Hans Svek's Story

The smoke cleared and Amber was visible again.
Haru didn’t want to waste time (or lives) asking any more questions. He reached for his sword but before his sticky red hand could grip its hilt Amber spoke again.
“Now don’t be silly, “he said. His voice was clearer now—theatrical actually. “I haven’t come here to do any more damage. This was just a warning shot. Was a bit too powerful I suppose. But I do apologize for that.”
Tallyho let out a sharp gasp of air, a scoff actually. What sort of apology was that? It wasn’t that she actually took it seriously but the fact that he would joke about such a thing under these conditions well… it was a blow below the belt.
“Then who are you here to warn?” Haru asked. His sword now unsheathed and ready for blood.
“I’m here to warn you of course. You Month Warriors.”
Who on Aires was this man? Amber stood comfortably. He did not flinch at Haru’s blade or the potential danger of being ganged up on by a gaggle of trained fighters. Because of this Haru figured that he couldn’t possibly be alone. Haru looked around, eyes darting his way and that. Taking in his surrounding with the upmost urgency. It seemed that he would have no choice but to rely on questions.
“Looking for my cast are you? Well there is no point in letting you wonder for such a long time. Surely they will come out to greet you? You won’t even have to come through the backstage entrance!”
From the forest shadows came three muddled figures.
The first stood at a reasonable 6 feet with a lankier build than Amber’s. While the majority of his smallness was hidden under the guise of a heavy winter coat, his sensitive figure could still be foretold by his nimble legs and posture. Thick brows lined his forehead in straight lines and his facial expression betrayed no amusement. In fact he may have looked a little tortured.
The second was a bit taller but a lot burlier than Amber himself. Like Amber he was a more mature man. Weathered wrinkles were just beginning to take a toll on his face and the hairs on his temples were starting to retire. But despite his visible aging he seemed strong—almost as if he got stronger with every year loaded onto his belt.
The third was unlike the other three men yet an attractive balance between the two—classically beautiful with the scent of danger and mystery about him. He looked like a man who had walked right out of the conservation camp. Long black hair spilled over tan shoulders in waves and barely curled into the arc of the bow strapped to his back.
“Meet Zircon, Hans and Raphael,” Amber said. “They have come to offer what will be their first (and hopefully the last) greetings.”
“What do you want?” Haru asked again. He moved his sword back towards his sheath and for the first time the warriors saw him falter. There was no way he could fight this lot and he knew it but there wasn’t a lot of time to plan around it either. Considering what Amber had done there was no telling what the others were capable of. Or even what they were capable of together.
“But wait! There’s more! Before I can tell you what we are here for I have to encourage my audience to give a standing ovation to three very special actors. I must admit I was a little worried about whether or not they could play their parts. They were advanced and took years to perfect! I even sent in an understudy to catch our leading lady if she fell downstage center! Please, won’t you—“
“What do you want you stupid old geezer?!” Karma’s little voice shot out from the area around the fountain. The students surrounding her backed away as Amber cocked his head towards her.
Mr. Vo covered her mouth frantically.
“She didn’t mean it! S-She didn’t!” The old man’s words were jumbled as he stumbled back.
Amber turned to face Haru again, his head moving slowly before he continued on as if the outburst never happened.
“Won’t you first put your hands together for our understudy? Katarina won’t you take your bow?”
Amber gave a hearty, lonely clap. Kat was already emerging from the crowd, her face exuding the essence of nonchalance. Students parted as she made her way through the crowd.
Kwasi stumbled back as Kat made her way past. Every comment she made about him not being a real man of Nomansland and she was serving this western? For evil of all things?
Tallyho shuddered back as the woman who had once quietly saved her from drowning almost stepped on her hand without a thought in the world.
Amber chuckled, throwing his head back as he clapped.
“Go on, take your bow!”
Kat did not entertain this. Instead she breezed past Amber, claiming a spot next to the silent archer before folding her arms.
Haru couldn’t say he was all that shocked. Kat was not only an unknown force to most, but was excessively powerful already.
“And now I’d like a moment of silence for my leading lady and man! Honestly I didn’t expect them to grow into such fine actors! Their skills were believable to all of you I bet. Why if I were a fool I’d think they actually came to like you lot! But I suppose it would be easy to be a fool in a situation like this. I’ve watched them grow on this set from wee adolescents to quite attractive adults and after such a long performance I wouldn’t blame them if they were a little shy to take the stage again. After all, they’re probably scared of your personal reviews—“
“What. The fuck. Do you want?” Haru asked. He was visibly annoyed now, grinding words through his teeth.
“He wants you to stop,” a soft voice came from the back. It was Ji Na, shuffling through the mayhem. Elegant, unsaved, and disgustingly pretty. She came until she took a spot between Amber and Haru.
“He wants the Month Warriors to stop.”
“What does that mean?”
“I understand that you went through a lot of trouble, bringing the children here, training them for so long. But it’s time to end the journey. What you all are fighting for is detrimental to this world, and maybe even for earth.”
“Thhheeeere’s my leading lady!” Amber threw a jolly arm around Ji Na’s narrow shoulders. She swayed to the side, small body overtaken by the gentle, but sudden force. She did not return the affections, however. Instead she kept her eyes trained to the ground.
Okay really, where the fuck was Ryou? Haru turned around, scanning the crowd for the familiar mess of blonde hair but he could not find him.
“We did not mean for this warning to go to such extreme proportions…”
“No need to explain Ji Na. We got our point across.”
Haru honestly wasn’t sure what to do. Attacking was the least intelligent thing he could do, primal even. But he couldn’t just turn away without getting enough answers.
“Are you working for Oblivion?”
“No, far from it,” Amber hummed. “We are working for mankind.”
“How is discouraging, no, nearly killing the saviors of this world a service to mankind?”
Amber laughed. Laughed so hard, chest heaving, mouth gasping, then he grew silent before saying, “Why… I don’t expect you to understand.”

“Your heard the lady, now if you’ll excuse us, we will be dropping the curtain and taking our leave.”

A shrieking wail of wind roared suddenly overhead, akin to the sound a harsh, winter gale would have made, if it did not happen to be in the middle of summer. The fire raging nearest to the courtyard licked skyward at the fresh burst of oxygen rich air fed it, high and strong; while the inferno raging further away dimmed some, as if not being fed enough to sustain such power and ferocity anymore. A figure plummeted out of the smoke in a controlled descent, landing hard, with legs comfortably splayed for balance, abruptly in the middle ground between Amber and Haru, a few of the more bold (or incredibly stupid) month warriors, and other frightened parties crowded in the courtyard that called the Academy home.

There had always been a mystical and mysterious air surrounding Kat, Ji Na, and Benjamin too. Because obviously, a certain respect was due because they were elites of the Academy, and the two Eastern Islanders were by far the highest standing on account of having been raised from war orphaned youngsters to the lofty stations they held now – but they all were far less approachable than the other Elites, Dae, Liam, and Mori. It should not have been a surprise, but nevertheless hurt, Goddess above it would hurt, when the figured turned his head to glance behind him with glazed, haunted eyes. Ben.

He had always perhaps been more mysterious through his close association with Ji Na, and Kat as well, to most, than he was on his own. Because he was often in their classes as a teacher, and a fair mentor to those who had ranged weaponry; there had even been days of laughter and vicious jest when Dae and himself, sometime Ryou had a hand in it, would “play” fight and end in often bloody, broken conclusions, but it was all in good fun. He was quiet man, renowned for his bright smiles, deadly archery, a jack of all trades woodsman, and had the rare ability to make Karma careless temper and harsh jibes fade away with freshly hunted bacon. He was a good man, a good man capable of your love and friendship – perhaps?

Oh, but… Betrayal had, and would always hurt, because those ‘traitors’ were always loved one way or another by those they ‘betrayed’. And it was no different for the warriors that had come to know him over the three year period they’d been on Aires thus far, but it was gut retching for those who had come to know him his entire life.

He was unsoiled by the raging flames brought to life by Amber’s will, nor did the ash from burning buildings and people soil his cloths, or the black, thick smoke coat his lungs; saved from the destruction and looking disgustingly well put together in fine, green cloth and dark leathers, with his great war bow strapped across his back, a quiver of arrows at his hip, and a bag full of clothes, or potential possessions, stuffed under an arm.

Benjamin looked at no one directly, or at the fire itself, but his chin was lifted, proud even one could remark in obvious scorn for his now traitorous state, as his eyes too still glazed didn’t waver guiltily to the ground but stayed up in listless attention. But pain flickered, and even anger too, muddled in their depths, a contrast to his lack of caring.

“We are Orphanim,” He abruptly growled aloud, carrying far into the silent, fearful courtyard. His voice a once clear, light, charming accented tone, had become something like someone reading a monologue, or the lines to a play, badly, without feeling, or care, a drone, a terrible actor. “You have been warned. Heed and… Live a little longer.” Benjamin finished, before glancing forward to Amber, it was time to take their leave.

Benjamin’s gaze fell down even as his shoulders tensed and flicked his hand in a disdaining gesture skyward, as he turned to walk slowly away to the other mysterious figures, joining Kat and Ji Na. The wind suddenly whistled again, hardly sweet in sound, at his beck and call; and suddenly black, thick smoke that had crowded above the Academy from the fire came rushing down in the mid-ground, hardly a barrier but enough to make any reckless, idiotically brave attempts to attack or follow them. Ironically enough, the curtain had fallen.