to her employer, but Janus didn't know how to feel about him. She had been hired as a guard for a Thus' uncle, Chancy. He was a greedy man who used a massive flood in Kios to make the farmers indebted to him and used that to take all their money. When Chancy had taken the farmers' daughters hostage and threatened to marry them all, Azix had shown up to town. She had fought him, but failed to defeat the magician and Chancy died. His death left an emptiness in her life, without someone to protect she had no purpose. Azix had offered to hire her to protect Kios and she had accepted, but it didn't feel right.

Now, she knew that Azix was a good man and for the first time in many years, Janus felt at peace with her choices in life. She was helping someone make the world a better place, even if she was only a small part of it. As these things ran through her mind, she realized it didn't matter if she told him. Diego would learn soon enough when Azix arrived. A rare smile curled on her lips and she looked at the Fanatiga, "A good man who will right this injustice."

Diego's eyes bulged out of his head to see Janus smile and her reply just boggled him further. Seeing his reaction she giggled softly before covering her mouth. Steeling her face, the icy expression returned once more and she glared at him. "Don't. Tell. Anyone."

Diego gulped and nodded quickly, "Yes, ma'am." His voice came out in a squeak.

They stood in awkward silence for a few minutes before they saw Gillus approach. He walked up and looked between the two with an arched brow. "What happened?"

Janus gave Diego an icy look and coughed, "Nothing. We passed the message around. Did the kid's parents take it alright?"

Gillus shook his head, "No. I hope to never have to tell another mother their son died again." A pained expression passed over his features and he sighed, "Janus, can you take me to where you found the kids? I want to look around."

Janus nodded, "Yes...but why?"

Gillus ignored her and turned to Diego, "Go back to the farmhouse and wait for us. We should be back in a few hours. I want you to keep an eye on the kids."

Diego arched a brow but shrugged, "Alright, but be careful." He watched as Janus and Gillus took off to the east with a worried expression on his feline features. With a sigh, he turned in the opposite direction and headed back to the farmhouse.

[850+1295|2145/1500]

A streak of color traveled furiously over the rolling countryside in a direct course for Kios. At its center sat Azix, whose anger was threatening to boil over. What gave Azix the bright idea that keeping the Grumptoes so far away was smart? He had to spend several hours traveling, which meant it took Sleuthy even longer to deliver the news. Even if the man had wore out a few horses on the way here, pushing them to their limits, it was still too long. Every second was another second of the unknown and Azix hated not knowing what was going on to his people. The hypocrisy of the thought went unnoticed by Azix in his current state of mind.

The urgency of his desire to arrive only increased as he passed over the familiar woods that nestled Kios' eastern border. By the time he landed in front of the farmhouse, he had abandoned composure and threw open the door in a rush to get inside. He noticed that the rug that usually laid near the front door was crumpled up in a corner and there was dried blood around the edges of where it once rested. Panicked thoughts rushed through his mind and he looked up as Viri descended the stairs.

She ran up to Azix and threw her arms around him, "Thank Ilah you're here!" Pulling herself together she stepped back, but kept her hands on his shoulders. "Two of the little ones, Jaelor and Troy were found dead in the woods." She tried to give Azix a comforting look as pain flooded the magician's face.

Azix looked up to see Lavicus leading the rest of the Grumptoes down the stairs. Sophie and Ella held each others hands as they stood next to Lavicus. Azix walked over and knelt down by the kids, sharing a sad look with them. He each of them in the eyes, "I'm sorry for failing you again. I promised to protect you..."

Lavicus shook his head, "Don't blame yourself, Xenos. It's the soldier's faults." With anger in his eyes, he looked up at Azix, "Make them pay."

Azix took in Lavicus' anger, the anger in each of the Grumptoes and added it to his. With a nod, he placed a hand on Lavicus' shoulder, "I will." He turned to each child in turn to show them his resolve before he stood up and turned to Viri. "Where are Janus and Gillus?"

[408+908|1316/1500]

When the front door had been throw up, Diego woke up curled around Trixie with Zanzibar sleeping on his head. Remembering that Janus and Gillus hadn't gotten home yet, the Fanatiga sat up with a jolt and looked around. He had fallen asleep in the corner of the dining room. Diego heard voices in the front room and headed towards it, wondering if they had returned. He stopped in the doorway when he was Azix and was a little shocked at how hard the magician had taken the news.

He arched a brow when Lavicus called Azix by the name of Xenos. In Diego's experience, magicians were extremely powerful, so it made sense that the villagers had calmed down to learn one would be coming to help. Why did they call him by that though? Did Azix not reveal his real name?

He didn't have much time to ponder those questions, Azix asked where the guards were. Diego cleared his throat and stepped into the room, "Gillus took Janus so she could show him where they found the bodies. They haven't returned yet..." The worry reflected in the Fanatiga's tone, "I think we should look for them."

Azix turned as he heard Diego's voice and his heart sunk to hear what the Fanalis boy had to say. He rubbed his temples with both hands and tried to formulate a plan. Coming up with nothing, Azix nodded his head. "We should. Viri keep everyone inside until I get back. Diego, come with me." He was already walking out the door by the time he finished speaking, his mind set on finding Janus and Gillus.

Once they were on the road, Azix turned to Diego, "I hope you can keep up with me." Exhaling, Azix used Sakeru to make his legs run as fast as a Fanalis. Without looking at Diego, he asked which direction Janus and Gillus had went. When he had his answer, Azix kicked off the ground and ran in the direction he was directed at top speed. He looked back to make sure the Fanatiga was following and let him catch up some. Along the way, he asked Diego to fill him in on the small details.

When they reached the village square, Azix and Diego came across Janus. Slung over her shoulder was a severely wounded Gillus, who she was struggling to carry. Azix rushed over and helped set the man down on the ground. Gillus was in terrible condition and covered in blood, barely conscious. Azix gave a questioning glance to Janus as he reached under his shirt to retrieve his God's Necklace. With a stream of magoi, Azix gave a Blessing of the God's to the man. A brilliant white light surrounded Gillus and when it faded his wounds were healed.

Janus watched wide-eyed as Azix did something with a necklace and healed her partner's wounds. She leaned down and whispered to Gillus as he woke up gasping for air. Finding it, he wore a bewildered look as he gazed at each in turn. "Xenos? How did I get here?" He looked to Janus and saw the material of her shirt was covered in fresh blood.

Azix put a hand on Gillus' shoulder, "Nevermind that. What did you find in the woods? What happened?"

Janus knelt at Gillus' side with her hands wrapped around his own and stared at Azix, frozen in wonder. When Gillus tried to sit up she snapped out of her daze, "We went back to where I found the kids. There was a trail that led deeper in the woods, it seemed like a lot of people had been walking through there. We heard voices further in and caught sight of a small camp back there. You wouldn't believe what we saw."

Gillus held up a hand to take over, "There were a dozen magicians and about three times as many soldiers. There was this smell of death in the air...the soldiers were building a pile of corpses in a ring. As we were watching, a patrol found us. We were fighting...and..." Gillus eyes lit up, "I was hurt really bad." He gave Azix a shocked look, "Did you heal me?"

Azix's face went white when he heard what they had found and he barely managed to nod to Gillus' question. His voice came out in a whisper, "They are building magical transfer circles..." He rocked back on his heels as the gravity of the situation sunk in. His worst fear was coming true, the Emperor planned to invade and soon. He looked towards the direction Janus had came from. "Janus. Gillus. Order the town to evacuate now. Tell them to grab their horses and leave anything that they can't carry behind. I want everyone at the farmhouse ready when I get there. Now." In the distance, Azix saw a thick cloud of smoke rising. "Diego, with me."

[622+1316|1938/1500]

[240/300]

Spoiler:

Diego hurried out the door with Azix, grabbing his bow and quiver of arrows on the way out. "Trixie and Zanzibar, stay with the kids," he called out. He met up with Azix on the road and raised a brow at Azix's challenge but pointed to the west. Diego hadn't expected the magician to be so fast and he stood stunned for a moment before he chased after Azix. Along the way, he filled in Azix on what had been going on in since they had last met. By the time he finished, they had caught up with Janus. Diego's heart sunk to see the condition of Gillus, but to the Fanatiga's amazement Azix had an endless bag of tricks.

Diego wasn't sure what a magical circle thingy was, but it sounded bad. Bad enough that Azix asked Janus and Gillus to summon the townspeople to the farmhouse. Even though he didn't understand what was going on, Diego trusted the man's instincts. Azix managed to summon the faith of the town and believed it was for a good reason. His attention was drawn to plume of black smoke and he didn't hesitate to follow Azix. Diego spared a look back at Janus, giving her an encouraging look.

They ran down the dirt road till they came to the final stretches of farms where they could see the source of the fire. Azix saw about fifteen soldiers surrounding Bartholomew's property and they were watching the man's house burn. A few of the soldiers were fighting over Bartholomew's wife and daughters while a few others were beating up the men in the family. Azix snarled, "I'm going to distract the soldiers, you get Bartholomew and his family out of there. Gather the other farmers on your way too."

Trusting Diego to follow his orders, Azix sustained Sakeru to run closer. He came to a stop at the edge of the property and shouted, "Hey! Kou Scum! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

A few of the soldiers turned around to see Azix and laughed. One of the men, who was decorated in the fashion of a Lieutenant pointed his sword at the magician. "Who do you think you are? Get him boys!"

The four soldiers fighting over the women stopped and moved to follow orders. As they approached Azix, he was disheartened to see the quality of the gear they wore. These weren't normal grunts, these were specially trained soldiers. The Emperor seemed intent to make sure Reim was conquered correctly this time. Before the soldiers could get much closer, Azix took a deep breath and drew on the rage inside of him. He looked back up with his eyes smoldering and his metal vessel in hand. "O' Djinn of Plague and Pestilence, create a catalyst of change that infects corruption. Lend me the power to purify the world anew. Spread, Cimeies!"

A sickly green mist wrapped around Azix as he spoke and when it faded, he was in Djinn Equip form. Anger poured out of him and he let the sadistic side of him take control. He flew towards the closet soldier and buried his sword in the man's head. Using his foot as leverage against the soldier's chest, he ripped out his sword and spun to the next closet one. They raised their sword to block against his attack and as the blades clashed, Azix kicked the man in the gut. As he stumbled back, Azix slit his throat and quickly dispatched the next two.

By this time, the rest of the soldiers had unsheathed their weapons and were running towards Azix. With a wild grin on his face, Azix shouted, "Yessss~ Come to me!" He let the soldiers surround him and attack him. As each swung their sword to strike at him, Azix turned in a circle and met each one with a slash of his own. After a few rounds of fighting, Azix used his ability Cimej Kodomo to create a small bacterium as he flew above the soldiers. In his place, the bacterium gave the soldiers a gapped-tooth grin before exploding into a plague filled mist that surrounded the soldiers. The plague would slowly eat away at the soldiers causing their bodies to decay.

Azix hovered inches above the mist and cackled with glee as he listened to the men's screams. "I HAVE JUDGED YOUR SINS AND FIND YOU UNWORTHY!" His laughter died as he watched the men crawl out of the mist and found himself unsatisfied with waiting for their death. He swooped down and began hacking at a soldier, cutting him to shreds. When he was done with that one, Azix moved to the next and the next, slicing the limbs off each soldier present until they were all dead.

Panting, Azix dropped to his knees and roared out in frustration. He dropped his djinn equipped and slammed his fists into the ground. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!". There was no one else around to kill, no one else to punish for killing two innocent children, for visiting terror upon his quiet town. Without an appropriate source to vent his anger, the sadistic personality faded away back into the recesses of his consciousness and the horror of his actions kicked in. Torn between disgust of himself and wanting to slaughter more soldiers, Azix burst into tears as he buried his face in the dirt.


[200/300]

Spoiler:

When they approached Bartholomew's farm, Diego's beastial instincts told him to kill, but Azix snapped him out of it. The magician ordered him to save Bartholomew and leave the soldiers to him before taking off towards the farm. With a goal in mind, Diego focused on that instead and he used Marx' Shimmercloak to render himself invisible. Even though Azix was distracting them, it wouldn't do to be seen so he ran towards Bartholomew hidden from sight.

When the soldiers released the girls, Diego waited until they walked away before leaning down and urging them to follow. Bartholomew's daughters and wife were struck in a mix of panic and disbelief at hearing a voice. "No time to think, just run to Viri's farmhouse." Nodding, they gathered themselves up and started running. Thankfully, Azix had distracted the soldiers and they had started to head towards the magician, ignoring the farmers. Diego rushed to Bartholomew and his son's sides and urged them on as well. Pushing them along, Diego followed them until the next house where he dropped his invisibility.

He knocked on the door and urged the scared family inside to follow him. He told them the plan and ushered them outside after they grabbed the few things they wanted to bring. Diego sent them along with what horses they had and moved along in that manner to the other farmhouses, gathering families.

After several houses, he caught up with Gillus who was also evacuating families and sending them to the farmhouse to the east. Once they were done, they met up with Janus at the farmhouse where the entire village of Kios was waiting anxiously. The villagers talked nervously amongst themselves, scared at what was going on and afraid of the future. Their homes, their village, everything they knew was here and Azix was asking them to leave. Viri and Jarl did their best to keep everyone at a relative calm as they waited for Azix.

[220/250]
[exit]

Spoiler:

Azix finally pulled himself together and wiped the tears from his eyes. He was a King Candidate, he couldn't be weak, not now. He had people to lead to safety...wherever that was. The whole of Reim was at risk of an inimate war, where could he possibly hide them? Realizing he was panicking, Azix slapped his face and scolded himself internally. One step at a time, for now he would take them back to Remano and see if Octavius could offer him any help.

Pulling out his magic carpet, Azix hopped on and sped towards the farmhouse. Along the way, he retreived his Journey Book from within his cloak and wrote Ariella a hurried message:

Ariella,

Terrible news, two of the Grumptoes are dead. Jaelor and Troy. Kou is building magical transfer circles in the woods nearby Kios. My fears were right, the Emperor plans to invade. I hope you were able to get some assistance in Magnostadt. I wish you were here right now, I need your support. I'm taking the townspeople to Remano and I hope to find somewhere safe for them to hide out for now. I'll write soon to update you when I can.

Azix~

He finished scribbling in the book by the time he arrived at the farmhouse. Sliding it back in his cloak, Azix descended to the ground and looked at a crowd of anxious faces. He was about to address them when Lavicus mother pushed her way through the crowd with a furious look on her face.

"You said we would be safe here! You said we wouldn't have to worry about our kids! Look what happened to Jaelor and Troy! What are we supposed to do now?!"

Azix tried to speak but couldn't find the words, everything she said was true. Everytime he turned around, Azix felt like he was letting someone down. How did he have the gall to call himself a leader? He stood numb, broken, and drained as a scared, angry mob demanded answers.

Janus stepped in front of Azix with an icy look that shut everyone up and made them take a step back. She walked up to Lavicus mom and jabbed her finger at the woman's chest, "How dare you speak to Xenos like that?! It's not his fault that the Kou troops are here! Look at him, the deaths of those kids stain his hands without your help. He has done nothing but try to help you and your children. Not just your children, either. He's been trying to work good for all of Reim."

She gestured to Azix, "Did you even stop to think that as soon as he heard what happened, he showed up to help. Now shut your backwoods bumpkin mouth and let him explain the plan."

Lavicus' mom gave a sheepish look and melted into the crowd, eager to get away from Janus. She wasn't the only one either, those that had been complaing looked down at the ground, properly chastised. Seeing that there wouldn't be anymore outbursts from the crowd, Janus turned to Azix. "There ya' go, sir."

Azix was dumbfounded at Janus' outburst, not even sure how to feel that the woman knew what he had been up to. He gave her a thankful smile before turning to look the villager's in the eye. "I understand your fears, your grief. No matter what Janus said, I feel Jaelor and Troy's death are my fault. I failed you...I promised protection. But, I'm not going to quit trying because of a failure.

I'm sure you want to know why I asked you to leave Kios. Beyond the town to the west," Azix pointed in the direction of the woods where the soldiers had been coming from. "Kou has been building a magical transfer circle so they can summon a stream of troops into Reim. I would try to explain how it works, but it's complicated magic. What you need to know is that with that circle, Kou doesn't need to make a lengthy journey by sea to invade. They can jump from Kou to here. If you stay here, I won't be able to protect you. If you follow me to Remano though, you might have a chance. For now, I think that's the best option. I won't force you to follow me though. If you want to stay, I won't stop you. But, I am asking that you believe in me and follow me to the capital."

Azix's expression was hagered, he felt the drain of not getting any sleep and having to deal with two grusome experiences one after the other. He waited for the villagers to make their decision in silence, watching the expressions on the people's faces. After a moment, a few families broke off from the main group and stood to one side.

The small group looked between each other before one of the men stepped forward."I'm sorry, Xenos, but this is our home. We're going to stay."

Sadness filled Azix and it seeped into his features. He silently prayed for their safety before nodding, knowing that he was letting them walk to their death. He looked at the man, "I will only ask once more and if you refuse, I will respect your decision. Will you please join us? When the soldiers see what happened...it's a bad idea for you to stick around."

The man looked to his family and turned back to Azix. "I'm sorry, this is all we know."

Azix sighed, but accepted their decision, "Alright, I wish you the best of luck. There's a mess back at Bartholomew's farm...maybe if you clean it up...maybe it won't be so bad. I'm sorry to ask you to clean up my mess.."

The farmer nodded, "See you, Xenos. When you come back, you'll see it wasn't that bad." With that, he led the small group back to their homes.

Azix watched them leave, knowing in his heart that they wouldn't make it, but respecting the desire to stand their ground. With a sigh, he clapped his hands and turned to the others, "Ok, let's get the wagons ready. Load up what we can and let's get out of here within the hour."

The villagers pooled together to help each other get ready and with Azix's help, the group was organized, ready to move out by the end of the hour. Azix made sure the Pentax, Boufer Cows, and other animals at the farmhouse were ready to go. Jarl collected bags of seeds from the harvests in case the Kou soldiers destroyed the land while they were gone. At the very least, Azix wanted to make sure Kios could rebuild should anything happen. Once everyone was ready they headed to Remano as a long procession of refugees.

When they arrived in Kios, Azix led them to Opportunity Hall to wait while he went to speak to Octavius. He really hoped the General would be able to help him, but he didn't have high hopes. There were dozens of families, complete with farm animals and Azix didn't imagine Octavius had the resources to take care of them all.

Octavius looked up when Azix entered, his face pinched in concern at the way the Light Mage looked. His voice was filled with concern. Sly had filled him in on the message from the mysterious stranger known only as Sleuthy.

“Azix, I told you to get some rest and you come back looking a thousand times worse. I am assuming things did not go well with… whatever you were doing?”

He would listen to the magician’s tale with a paternal, caring ear.

Before Azix returned, Diego helped Viri get the Grumptoes ready to leave. They were upset to be leaving Kios, but none more so than Leo. "I don't wanna go! I want to stay here! Malfese is here!" Stamping his foot, Leo refused to move, ignoring even Lavicus' suggestion he get packed.

Viri gave Leo an exasperated look and shook her head, also distraught at having to leave her home. Diego knelt down by Leo and put an arm on the boy's shoulder. "I'll go get Malfese and bring him with us, but you need to get ready to leave. From what Xenos said, it won't be safe here for anyone."

Leo's eyes lit up, "You will?" Seeing that Diego was serious, the boy nodded and ran up the stairs to get ready.

Viri managed a soft chuckle, "Go help him Lavicus." She turned to Diego, "You are good with the young ones. Especially Leo. He looks up to you."

Diego smiled and ran his fingers through his wild mane, "I'm a kid too, you know."

Viri smiled and shook her head, "It's hard to tell with you being so tall." Standing on her tippy-toes, the old woman pinched Diego's cheek playfully. "You better hurry before Azix gets back."

Diego smirked, "Yes, Ma'am!" With his bow and quiver strapped to his back, the Fanatiga made his way out the front door. He sprinted as fast as he could, off the main roads, back to Bartholomew's place. He wanted to avoid running into anymore Kou soldiers if he could. When he arrived, the front yard was littered with blood and bits of hacked off limbs everywhere. Diego stared wide-eyed at the carnage, 'When Janus said Azix would right an injustice, I didn't think she meant this.'

The smell of smoke turned his attention back to his mission and he headed to the barn. The flames from the burning house threatened to lick the barn on fire. With a newfound sense of urgency, Diego went through the barn and freed all the panicking animals, using his Wildman's Charm to have them follow him. He calmed down Malfese and mounted the horse, leading the animals back to Ariella's farmhouse.

He arrived just as everyone was getting ready to leave and he was greeted by a grateful Leo. Sliding off the horse's back, Diego helped Leo up so the boy could ride his horse. He then helped make sure the other animals were secured for the journey ahead.

[exit]

Azix gave Octavius a weary smile when he saw the Fanalis man, "Do I really look that bad? It's been a long...how long has it been?" Azix shook his head and waved off the question, it wasn't important, all things considered. This wasn't the first time he had gone without sleep so long he couldn't count the days and it probably wouldn't be the last. Especially with the looming war coming up.

With a sigh, Azix asked Octavius if there was somewhere private they could speak. He would tell his story regardless, but it would do the magician good to get off his feet. When he received a seat or was led to a private room, Azix would cradle his face in his hands and begin to tell Octavius what had happened. He walked the Fanalis General through the sudden appearance of Sleuthy before he could fall asleep and his mad dash to Kios. Realizing that Octavius would probably have no idea of the small village or its importance, Azix began to explain that. He explained how he had visited the slums when he first arrived to Reim and felt anger at seeing young children starving. Azix told the Fanalis that he had used his paychecks to feed the kids, omitting the fact that he had hired them to spy.

Dancing around so many dangerous topics, Azix felt guilty for keeping secrets from Octavius, but he felt it best for his own safety, at the very least. He continued with how he had helped the kids and their families get out of the slums, moving them into the village to keep them safe. He also had to explain how he had helped the people of Kios, earning their trust and respect in return. It would be clear to Octavius that Azix was a man who couldn't turn away when he saw an injustice and took it upon himself to fix it, no matter the cost. How he managed to juggle assisting Kios while managing the two reforms he put through the Council, astounded even Azix.

With a load of back story out of the way, Azix finally got to his arrival in Kios and what he learned. He stressed the danger of the magical circles and the seriousness of what their existence implied. The slow trickle of soldiers they had been seeing was only the beginning, any day now a fully equipped and rested army could appear at the Capital. Azix groaned, speaking of the transfer circles reminded him that there was one inside Remano. He grabbed some paper to write on and drew directions for Octavius of its location.

Worry was evident in Azix's expression and the magician made sure Octavius understood the danger before getting to the end of his story. Azix explained that he had evacuated the town and brought them to the Capital, but he didn't have anywhere to keep them. He felt horrible for asking for Octavius' help, knowing he had probably just unloaded a host of other worries for the man, but Azix didn't know where to turn.

Octavius led Azix to his office and offered him a seat before listening to the magician’s tale. The longer the story went on, the more the General felt for Azix and this town he had helped. As the tale went even further, he became more disturbed not by Azix’ actions, though he was worried about the magician, but by the news of magic transfer circles. He remembered Sly telling him how Kou troops had just randomly appeared out of thin air in the middle of the city while he was fighting for the lives of his Corp. It was most certainly not something he wanted to learn, that these could be activated and that there were now more of them.

He rubbed his beard with a heavy hand, his face weary at learning of the news as Azix finished his tale and mentioned the villagers being here in Remano now before asking for help. Blowing out a large breath, he rubbed at the back of his head.

“Well… that… was a lot to absorb. Let me focus on the most important thing first, these villagers. I have a friend to the west that is helping to hold some orphans. She has some room, you could send some of the families there. There has been very little Kou activity in the west. As for the rest, we will find places for them.

Now, about these magic transfer circles. This is very disturbing news, but I am most grateful you brought it to my attention. We will need to send scouts out to unpopulated areas, searching for any signs of them.”

He would ask more questions about the circles, getting any and all information he could about them and committing the details to memory so he could accurately relay them to the others later. He did not think Azix could handle having to repeat all of that right now, the man looked dead on his feet. When he had asked every question he could think of to ask, he gave Azix a reassuring smile.

“I will do all that I can to make sure these families are safe. I can make no promises, especially with the occurrence of magic circles, but I will do what I can. If I must, I will ask Roark if we can house them in the Palace, I know there is plenty of room there. Give me two days to make arrangements. We will keep as many safe as we can, on my word as General of the Fanalis Corp.”

Octavius tried not to think of the irony of speaking those words, considering his own Corp had been slaughtered while under his care, their haunted, hopeless looks still a vivid image in the back of his mind. His only saving grace was a promise to himself that he would not let it happen again, he would do anything and everything to prevent that kind of death ever touching his country again.

Azix let out a breath of relief to hear that Octavius had some ideas of where to place the families. He knew that the Grumptoes' families would be able to move back into their old homes, as much as he hated to do that. If the Capital was attacked, well they were back where they started. He planned to let some of the families move into his house and see about rearranging Opportunity Hall to make a temporary home, but that still wasn't enough room. Plus, there was the concern of all the animals as well.

He answered all of Octavius' questions, sharing all the information he had on the magical circles. He especially made sure to tell the Fanalis that the circles were fueled by corpses. If they found villages wiped out, it would be easier to locate them. Not the most proactive plan, but it was the easiest way. By the time he finished sharing information, Azix felt a fresh wave of exhaustion rush over him.

When Octavius swore to help the best he could and see to it that the families were as safe as they could be, Azix felt a mix of emotions. On one hand, the magician was glad to learn that the would be cared for, but on the other he felt even more guilty that he had been keeping information from Octavius. The biggest things that tugged on his conscious was the fact that he had killed the Emperor and Manius. While he still believed that killing the Emperor was justified, Azix knew that Octavius had considered the leader a close friend.

He started to get up to leave, but stopped at the door and turned around. "Octavius...I appreciate what you are doing for me...but..." With a sigh, Azix resolved himself to finally come clean and he took a seat again. "There are some things you should know. I hate to ask this of you," Azix looked into Octavius eyes with a pleading look, "but please don't take it out on the villagers. I hope you still assist them."

Knowing that he probably had Octavius' mind racing with the possibilities of what Azix was about to say, the magician got to the point. "I haven't been completely open with you about my past and I feel terrible about it. When I came to Reim, I was assigned to Kou's espionage unit here. It wasn't by choice and I haven't been a part of the group in ages, but that hardly matters. What does matter is I was a spy and I've done some terrible things."

Azix turned away from Octavius, not able to face the man at the moment, especially with what he had to say next. "One of my assignments was to kill a member of the Fanalis Corp, Manius Decimus. I was told to make it look like his fiance had murdered him. I learned later that I wasn't supposed to be successful, my superiors had been hoping that I would be killed in the attempt. His death has weighed on my concious for so long."

If Octavius made an attempt to interrupt Azix, the magician would hold up a hand, "I'm not done yet. Please, let me finish and then you can do with me what you will. For my sins, I would accept death if you so chose it." To emphasize this point, Azix would completely unequip himself of his magical tools and wand, setting them on the desk as he continued. Azix wanted it known in no uncertain terms that he would let Octavius judge him as he saw fit. "You said you wanted to know what happened that day? I will tell you."

Azix revealed everything he knew about the day Reim was taken over by Kou. He started by explaining how he had went to the Northern Prison to free a friend from jail, a friend who had taken the fall for killing the noble who had been giving them suicide jobs. Azix never mentioned Garret's name, not wanting to see his friend killed because he couldn't keep his mouth shut. He explained how a blizzard had trapped them at the prison for some time before Zhi arrived. Zhi had slaughtered most of the prison to fuel a transfer circle into the Capital .

From there he explained how they had fought their way into the Palace and gotten to the throne room. Azix's story would align with the story Lagi had told Octavius, except for certain key details. The biggest detail was that the Emperor had been slain by Azix's own hand...wand. The orange magician started to explain his reasonings for killing the Emperor, pointing to the conditions of the slums, but stopped midway through. "No, I won't try to excuse it. I killed not only one man close to you, but two. I am sincerely sorry that I am responsible for causing you that pain. Do whatever you will to me, but please, still help the people of Kios."

He finally faced Octavius and tears rimmed his eyes, not the false tears of one eager to get out of their crimes, but the tears of a man who had resigned himself to die for his sins. The only concern he had was honestly the safety of the villagers, he considered his own life forfeit at this point. With that he knelt down on the ground and hung his head, waiting for the cold bite of steel that he knew was coming. His last thought was of Ariella's smiling face and he hoped she forgave him for dying.

Octavius’ face was full of concern and then confusion at Azix’ initial words, not able to understand what the magician could have done that would cause him to react in such a way. As Azix spoke about his past, Octavius’ face went through minute changes as he tried to keep his expression neutral. He had assumed Azix had been part of a Kou spy group, so that was of no surprise to him. When Azix spoke of Manius, however, a squint of anger could be seen at the edge of his eyes. He remembered Manius’ death, the excited look on the man’s face as he talked about his fiancé and all the children they planned on having. He took a deep breath to keep his anger in check, reminding himself this was part of the past, part of something Azix had left.

He did not speak to interrupt, it was apparent much weighed on the shoulders of the magician so he kept his words and anger in check. When Azix mentioned paying for his sins, he began to understand why the man had chosen his branch of the rebellion to fight for, rather than the more obvious choice of Roark. It was clear the man intended to fight regardless, but he had chosen the Fanalis Corp because he felt bad about Manius.

When Azix began telling of what happened in the throne room, the myriad of expressions on Octavius’ face shifted too quickly to settle on any one thing. At the words that this man had been the one to kill the Emperor, Octavius was caught between anger and something else. With Azix knelt at his feet, ready to accept death, Octavius did what felt most natural at the moment, though he did restrain his strength enough not to knock Azix’ head clean from his shoulders. A Fanalis-fueled punch shot forward, his knuckles meeting with Azix’ nose in an loud crunch as the cartilage caved in and blood exploded from the broken nose. Pulling back his fist from the solid punch, he waited a few moments before speaking, knowing the hit had probably made Azix see stars.

“That was for Manius. I will not be an executioner, I will not grant you death, Azix Niraj.”

He let the words sink in, meaning them wholeheartedly. He was not here to punish people for the sins of their past. Once Azix looked more focused, Octavius hit him again, this time with an open palm across his face.

“If you want to pay for your sins, Azix Niraj, you cannot do that while dead. You have done much good since you committed these crimes. That counts for something. It counts for a lot. The fact that you have told me this, and offered your life for your transgressions also speaks volumes. I appreciate your honesty, even if your words are troubling. But I want to offer you a small respite from your guilt.”

He would wait until Azix looked up at him and was listening.

“You did not take the Emperor from me. You did not kill my friend and leader.”

Azix stared at the floor as he heard Octavius' footsteps approaching him and grit his teeth. His ears searched for the sound of metal scraping, waiting for the punishment he thought he deserved. He was taken by surprise as a large fist crashed into his face, breaking his nose and sent him flying back. He tumbled backwards and slammed against the wall, dazed. He had kept his Borg from flaring up, while not expecting a punch, he had expected the Fanalis to attack. Azix shook his head and held his nose gingerly, he could feel warm blood trickling down. Suppressing a shudder of disgust, he looked up at Octavius with a questioning look.

Octavius refused to be his executioner, but he wasn't finished yet, this time slapping Azix with an open hand across the face. As the Fanalis man spoke, Azix spit a wad of blood on the floor and winced at the pain that flared throughout his head. His ears were ringing and he barely heard Octavius mention a respite. Azix looked up at Octavius and arched a brow, wondering what the Fanalis would say. The words came as a shock, the General claimed that Azix had not killed the Emperor. Azix searched his face, trying to understand what he meant, "What do you mean?"

Octavius crouched before the injured magician, his face serious but no longer filled with rage.

“While it is true you killed Manius, a good man with a good woman at his side, and that is despicable… you have done what you could to repay that debt and you will continue to do so. I can see that much in your intentions. But the man you killed in the throne room? He was no more the Emperor than you or I.”

He took a deep breath before standing and offering a hand to Azix, waiting for the magician to take a seat before leaning against his desk, his words coming slowly.

“The Emperor, Claudius, he was my dear friend. He rescued me from a despicable life and showed me nothing but kindness. He ruled this country with kindness and care for all of his citizens. Poor and rich alike. Does this sound like the man you killed? Or the one that was ruling when you arrived in this country?”

He gave Azix a few moments to let that sink in.

“Claudius Augustus died months before you say you arrived, through no evil or violent means. He suffered a heart attack. The man that was on the throne was a double put in place to keep panic from spreading, as most people believed Claudius had no heir. Officially, should anything have happened to Claudius, the throne was to go to me. I held no interest in such a political office. I had neither the experience nor the desire for it. So, we used his double to stand in until I could find a more appropriate leader. Claudius was quite clear that he had no desire to put his true heir on the throne, desiring only to protect them from the life of royalty. And so I began my search for someone suited to rule.”

Octavius pushed off from the desk, his feet moving him back and forth across the floor in a pace. His words flowed like a river, having held the story in so long that he wanted to tell anyone at this point.

“The more I searched, the more I realized this country needed to move forward and they could not do that with an Emperor. While I searched for other options, the double on the throne was slowly destroying all of the work Claudius had done. When I heard of the idea of a republic from Balbadd, I thought perhaps it would be a good option to pursue, but I did not have the experience or connections to do that. And then, before I could look into it further, the invasion came and I was killed.”

Octavius stopped pacing, fixing a stare on Azix.

“So the man you killed… he was not my friend, my leader, my trusted companion. He was a fraud. While he did not deserve to die for his crimes against this country, we are better off not having him on the throne. Now, we need to rid Reim of the infection from Kou so that we can push forward once more. While I appreciate all that this... King… has done, we cannot progress our society forward under a monarchy.”

He would pause again, glad to have the confession out of the way.

“So, Azix Niraj… what do you have to say to that?”

Azix listened to Octavius as the Fanalis crouched down and proceeded to tell Azix that the man he killed was not the true Emperor. Arching a brow, Azix accepted the offered hand up and took a seat, nursing his face. While he was more than capable of healing himself, Azix believed he needed to feel every ounce of pain that Octavius inflicted upon him. The General leaned against the desk and took his time telling his story.

Octavius' description of the Emperor clashed with the image and experiences Azix had of the man and he shook his head. Azix soon learned that Claudius had died from a heart attack and that a double had been put on the throne until a replacement could be found. It was quite a shock to learn that he had killed a body double, but it didn't change anything. When he heard that Octavius had considered pushing the country's system of government to a republic, similar to Balbadd, Azix couldn't help but smile. The idea of a republic was more in line with his own beliefs and he hoped to one day visit Balbadd to see how it worked.

Azix leaned back in his chair, "From what you've told me about Claudius, I'm glad it wasn't him I killed." He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the blood from his nose and upper lip. "I think you're right about moving this country to a different government, closer to a republic. I might be biased though, because that's what I've been trying to push for slowly. I started with education and the poor, in hopes that would be a good foundation. By ensuring future generations learn each skill that is needed in the country, every role to fill, I believe it creates a stronger nation. One that sees that every person is equal, while some may be stronger or smarter, they have their own talents that build the backbone of society. We are all links in a chain, walking down fate's path. Do we walk together with an aim for a better future or do we fight against each other and try to claim dominance over others?"

He paused and realized he went off an a tangent, "Sorry, I kind of rambled there." Azix's face grew serious, "Thank you for sparing my life and I promise to help you get rid of Kou from Reim. After this is over, maybe we can talk about me helping you create that better future."

Now that he knew he wasn't going to die from Octavius' hand, Azix was reminded of the magical circle near Kios. "Do you think you can spare me some troops to assault the magic circle?"

Octavius let Azix speak, giving a small smile at his talk of reforming the government and his ideas for equality. It was nice to know there was a potential political alliance to come out of this, someone with the experience Octavius himself lacked.

“I would be honored, once your blasted home land is not trying to invade mine. Now… about those magic circles… I can spare some men, yes. But I want you to make it quick, if you can. I’m pulling everyone back to home base, I can taste blood in the air and I want to be as prepared as possible to defend the capitol. If we can hold Remano, we will maintain the upper hand.”

He would direct Azix to simply let Saria know how many men he would need, the female Fanalis in charge of dispersing their motley “troops” on missions. Saria would look at Azix’ bloodied face with an arched brow, thinking he might have been attractive before the broken nose, before focusing on available men and gathering the information necessary to help Azix organize a small group.

Octavius would watch from the doorway of his makeshift office, hoping had made the right decision in trusting the magician with the information about Claudius.