Beliefs

[Zerrif]

"Hey isn't that the kid..."

"Who got abandoned by Master Sh--"

"I can hear you, you know? Do you honestly lack the gall to say it out loud to my face?" Bascht glared at two upper-year students, catching them off guard.

"No, I don't. You're a worthless, good-for-nothing waste of magical energy. I'm surprised you're still here."

---

"M-Mother... th-they said..."

"It's... alright dear. Shhh... calm down, okay?"

"ALRIGHT? How is this ALRIGHT? He has been abandoned by his TEACHER, Lina. I... this family... this name! We are respected, accomplished Wizards and Sages! This is a tarnish!"

"This is your SON, Grant. Your son. Despite whether or not he's still your flesh and blood!"

"You're dead to me. Do you hear me? Your brothers and I are more than just DISAPPOINTED at you. Begone from my sight!"

"Grant, no--!"

"QUIET, LISE! THIS IS MY DECISION, AS MAN OF THE HOUSE. LEAVE!"

---

"Waaaaaaagh!" Bascht cried, suddenly waking up from his nightmare, eyes shooting open. He knew he was awake, but the world was black. So dark, it was like-- Was that a hand on his arm? Two hands, on each arm. He let forth another cry, and tried to flail-- but his body was in so much pain right now, it barely responded.

"Bascht... B, love, calm down..." Came D's familiar voice to his side. He could hear himself panting, and looked around. Where? Where was he? His breaths grew more panicked, before he realized it was being blown back on himself. He looked side to side, then up-- to see small slits of light.

He reached up, casually pulling the mask down so he could see out again. It must have slid up on his face at some point. He looked over to see the Blacksmith-- half-clothed, though bandages were wrapped around his shoulder and side. Various cuts and scrapes adorned the muscled build, and he gulped. "See? Everything's okay." D said, a warm smile appearing on his face.

"I'm sorry about that." Gerik said, from the opposite side. Bascht looked over, to see the Acolyte knelt beside him. "I was taught that Healing spells were more effective if I applied all the energies into certain areas-- pressure points if you will. Targeting major arteries and veins, muscles, and organs in the body can increase metabolism and regeneration. I must have prodded somewhere sore to wake you up like that."

"I-It's..." Bascht said, his voice croaking slightly. "It's nothing. Where... are we?" He asked, trying to sit up. He could feel D's hand softly on his chest, pushing him back down-- then again, his body didn't seem to want him to sit up anyway. That's when he realized that he too was stripped half-naked, laying back on his coat and robe. He felt oddly warm even though he was exposed, and he heard the crackling of a fire nearby.

"We're in a clearing somewhat east of Payon." He heard another voice. That Merchant... Muarim, right? "We left that Star Gladiator where you'd left her and..." The green-haired one trailed off. "We're just resting up until we're all healed, and good enough to go to Payon to rest properly."

It was at that moment, that Bascht noticed Gerik tip to the side slightly, stopping himself by shooting an arm to the ground, gripping at his head. "You're exhausted, Gerik. Go on and rest. You've done a lot for all of us, already." D said, but the Mage saw the Acolyte shake his head.

"I'll be fine... I've been through worse than this. I helped Heal Prontera through a pandemic, a massive outbreak of sickness. Healing 3 people should be fine. Besides--" The Acolyte straightened himself up again, hovering his hands over the Mage. "You and Muarim were fine. You two seem to be very quick on your feet. I'm worried about--"

Bascht himself seemed surprised when he realized his hand shot up, holding onto Gerik's wrist. "Just don't... kill yourself." He mumbled, before D casually took his arm and lay it across his body. The Acolyte shot him a warm smile, before he closed his eyes, and began to chant a Healing Mantra.

The feeling was a mix of exquisite, and alien to the Mage. It wasn't like he hadn't been Healed before, but now that he was fully aware, and concentrating solely on it, it just felt... weird. He could feel each pulse of the green light as it bathed over him in waves, his body feeling re-energized and bolstered, although painful, and weak at the very same time.

"I'm gonna go get more firewood so this lasts through the night." He heard Muarim say. D nodded, and stood up too, stretching out despite the pain in his neck and upper torso, where he'd been mercilessly kicked hours ago. They had left their carts back where they had first been jumped, which both Merchants could feel a slight tinge of regret inside, leaving loot and goods out in the open like that; though that was the least of their worries at that moment. The two of them stalked off into the darkness, going to find more tinder.

"Gerik..." Bascht mumbled, amidst the Healing. He felt the pulses slowly die off, as he looked up, the Acolyte not saying anything, but looking back with his attention on the Mage. "Listen... about earlier..."

"It's alright." Gerik interjected, though the Mage shook his head.

"When I was little... I was very bright." The Mage said, continuing on even though the Acolyte had said otherwise. "I wasn't the smartest, nor the hardest working-- but I had that natural talent for Magic. It ran through me like my parents' blood. I was enrolled in the Academy, and eagerly learned about the world, and about Magic; how the two coexisted, and worked together.

"By the time I had passed the Mage exam, people could tell there was promise within me. Like my siblings, I sought guidance from a sole mentor, someone to teach me further in the arts of sorcery. I enlisted under a well-pronounced, and a very powerful Wizard. He taught me a great deal of things, from the uses of my Magic, to lessons about life itself. But... I couldn't comprehend one lesson he had to teach me.

"He asked me once, if the pursuit of magic was worth more than life itself. If learning under him meant everything to me, would I die for him? Would I follow this undying thirst of knowledge to the very ends of the earth, searching for a drink that could never fulfill me? I began to ask myself if I could, and I doubted myself. When I told him that I was afraid to die, when I would rather life over power itself... he threatened my very life. I... didn't know what to do. I was scared then, and so I betrayed him, stopping his incantation.

"After that, I was no longer his pupil. The other students at the Academy looked down upon me, and it was soon common for people to reset me. To treat me different. Before I knew it, I was denied access to the Archives, could no longer use facilities there. Everything I ever had, that life I had clung to so dearly, was slipping away from me.

"After that, my father soon threw me out of his house. He renounced me ever having the same name as he did, and everything had been taken away from me. Posessions, friends, my whole life... gone because of my selfishness. I wandered around the land, with the only thing left the robes I had from the Guild, and the magic I'd learnt, as well as the spellbook and information about further magic inside. I made my way to Prontera, but people wouldn't take me into their parties because I was ill-equipped.

"I scrounged around what I could, all by myself. I was barely in the shoddiest amount of gear, when D found me by the Pronteran fountain. I was slumped against it, depressed and foul. If the world resented me... then I didn't care much for it. I shut it out, focusing instead simply on what I had left to me. My magic. When he approached me I thought he was going to make fun of me; the first thing he even pointed out was my lack of financial funding.

"Then, he just offered me a hand. And this mask. Told me that he didn't like seeing someone so down in the dumps, and that they should smile. And even when I couldn't force a smile, the Mask could. I was... afraid. Someone was being nice to me. After nearly a whole year where the world resented me someone was offering me kindness.

"The following few days, he kept meeting me there. Asked if I had a party, or anything to do. He coerced me to travel with him, going along with whatever mercantile business he had to do. He became my companion... and my first friend in a year. He was soon giving me funds, helping me get equipment. When people started asking me to be in their party... I told them I had one. I've been with him ever since."

There was silence, and Bascht looked up to see Gerik smiling. "Thank you for sharing that." the Acolyte said, and the Mage lifted his Mask. Gerik stared down at that pale face, no longer filled with hatred like it had been. Bascht had emerald green eyes, and a shy, innocent youth about him-- though he also looked matured and well-traveled. "And don't worry. You've made more than just one friend, haven't you?" Gerik asked, before reaching over and pushing two, rather large eggs beside the Mage.

"Pillow! When--" He started, and Gerik winked.

"When the fighting began, you and the other two were so lost in fighting. I returned them to their Eggs so they could be safe. We'll get Incubators in Payon, and let them run around again." He placed the Lunatic Egg beside the Mage, who wrapped an arm around it. "We'll all run around together, and have fun. Like friends are supposed to."

---

"Y'know, I'm worried, D." Muarim said, taking his load of firewood over his shoulder. Out of the four, aside from the Acolyte, he'd taken the least amount of beatings. "What did she mean when she said they were looking for us, individually?"

"Who knows?" D replied, as he cleaved through another branch. "I've got theories, but I don't know how true they are. I mean, from what I know of Bascht and Gerik, they've had pasts where it's basically been themselves alone. Maybe the Faction is trying to target people who can't run anywhere for help? Y'know, prey on the weak. Then again-- why go after you? You have people looking after you, don'tcha?" The Blacksmith asked.

Muarim froze. "Y-Yeah." He mumbled, looking away. "What if... they're trying to recruit people who are alone? Y'know, use the fact that they're alone to coerce them into a group with lies, or something. Maybe that's how they bolster their ranks." the Merchant quickly said. The Blacksmith stood, rolling his unpained shoulder around, thinking.

"Y'know, that sounds pretty good. Tell y'what; I've got contacts in Payon. While you three are checking around the dungeon, I'll do some sleuthing. We can get back together, and discuss as a group." D said, as he took branches under his arm. "For now, let's get back. We can't be sure about anything yet." The Blacksmith said, turning and starting to walk off.

Muarim hesitated. People to look after him? Well there was the Mistress and Master but... He shook his head, and made his way after D. He was right. They couldn't be sure about anything.

Yet.