by Harlon Banks
A black eagle cries out into the night with wings open and majestic poise; drifting along the winds higher and higher towards the Diurnal District at the peak of the city...
Later on that eternal night, Jonath ran up the stairs of the apartment complex and stopped heavily breathing outside of Jeremy's apartment door. Taking a moment to catch his breath with hands on knees and closed eyes, he quickly tried to calm himself before approaching the old man. A few seconds of this, and he fiddled around his pockets looking for the spare key card he was given. Growling in annoyance when he didn't have the thing on him anymore no doubt to it falling off his person in that underground city. Nothing was going right tonight it seemed, fun times.
Jonath knocked on the door thrice, no response. He cursed a bit under his breath in impatience and agitation.
Jonath knocked again thrice, this time a little harder than before. No response...
"God damn it open the door!" Jonath growled lowly as he rested his head against the cold wood of the door and exhaled tiredly. Eyes closed as a whirlwind of thoughts whipped around his psyche. One more try...
Jonath knocked again, thrice. This time louder than before and akin to police knocking on the door of a house they were about to just break into if nobody answered. Fist resting against the dark wood, fatigue creeping back into his bones at the same time. He hadn't slept nearly as long as he needed to...
Jonath heard footsteps across carpet, surprising him especially considering the footsteps were barely audible. Soon there was a turning of locks, and the door swung open with Jeremy peering around it and furrowing a brow at Jonath with withered features and an incredulous stare. The amnesic standing in the doorway standing erect as he looked at the old man with tired features... Jeremy eventually stepping aside as he pulled the door open more and gestured for Jonath to come in.
"It feels like it's been months since I've seen you and you've barely been gone a day." He snorted looking upon the younger man with dull brown eyes and scratching his grey hued beard while closing the door. "You didn't answer your phone when I called, was going to assume you were dead and call the police if you didn't come back but well..." He paused looking over the tired man as he collapsed on the couch. Jonath just lying there as if it were the best feeling ever in the world to him and damn near falling unconscious from fatigue again right then and there.
"You look like you've been pretty roughed up... Mind not sprawling across my furniture though with your dirty and disheveled clothes and hair? That's leather you're scuffing up with dirt and grime!" The older gentleman scoffed annoyed as he walked over cane in hand to poke the kids stomach causing Jonath to cringe a bit and sit up.
"Sorry... Sorry... I'm just exhausted. I do need to talk to you for real though, I need some advice." The white-haired man rubbed his tired eyes with both hands burying his face within them. Jeremy furrowing his features again as he walked slowly over to the opposite side of the couch around the coffee table to take a seat. The moonlight from the patio blocked by thick white curtains pulled over the glass panel sliding door, only the overhanging bulb giving them light. All else was quiet around them, the TV was off, the ceiling fan was barely heard, and the only other noise around was from the humming of the refrigerator in the kitchen.
"Well? Out with it kid I'm missing my bedtime!" Jeremy snorted with a deadpan despite the seriousness of Jonath's words. A heavy eye roll, and Jonath pulled himself together and began to tell Jeremy for the everything that happened to him; he told him of Wren and his request, the bandits, the underground city, the snakes, the artifact... the bodies he found... Everything even including Blade giving him a ride back.
He even told him of Liariana and how she tried to kill him and the strange powers he had used to combat her. He told him of his ability to foresee his own death, the silver black flames Liariana used, her being a Yelkath, and everything in between. The entire time Jonath had went all out and hiding away no secrets Jeremy had a uniform expression and said nothing in return. His hands atop the pommel of his cane and he turned slightly to accommodate looking at Jonath as he listened. Features slightly concerned yet quiet and eyes intense and focused as he listened for the entirety of Jonath's tale. Without even realizing it, almost thirty minutes had passed with how detailed Jonath got with his story. Hand gestures accompanied by mixed expressions some wary and others narrowed; his tone accentuating every change in emotions to fit the tale he told.
"Then I came and knocked on the door and here we are." Jonath finished with a heavy breath, that much talking only further winded him. Pale hand moving to clutch his torn and dirtier jacket gripping the fabric over his heart as he took another deep breath to try to soothe his fatigue. "I didn't know what to do so I figured I'd come clean with you. That way if something happens and you get involved it's not a surprise..." He turned his gaze to look back at Jeremy whom had this entire time been as silent as the grave. The older man staring at him for a long moment in silence with a focused gaze that hid away any intention behind it positive or negative. That staring making Jonath a bit sick in the stomach, as if he thought Jeremy was just going to kick him out for such a ridiculous telling of events.
Jeremy shifted in his seat, the action alone making Jonath tense up without knowing... The old man's lips parted but no words came out as he looked off to the side apparently thinking very carefully about what he were going to say. A few more seconds of quiet, and then he said in the calmest, yet stern tone.
"You need to do several things, quite quickly at that." He paused to lock eyes with Jonath. "First thing is you need to go and tell this Wren character what happened because quite frankly if you returned to this city and didn't report to him about the job you took you'd be quickly classified as a deserter of work and that's not something you want to be branded as." He adjusted himself in his seat a bit more now facing directly forwards as he rocked his cane side to side and continued on.
"Also need to tell him about this Liariana woman and what she did. Cause if she gets there by herself and twists the story so that it was you who tried to kill her and stole the artifact from her and escaped and this man or the Group sees you walking these streets well..." He glanced back at Jonath with a serious glare. "Let's just say you will not like what happens next, not at all."
Jeremy hoisted himself off the couch with a bit of effort, old bones creaking and popping as he grunted and made his way back around the coffee table. "If she got here before you and told Wren of what happened and you show up shortly afterwards and tell your side your chances of getting out of this safely is greater than you doing anything else. The Archive Group is not allowed to harm any of their contractors or give any kind of punishment upon them without a thorough investigation and sufficient evidence only if the suspects in question have turned themselves in to tell their stories. Should you not go to them within a short time and they see you wandering about however, they're free to do whatever they please with you because you're considered a thief. You know what happens to thieves right?" He rhetorically asked.
"What if Liariana never even shows up to tell Wren anything and I do show up without the artifact? Do I just tell him she kicked my ass and took it?" Jonath immediately asked shifting in his seat with narrowed eyes. "I don't even know if she was the one who killed those men with certainty. The jeep was too far off before I even hit the tree line." He grabbed a few clumps of his spiky silver hair and fell back against the spine of the leather couch in anguish and irritation. So much to deal with... So little time.
"If she never shows up but you do that only strengthens your case doesn't it? You don't have the artifact but she has it and if she left before you and never showed up to give it to Wren is that not screaming you're telling the truth? Of she kicked your ass she kicked your ass boy, pride is not something that's needed here." Jeremy scoffed shaking his head and tapping his own skull aggressively in annoyance at Jonath. "Use your damned head child! You being an amnesic doesn't mean you lost any brain cells capable of rational t
hinking." He huffed and snorted. "The point is you need to take your ass over to that Group no matter what and tell them your side of the damned story. Going to the Security District telling the law first would be less effective because they only deal with crimes that happen in the city. Out there beyond the gates anything goes thus if you have a contracted partner on a job and stuff goes down it's the Groups responsibility to handle it not anybody else's." He paused again to let all this sink in Jonath's head.
A few moments of silence...
Jeremy walks over to the fridge to whip himself up something to drink while Jonath stayed seated eyes closed and head resting against the crest of the couch spine in thought. Everything was clear now... At least about the artifact incident. He'd after a bit of rest immediately head to the Group to tell Wren everything only involving the artifact, and keeping the full details of his fight with Liariana as vague as possible. He still didn't like the vibe that man gave him... telling him anything too personal just didn't sit right.
"As for those powers you say you displayed..." Jeremy said offhanded as he poured some juice for the two into two tall glasses.
Jonath opened his eyes and veered his head silently towards the man returning to the living room with two glasses of cranberry juice. Extending one out to Jonath while clutching the other for himself. "I honestly didn't think it'd be such an ordeal... You're a Nightborn, there's no doubt about that. You need to learn how to control that stuff and use it better so once all of this is settled I'm sending you off to this little program in a smaller settlement outside the city that helps people like you with that entire issue. You'll meet others around your age like you and with similar..." He paused to look Jonath over warily as the amnesic drank the red liquid hastily. "... Circumstances and history as you... vagrants, orphans, runaways, delinquents and whatnot. I wanted to not spend more money doing that and hoping you'd be a good little housemaid to help me out here and there but it's clear you need some guidance I can't give myself. I'll put it on your tab you owe me. Can't live with myself knowing I could have helped you learn how to defend your own life and just continued to let you wander around like an idiot." He sighed shaking his head. Jonath blinking as he finished off the glass and spoke with a curious head tilt.
"Wait what?" He asked less than enthusiastic about what was just said. "I really don't think that's necessary... I managed to handle myself just fine on my own I don't need to be shipped off to what sounds like a place for scum of the city." He sucked his teeth feeling some type of way about this. Jeremy glaring at him annoyed and quickly refuting everything that was just said by the kid with a hasty and commanding tone.
"Correction, you survived by blind luck. From the details you told me this Yelkath girl was dragging your amnesic ass all across the pavement through and through. You can't even call upon your powers when you need them of your own free will, it's clear you are a wild card and since you don't know the scope of your own strength I can't risk you doing something reckless and hurting somebody." He coughed jabbing his cane at Jonath's shoulder much to the spiky white-haired young man's annoyance. Admitted he lost so bad to Liariana was a blow to his ego he'll admit, still Jeremy didn't have to rub it in.
"Once this is all settled I'm making plans to send you to that settlement. You can't stay here until you have at least some professional grasp of your powers. Nightborn are rare and unique, they are also heavily scrutinized as well." Jeremy huffed shaking his head. Jonath suddenly narrowing his gaze at what the man had just slid by at the end of his sentence.
"Scrutinized? What do you mean by that?" He inquired with a low tone. Jeremy quickly dismissing the question and poking his shoulder again and walking off.
"Irrelevant. Point is I can't have an amnesic Nightborn living out my house like I'd had faith in. You need some type of training if not for the safety of others then for yourself. You could have died multiple times in that job all because you don't know what you can and can't do. I don't even know why I let you take a job like that anyway bah!" Jeremy scowled walking off back to his room leaving Jonath alone and speechless as he heard the door open and the old man say one last thing to him.
"Go on and rest as you need to, I won't kick ya out. Soon as you can though go and handle your damned business like I told you and get ready to be sent out to that settlement shortly afterwards. You could also just get your shit and walk out the apartment and never come back also but I'm not saying I'm kicking you out. I'm trying to help you." He snorted like a bull.
With that the door shut, Jonath lowering his head in silence as he interlocked his fingers over his lap, hunched forwards and closed his eyes taking a deep inhale... That entire conversation had escalated quickly and took a drastic turn for the worse... Jeremy wasn't kicking him out, but he was sending him away just as quickly. Was Jonath really that much trouble? Was being an amnesic really that debilitating on his capacity to be normal and out-of-the-way? Why was all of this shit happening to him just because he made the mistake of taking a job he didn't think would turn into the shit fest it is now? He exhaled again in agitation,and simply got up to walk to his room and go to sleep for a couple more hours. Too much on his mind now to try to even make total sense of it all, he just knew at this point he didn't have much of a choice on what he were going to do.
"It's always fucking something..." He cursed irritated as the door shut behind him as he entered his own room.
Meanwhile...
Dal rushed up the steps to Wren's study with haste. Her blue cyan blue back length hair swaying frantically as she hurried up and knocked on the door before entering. Wren at the intricate table in the center of the room leaning over it studying text of a large thick black book. His features shrouded by his hood as he raised his head to look at Dal quickly bow her head and step aside gesturing to the door.
"Master Wren! She's back!" Dal said with concerned cyan blue eyes as footsteps echoed from the stairwell and Wren's eyes widened with a sly smirk as Liariana stepped into the room by her lonesome. Dal most likely concerned where Jonath was given how her expression looked.
"Ah... What an interesting surprise to only see you here..." Wren said with an ominous chuckle of affection as he raised bony fingers off the text he were reading. Powerfully shaded red eyes quietly focusing on him with a coldness only she could have...
"Liariana Yelkath..." Wren said her name with an anticipating smile.
Unknown Intentions
The Challenger Chapter Twenty-Three: Unknown Intentions
A few hours later after much-needed rest, Jonath was out the door of the apartment again feeling rejuvenated and better. His body showing no signs of fatigue nor any cuts or bruises although the tingling sensation in his left arm from those flames never went away, they felt a bit faded though all the same. Pulling the door shut and locking it, the amnesic quickly took off in a light jog down the hallway in a fresh set of clothes and shoes consisting of a simple long-sleeved black shirt, black cargo shorts and black and white high top sneakers. His footsteps silent across the carpeted hallways as he quickly descended the apartment complex and headed towards the train station at a decently fast pace.
"I hope everything goes smoothly..." He muttered under his breath as the night air greeted his skin once again and he headed out into the sparse populated streets. Looking around a bit in quiet curiosity, he wasn't sure if it was late or early morning considering the little amount of people out and about. How long did he even sleep? He should've checked the clock before he laid down his head, oh well. Hopefully the Archive was still open to the public now. Eyes gazing upwards at the dark sky and the full moon momentarily, Jonath disappeared among the city streets as the night dragged on forevermore.
A while later...
The entire trip was rather mundane and nothing out of the ordinary to his surprise; Jonath didn't know why he thought people would be looking for him. Unwarranted paranoia plaguing the back of his mind despite physically feeling calm and relaxed as ever down to the casual facial expr
essions he made as he waited on the moving train. Reaching into his back pocket only to remember his phone was destroyed, he begrudgingly lowered his hand back to his side in annoyance. Jeremy said he'd get him a new phone at some point and that would be the last free one he got, he only wished he'd gotten it before he left out the house. Oh well...
The steam-powered train let out a bellowing roar of a whistle indicating a stop approaching soon; gears grinding against each other as wheels locked and sparked across steel tracks and the metal beast skidded to a perfect stop after a few minutes. The doors slid open, Jonath stepping off the train past a few irrelevant people and heading down the stairs to exit the station and walk down the main road towards the Group. Pausing momentarily when rumbling thunder was heard all the way from the sea in the distance, pale eyes squinting at the dark horizon to vaguely see storm clouds approaching.
"More incentive to pick up the pace; don't want to be caught up in that rain." He sighed shaking his head and breaking out into a casual jog down the road. Coming up on the college Group he slid to a stop right outside the gates and looked up at the banner in silence. His eyes carefully examining the words before looking beyond the gates at the statue of the woman with a book tucked under her arm and beckoning towards him atop the active fountain again. A few students of the multi structure grounds moving across the courtyard casually chatting or moving with haste to their destinations, his eyes finally looking upon the building directly ahead of him at the top-level where Wren's quarters were located.
