What a waste! Daneel sneered at the bloody sight, putting his sword back into its scabbard. He let out a frustrated sigh, his brows knitting. He had let his anger and desperation boil over, and he ended up decapitating the person who could've answered his questions.
It was the woman's fault anyways. She should've spoken the truth instead of ranting wildly like a madman and provoking his anger.
Daneel gave the bloody mess one last look. This woman... She belonged to a fugitive clan, a caste the King claimed treacherous. And even though it was out of anger, her death was justified.
So why did he feel heavy in his heart?
With a grunt, He spun around and exited the palace dungeon. As he strode along the corridor, heading outside, his uneasiness grew.
The woman's words echoed in his mind.
He pondered deeply, his thoughts circling around the word 'plague'. There was a possibility that the woman had meant the gateway. But then again, it might have been her last effort to try and divert him from the truth.
Daneel's jaw set, his fists clenching by the side. A spark of determination ignited within him; Be it an Ember or the gateway, he would do everything in his power to secure the lives of those who looked up to him— the Eldrid citizens.
It was his sole duty as a devoted soldier.
His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the appearance of one of his subordinates. "Sir Daneel" he called out hastily, his gruffy voice a matter of urgency.
With a slight gesture of raising an eyebrow, Daneel urged him to speak.
"Sir, we've found that the men who had been patrolling the forest regions….have been killed"
Another death news? Daneel was getting tired of hearing them. He was quick to dismiss his subordinate, instructing with a hasty yet considerate tone. "Have their names reported to my station, and compensate their kins"
The subordinate nodded even though he had much more to say. Daneel turned to the opposite direction, cutting him off, "Send in a troupe to survey the regions of the forest. I need to inquire news from the south"
With that, he left.
••••••••
[Darklings are fantastical creatures made of nothing but pure dark matter.
Their form exists as darkness which cannot be contained. However, Vessel was able to harness it. The darkness absorbed has begun to alter you. The darkness now dwells within you, causing your very essence to change. The more Vessel absorbs, the more pronounced the transformation will be]
Aaron's eyes flickered from the system's screen to his reflection in stunned silence. His gaze bore into the polished steel mirror, his hands grasping the worn stone edges of the washbasin.
Aaron could see and feel himself changing. His hair, once all silver, now swirled with black. But it was more than that— he felt a deep shift within himself, like something fundamental was altering.
He looked heavenward, letting out a sigh. By now, he should've been living the 'happy ever after' with his wife, Sarah, and their daughter by his side.
Aaron even thought of passing his talents in cobbling over to his daughter. He even had plans for another child— a boy this time.
It was unfortunate.
A fugitive living a second life with a system helping him plot his revenge and awarding him extreme abilities. This wasn't the life Aaron wanted. It wasn't how he pictured it.
He felt a sudden pang, the thoughts running wildly through his head immediately turning into a deep searing pain, threatening to tear him apart. His insides gnawed with a twisted feeling.
Aaron's face fell, his jaw clenching. Without mercy, they took the life of many innocent people. He swore to make them suffer the same fate.
Just then, the sound of a series of knocks broke the still silence. Aaron walked over to the bamboo crafted door, opening it to meet Subject's wide smile.
His gaze narrowed upon seeing her. He gave her a quick once over, his eyes trailing down to her feet to meet the shape shifting dragon she called Igris.
Igris snarled at him, obviously unhappy with Aaron's presence. Unbothered, Aaron's gaze shifted back to Subject's. His tone measured, he asked "What do you want?"
He wasn't blind, was he? Thought Subject Because she was clearly holding up a silver platter with a mix of dry and fresh fruit. "Why do you have to be so serious?" She teased.
She extended the tray "I took the leverage of coming here to give you this. Accept it"
Aaron took it without arguing, giving Subject the chance to scan him head to toe. Funny enough, her intuition was wrong. Aaron wasn't part of the Ember caste. His looks and lack of 'the book' cleared her doubts.
But then….Who was he to possess an ability never seen or heard? His appearance, aura, all defied explanation. Who was he?
As she pondered deeply, Subject's gaze lingered on Aaron. Somehow, within her, she felt like their destinies could be linked in some way.
She had a growing urge to study him, to know him. Besides that, her life at the moment lacked any sort of excitement. Just the usual routine of wandering away from home, exploring the already explored.
Accompanying Aaron might just change all of that.
Her smile unwavering, Subject asked "How are your wounds?" she hesitated a bit, her eyes trailing his chest which was still bandaged "You must have gotten quite the scratch from the bear"
Aaron's eyes remained narrowed dryly. Why was she still standing there? Her presence alone was annoying, and hearing her speak was ear-splitting.
He said bluntly "I've received the food. You should leave" he needed space to think. It was hard enough plotting how to enter the gate to the main city and find his way to the Ember isle. Now that there are sighs of the gateway reopening, he needed to act fast.
Phantoms stood a greater chance against the gateway's creatures no matter the rank or level. Without his conjuring ability, he might die in the hands of a monster rather than his enemies.
He must leave the forest village as soon as possible. But Subject was relentless. She responded "Ama wishes for us to stay longer"
She paused, awaiting a reaction, but Aaron's expression remained the same. She added "She must be worried for her people. They look up to you as their savior now. We should stay a bit"
"We?" Aaron scoffed, causing a frown to spread on Subject's face. She pondered what it was he was in a hurry to find. She opened her mouth to convince him yet again, but someone graced the scene, cutting her off.
The man, pale looking and thin, announced with a slight bow "Aaron, Subject, Ama wants to see you. Please follow me"