Calvin

Meanwhile, back in the castle...

From the doors of the throne room, he marched to his seat. To his left was a sheathed blade, the one that thirsts to kill Elicit. Before him were several of the royal 'birds' and 'shadows'. He assembled them shortly after talking to Elicit.

"milord" one of the kings's shadows said. "is it really okay to let that man go?"

"it's fine." the king replied

"milord, he is an assassin by trade! He might-"

"You." he pointed at one of the shadows. "Summon my generals. Entropy is on the move" the king ordered . "Now!"

"as you command!" the shadow said, gesturing respect and his leave , then vanishing quickly into the silent halls.

"where is Calvin?" the king asked.

"the Heir is still at the Excavation site, milord." one of the birds said.

"Order a forced regroup." the king ordered. "We need him and the stahlritter"

"as you wish, milord" the bird disappeared, melting into the castle floors.

"The rest of you, contact all the castle's forces." the king said, then rose from his throne. He unsheathed the blade beside him and held it with his left.

"the entire Castle must hold until Calvin returns."

---
The excavation site was not open to the public or other diggers. The harsh climate repelled most intruders, and the harsher royal guards blocked everything else.

It resembled an abandoned city, with most in ruin. The once prosperous civilization that thrived was said to have instantly disappeared, leaving most artifacts lying in-wait for new masters.

The ruin walls were surrounded by barricades and roving guards. Near the rubble's main gates was Calvin's study; a small house filled with musty tomes, stained archives and several artifacts with unknown use. A simple misstep might mean damaging the articles due to the orderly disarray.

The king's messenger, A bird, knocked upon the heir's doors. The eccentric structure was out of place in the middle of the deathly desert.

Calvin wore his usual excavation threads. His rather average and pale physique resembled that of an average explorer, but his title as 'the runic fencer' says otherwise.

"what?" The king wants us to return?" Calvin said.

"Yes, milord" the bird said. "he says it is an urgent matter"

"We're almost done here anyways. Gather the knights." Calvin ordered, pointing at one of his trusted aides. He removed his hard hat, revealing his silver hair, then donned his helm. he then walked to a drawer, took out a pair of gloves, and wore them. "He must've gotten too close to another one."

"to what, milord, if I may ask?" the bird said. "the king mentioned something about an enemy called 'Entropy' "

"this is serious business." Calvin said. "Do you know how important these ruins are?" he asked.

the bird shook his head. "I do know they are part of history, milord"

"the world was made in seven days" Calvin said. "that's what the ruins said."

"With all due respect, milord. I believe that is basic information."

"And yet so few of them remain. Why do you think that is?"

The bird did not answer

"the world was destroyed in seven instances."

"Milord!" the bird was surprised. "then why are we still here?"

Calvin went around and picked up several scrolls.

"Man knew no rest. He was forever bound to his desire to learn." Calvin pointed on the floor mural. It looks unscathed even after being recently excavated. It showed several men at arms, and a war that was being waged against an unknown being.

"Man had built walls to remove threats of beasts. Little by little, even from his kin." Calvin activated a small device that projected moving images. It showed how the ancient cities started to fall.

"Man was never contented, he wished to be free from the sky, and eventually turned to the creatures of the waters." Calvin said, pointing to an old portrait hung on the wall. It showed machines that flies with birds and devices that allowed travel underwater. The sky was rather red, though it was clearly morning, and the water's surface did not reflect anything, not was it clear.

"He pursued the heavens, and the bodies in them. It remains his greatest frontier." Calvin looked up the study's ceiling. There were several circular objects assembled, arranged and hanged. One peculiar piece was a large metallic object that continuously revolved around every hanged object.

Calvin took something out from his pocket. It seemed like a low-class artifact. He pressed what would seem to activate it. It showed the earth and it's lands shifting, slowly turning from green to brown, and the eventually a rusted color. "The lands could not satisfy his thirst. Drained, it could no longer bear the abuse and eventually left man."

"Man had thirsted knowledge, and led his greed. No patch of light nor dark corner was out of his reach" Calvin counted. Calvin opened one scroll that depicted what he said. He placed it on his study table. It was slightly torn, and evidently recently restored. It showed a beast that devoured both the heavens and men in a desperate battle.

Calvin placed his empty palm in front of the Bird before him. He gathered several spirits in his palm. The unnatural gift he was blessed was his last demonstration.

"Man's hubris was innumerable. No longer was there night or day. It was void. Mankind's desire was put to an end."

Calvin fashioned every spirit into deadly spikes. He laughed maniacally for a second after he finished his display.

The bird was eagerly listening to every word he had said. Calvin's display would rouse much curiosity that even sages would be dumbfounded by the discovery.

"Milord, is this... what you've been gathering from the ruins...?" the bird asked.

"Yes" Calvin nodded, spirits still set on kill. "But you already know this, do you not?"

"Milord? I don't understand." the bird denied.

"You are no royal bird" Calvin smiled. "I do not kill messengers. Or are you here as an assassin instead?"

"That is preposterous, milord!"

"No one but the king, his generals, and my personal birds know that I'm the heir. And there is no one that knows that I am royal. I am but the king's archeological team." Calvin reasoned.

"Rumors fly around, good sir."

"You mock me, servant of Entropy?"

"wh...what? Madness, Milord! I would never....!"

Calvin's spikes came closer to the bird with deathly speed and accuracy. It had stopped nearly a few millimeters before a regular man's vital points.

"Move" Calvin ordered. "This whole room is Glyfaginning's murmur. One false move and I -might- damage the articles."

The fake bird cackled. "I will relay the message, your highness."

The fake bird slowly faded and turned to small fragments of silver light. Calvin only gave it gave a murderous, paralyzingly stare.

"Mankind ill needs a savior such as you...!" Calvin shouted, as he calls off his summoned spirits.

Elicit 2

"You're not who you think you are, boy." the king said.

I couldn't understand what he was saying. I am who I am. My hands are stained. I'm nothing more than a hired hand from the guild.

"What do you mean?"

The king stabbed his sword on the castle floor. "do you see this blade? Trembling, this sword. It wishes to kill you. Don't you remember anything about this fine artifact?"

I stared at it for a few seconds. A murderous aura shudders my spine; the first time that I felt such malice from an artifact.

"don't worry about the guards you killed on your way. They're not dead. Merely clones of silk and metal. Too real, I presume?"

It was too... Alive. I could've sworn those were real. They even had spirits with them.

"I can't go back."

"that's fine. Stay at the castle or go to town. I'll make sure that the guild doesn't kill you." the king reassured. "you're an important piece."

Before I left, his servants gladly gave me some decent clothes. I immediately put them on, finally discarding the ones that the guild provided. I kept my blades and provisions with me, just in case.
---
I made my way out of the castle and arrived at the castle's outer grounds. It seemed like everything was a lie. Do I believe the king? There was no heir, either. Just exactly what is right?

I was still in a daze while walking out the grounds and snapped out of it only when i heard a nagging call that kept saying "mister".

"Mister?"

"Misteeeerrrr!"

"mister?" a little girl tugged my pants."would you buy a flower from me?"

She was small and vulnerable. A thin child with a bird's nest; like-chestnut on her head.

What attracted my attention was not the little girl, not her basket of marguerites, but the instrument strapped on her back. This five year-old child already knows an instrument?

"That instrument..."

"Oh!" she delightedly said. "would you like me to play a song instead?"

I nodded and smiled. She set her basket aside. She unveiled a beautiful crimson viola.

"I hope you like this song, tee~hee" she giggled.

She started playing a wondrous tune. It was do calming and forgiving, almost sad. Such skill from a young age.

"that song was called 'the seven G's'" she proudly announced.

"It felt so warm. You're pretty good, y'know"

"I'm glad you liked it, mister!" she smiled. " I want to become a very good musician someday!"

I smiled at her dreams

"I want to be so good that I'd travel the whole world! Then I'll find someone to be with! Oh! It'll be so romantic!" she said, eyes shimmering.

Dreams, eh? I've never had any. I was trained since I was seven. It was rigorous, and not many survived. I barely remember the kids that died mid-way.

"that's amazing! I bet you'll be very successful someday."

"thanks mist--"

Her stomach grumbled. Her small, white cheeks were red like apples in her embarrassment.

"I'm Elicit" I reached my hand. "I haven't had any decent meals, too."

"You're okay, mister, so I'll give you my name! It's Nicolette! Nice meeting you, Mr. Elicit!" She energetically said. "Hey, why don't you come with me, mister? I know a good place for cheap food!" she grabbed my hand and pulled my arm.

"okay, okay"
I let her tug me all the way to an area near the boundary of the town outskirts.I played along as she happily skipped down the road. We passed by the panzerschwal aristocrat areas, city square, and eventually to the commons. It was a fun, short walk. As I went along, she treated me like a best friend. We went past several houses and hidden paths that we at the guild use. She even had much energy to tell the things we've passed by, and had funny names attached by her.

"we're here!" she said, still filled with energy. We stopped at a run-down bakery. The house was mostly wood and straw, but the oven was stone. There was an enormous wood and stone furnace for cooking and baking outside the house.

A woman came out of the house. She wore traditional baker's rags, and her hands were still covered white. Her head was a bit soaked with sweat, and her thin, white physique was pinkish with work.

She gave me a pleasant smile, and ran towards Nicolette playfully.

"Oh! Lettie!"

"Patt'e!" Nicolette giggled, running towards the woman.

"who's tha man with you?" she asked.

"Patricia, this is a new friend of mine! He's Elicit! He likes my music too!" Nicolette introduced.

I went closer to Patricia and endorsed a friendly shake.

"Elicit, ma'am. We met near the castle gates."

"I see..." Patricia said, half-suspicious.

"Is the bread ready? Oohhh, ooooh! Can he have one too?!" Nicolette said, tugging patricia's apron.

"You have to wait for it for a bit, sweetie. Why don't you go inside and fix the tables for your friend?" she sweetly told Nicolette.

The child nods, and runs toward the wooden house. She was filled with excitement.

"And you..." Patricia changed to a serious tone. "You're not from here, are you?"

I nod

"Well, she treats you more than a guest, so I guess you're okay. She's quite a handful, but she's a good judge of character. Even better than anyone else I know. And I know a lot around the commons."

"What happened to her parents?" I curiously asked.

"That's a question too early to ask, isn't it?"

"she's too good of a musician for her age. So I was wondering about..."

"...the instrument?" she cut me off.

I gave another nod

"That violin was her mother's memento. It looks so old, but it plays like it's new. I think it might be an artifact."

I was impressed. A child like Nicolette can use an artifact? It takes a large amount of spirit control to make one tick. She does it with practically no sweat, even with a smile.

"Benny and I took her in when she was only two. She's never let go of it ever since."

Nicolette suddenly burst out the house. She waved energetically from the distance. The meal was already ready.

"You know...I've never seen her so excited like this." Patricia said "It's like she thinks of you as a relative already! Hahaha!" she passes off the joke.