After all the information he had just been dumped with, Kaelen still had one pressing question he was unable to ask: Why exactly was the guy so stupidly handsome? Seeing him in the light was a different ballgame.
What warranted such a crowd-stopping face? It almost made Kaelen sick to his stomach.
Leaving the healer's guild with Nix was like attending a parade of devoted acolytes worshipping their god. His admirers lined up here and there, trying to catch a glimpse. He immediately understood that this guy was popular, too popular. It seemed his bad attitude was part of the appeal.
That was usually the case, though. The tall, brooding, unnecessarily handsome guy was usually admired by all, friend and foe alike.
Kaelen got to find out the current state of affairs from Nix. Guilds functioned like independent states. They had specialties, boundaries and political power was vested through popular vote. They engaged in trade, entered into treaties and strictly regulated movement within their own territory by outsiders.
Currently, Eryn was a student at the Sanctum, which meant he had clearance. But apparently, the only reason they still allowed him to stay was because their Master, the one Nix mentioned before, was the brother of the Sanctum Guild Head. Thankfully, nepotism was alive and well.
At this time, tensions between Sanctum and Starlight were high. Starlight Order soldiers had "accidentally" slaughtered those on vessels from Sanctum Vitae passing through their waters. The excuse was that they thought them to be enemy spy ships from Cobalt, because there were no flags on them. So they basically said, 'stab first, ask questions later.'
It was all because Starlight and another Guild, Cobalt Archive, were on rather violent terms. Now, both Guilds had a bone to pick with them. It was truly a mess.
Just great. So I've woken up in the middle of an impending World War!
Kaelen rubbed his temples. The carriage they were in progressed at a steady pace, but the ride felt bumpy. "So, in essence, my ribs are cracked from spontaneously falling off a mountain, my memories are scrambled, and if I perhaps sneeze too hard, I might trigger a war?"
Nix gave him a flat look from across the carriage. "You exaggerate."
"Really?" Kaelen shot back and sighed. "Everything is so out of sorts here. I hope Eryn is okay." He was already caring for the brother he just found out he had.
"He's likely being maltreated. It's okay, it builds character and drive. Afterwards, I'll grind their bones myself." He spoke casually, as though he was only making plans to take them out for wine. Kaelen dropped the topic.
As they approached the border gates and lifted their window covers, Kaelen noticed how carefully the guards watched them. Their gazes lingered on Nix, yes, but when they drifted to Kaelen, there was only the thickest line of suspicion.
Once they passed, Kaelen had to ask, "Why were they staring at me like I pissed on their children?"
Nix burst out laughing. The sound was just as elegant as he looked. "You may as well have. Your reputation precedes you, little brother."
Kaelen's stomach dropped, "...My what?"
By the time the guild entrance loomed before them, Kaelen was exhausted. It had taken nearly a day to arrive at the Starlight Order Guild and Nix refused to say any more because he suddenly wanted to meditate. Kaelen glared and made faces at him, before he eventually fell asleep.
Nix woke him and he peaked out of the carriage. To his utter surprise and amazement, the gates looked like huge black swords driven into the earth; their spiky iron bolts linked menacingly and it looked as if it was daring intruders to step inside.
The inside was no less intense, with sharp-edged architecture, soldiers moving in formation at every corner, and the constant clang of steel echoing around. Kaelen steeled his expression, but his mind was in disarray.
Who was in charge of naming here? What's so starlight about this place? Scary. So scary!
Nix walked ahead slightly. Disciples bowed to him as he passed. Their reverence was palpable: half fear, half awe. But when Kaelen walked by, the air flattened with disdain.
"Still alive?"
"After everything, he crawls back?"
"...Pathetic."
Kaelen kept his face neutral, but inside he was squirming. Those sharp whispers, clearly intended for him to hear, weren't the idle kind one threw at a stranger, they carried history. A history he hadn't lived.
Kaelen's ribs ached with every hasty step, but he forced himself to keep pace with Nix. He had no intention of looking weak here. Not when every gaze that slid across him seemed to weigh and measure, waiting for the first sign of unease.
Nix, on the other hand, looked perfectly at home.
"Do they always glare like that?" Kaelen muttered, after passing the hoards of disciples.
"Only when they are happy to see you," Nix replied smoothly.
He couldn't tell if that was just his poor attempt at cracking a joke, but it did not lighten the mood in the slightest. Kaelen rolled his eyes.
He followed his elder brother's lead until they arrived at a guarded grand hall. The doors alone made Kaelen pause. Massive slabs of dark wood, banded with black iron and gold decorations, carved with scenes of soldiers clashing in endless battle. Whoever designed this guild clearly wanted to say: we win battles, you know?
The guards opened the doors and on the inside, the scale was overwhelming. The ceiling soared high above, so tall Kaelen wondered how anyone even got up there to hang the enormous banners swaying in the draft. Each banner carried what he assumed to be the crest of the Starlight Order; a sharp, angular star, stitched in silver thread against midnight-blue cloth.
The doors shut with a bang.
He was about to ask what they were doing there, when a person entered from the adjacent doors.