The Challenger

by Harlon Banks

  Jonath took a step forward...

  "Oh my God... !" A woman's voice caught his attention!

  The amnesic froze in place and perked up a bit, turning his head to see Dal rushing over to him from the corner of the outer wall she had just turned. Her cyan blue eyes wide with shock and astonishment as she hurriedly rushed to him dressed in a crop top navy blue shirt that exposed her midriff, black leggings with her dark-colored jacket tied around the waist and black running shoes. Her bright blue long hair trailing in the wind behind her before she skidded to a stop a few feet from him and just stared in quiet shock. Jonath blinking a bit confused at her initially as he stayed a mute and the two locked eyes.

  "You're alive..." Dal whispered circling Jonath as she looked him over head to toe from while moving around him; Jonath calmly following her movements with his own gaze without shifting from his stationary position. "You're actually alive Jon! Liariana was wrong... Kelarin is going to be thrilled!" She smiled initially but calmed down blinking in disbelief before poking Jonath's arm with a light-colored pointer finger to assure herself this wasn't an illusion.

  "So it's safe to assume Izuna made it here before me?" Jonath asked wary, not apparently minding her poking his arm. Though he was a bit surprised that Liariana actually returned to the Group considering she had the artifact in her possession and had tried to kill him not even five seconds after getting near it. Dal pulling her finger away and pivoting off her foot back around to Jonath's front with arms behind her back and looking slightly up at him with a nod. Her voice pleasant as always...

  "Yeah!" She answered with another blink of her profound blue hues as she stood erect and hands rested on her hips now and she tilted her weight mostly to he right leg looking over the left shoulder. "She came by herself a few hours earlier much to our surprise and asked to see Wren. I brought her up to his room and when he saw her he immediately asked what happened to you and she said you had died." She paused turning back to Jonath with a concerned stare no before looking over him again examining for any injuries.

  "Speaking of you, are you ok? You don't look hurt despite us being told you had been killed by some blind snakes on your expedition? Had me feeling really bad I let you go on that contract." She inquired with a bit of worry in her voice. Jonath quickly shaking his head and casually dismissing any concern.

  "Yeah I'm fine, was exhausted earlier but I'm fine now." He sighed reaching up to scratch the back of his head with his left arm. Rolling his neck and shoulders momentarily as he continued. "So what did Liariana do when she came here then? Did she give Wren the artifact he wanted?" He opened his eyes and narrowed his gaze on the girl again. If she did give Wren the treasure then were those men she killed the ones she hinted at that gave her no choice to kill him? His question answered by a blatant nod from Dal as she replied in a whisper leaning closer so only he could hear.

  "Yeah! I didn't hear the entire conversation as I left to give them some privacy but before I shut the door I saw Liariana holding out the cube to him no problem. Though from how he was acting I don't think Wren thought you were dead to be honest... He seemed to have shown no concern when he asked where you were." She paused letting her words settle while awaiting a reply. Jonath now looking off to the side in deep thought for a few passing seconds, another rumble of thunder in the distance snapping him back to.

  "Did Izuna mention anything about some other people besides me and her? Also where is she anyway?" He inquired to Dal, the cyan-eyed woman shaking her head at him with a shrug.

  "I don't know, as I said I left before they really started talking; I did see her walking out of the building about an hour or so though earlier. You should go talk to Wren either way, seriously." She sighed relieved as a hand rested across her bust and she closed her eyes lowering her head briefly. "I should head on my way to tell Kelarin you're alive; I'm sure he'll be ecstatic to hear that. Oh, by the way..." She trailed off momentarily while Jonath vaguely raised a brow at her pausing.

  "If you didn't die, why did Liariana say you were dead? She said she saw you get slashed across the throat before a bunch of rubble collapsed between you both?" She narrowed her eyes curiously and looked at his chest after asking. Jonath immediately responding in a calm voice that played off the entire assumption as if it were nothing at all and genuine. He didn't want her worrying more by telling her Liariana tried to kill him and nearly succeeded on multiple occasions in the span of a single fight. He also didn't quite want to rat out Liariana yet himself for reasons he'd yet known entirely himself.

  "Nah it wasn't the throat but my arm. It was chaotic and dark, we barely could see so she probably thought I had died because I did fall when the ruins caved in between us and cut us off from each other." He said as calm as possible to try to make his lie sound as genuine as possible. Pale eyes locking onto hers again as he added a bit of extra fluff for safety. "We had agreed earlier that if we got separated not to save each other and just continue on with the job. She reached the artifact a bit before I did and when I stumbled across the chamber and saw it was gone I assumed she took it and headed back here." He slid his hands back into his pockets before shifting his weight while closing his eyes and sighing again.

  "So how'd you both get out the barrier if only Liariana had the wire bird with Wren's barrier seal on it?" Dal asked another question with a confused stare. Jonath's eyes widening for the briefest of moments as the image of those bodies flashed across his mind and he immediately reached into his other back pocket to withdraw that necklace again and offer it to Dal. The woman falling silent, merely looking in disbelief at the relic held in his extended hand as he lowered his voice. His own eyes softening in their gaze as he spoke.

  "They were dead, but they helped me get out of there so I promised I'd let you all know. Their bodies are right outside the temple, hidden in the tall grass closer to the ward." He explained with a quieter tone as Dal just continued to stare at the necklace. Eventually, she reached out to take it from me, holding it up to her face as she smiled weakly with eyes still locked on its dulled gold coloration.

  "I knew them all kinda, they were good, nice people. Sad that they died so unnaturally... Thanks." She smiled solemnly at Jonath as she placed the jewelry in her pocket. "I'll go tell the mercenary Group and hopefully get a search party out to recover the remains for burial after I tell Kelarin you're alive." She paused extending a pointer finger to jab Jonath once across the chest as he blinked. The two making eye contact once again before that solemn smile turned into a friendly chuckle of urgency. Swaying subtly as she spoke.

  "You however, need to go talk to Wren and show him you're alive. I'm sure he wants to hear everything that happened to you as well. I'll talk to you later Jon!" She smiled brightly and waved him off before taking off into a jog down the street Jonath came from. The silver-haired amnesic quietly watching her run off again for a few seconds before snorting vaguely to himself and turning to walk the other way. Dal was a nice person, he liked talking to her; no doubt the next time he sees her though Kelarin will probably be right with her and just screaming to meet him again. He wouldn't mind either way...

  He was just glad to be back in the city...

  Turning back and focusing on why he came here in the first place again Jonath walked into the courtyard and headed up towards the main building. His eyes glancing up at the fountain statue and then straight ahead again. About five minutes would pass, Jonath walking up the winding stairs looking at the dull colored walls in silence and eventually coming across the double doors at the top. Withdrawing his left hand from his pocket and looking over his open palm under the dim hall lights in silence, the tingling sensation still very much clear when he focused on it. The extra numbness within his muscles felt weird, he'd really hoped this would heal up sooner than later.

  "No need to be shy, child. Come on and open the door... Step inside."

  Wren's old voice rang in Jonath's ears from beyond the closed dark wooden doors. His eyes darting forward staring a
t the doors in silence as his hand lowered back to his side. A moment of hesitation, his mind unnerved but his body stalwart. The door rattling as locks opened and a swift gesture and they slid open via magical means from Wren's influence. The older man standing before the creepy wooden center table from before with arms hidden away in white robes with red embroidery and his hood pulled down. Skin as white as his robes and unkempt matted grey hair looking akin to a bramble patch atop his head, a smile creased across his lips, his grey facial hair looking dry and withered; dull brown eyes showing no signs of any anger or frustration.

  "I knew you weren't dead, despite what the Yelkath said." He chuckled deeply, bony fingers briefly breaking the seamless surface of his robes and gesturing Jonath to enter his abode. A few seconds of not moving, and the amnesic stepped in without a word; the doors quietly shutting behind him giving both of them some secrecy. The air felt rather calm and dry, the atmosphere itself cozy despite the ominous study lined with bookcases, strange glowing tables and jars chests lying all around the corners of the room. Jonath's feet tapping across the marbled and granite flooring of the higher ring towards the depression in the middle of the room where Wren stood. Those eerie blue flames hovering over the enchanted table behind him illuminating the space around with its strong emanation.

  "Yeah..." Jonath said nonchalant in response as pale eyes gazed all around the dilapidated dome-shaped room. "I guess you were right about sensing something within me. I'm tougher than I initially thought I was..." He scoffed confident and paused looking at Wren once more as he stopped right before the single step that lowered into the smaller ring of the floor. A few passing moments of silence, Wren's smirk widening as his eyes relaxed their gaze on him.

  "I've always been a good judge of potential and skill, one of my best qualities. You in particular drew a lot of excitement from me, preposterous that you'd have fallen to measly beasts." He then shook his head dismissively, eyes turning to look off to the side towards the table behind him, and particularly at the artifact Liariana left him as per their contract. Jonath's gaze turning to it as well, doing his best to hide his astonishment that the Yelkath actually returned the artifact. This kind of annoyed him also, as it made it feel like her trying to kill him became pointless even if it happened before she possibly found the opportunity to kill her employers.

  "I see she brought the artifact..." He sighed, the fear of having to deal with any law enforcement or whatever disappearing off his mind just like that. Wren nodding with arms shifting beneath his full body Group Master robe as eyes turned back to Jonath.

  "Indeed, Miss Liariana was here earlier as you can clearly see. We had a bit of a chat, she told me you were dead... killed by vicious underground serpents and cut off from her by rubble." He paused nodding slightly in thought. "I took her words seriously at face value, but a part of me figured she didn't know the truth and that you were tougher than that. She gave me this treasure as per our agreement, and I rewarded her and left her to be on her way." He shrugged calmly.

  "What'd you reward her?" Jonath asked zoning in on that over anything else he'd said. Wren chuckling a bit in amusement at how quickly his mind shifted its priorities but swiftly gathered his bearings and waved a hand again dismissively from his cloak. His eyes gaining a small yet intense seriousness to the now as his voice lowered into a quiet yet expecting tone.

  "We can talk about that later... for now though I want to talk about something else." He cleared his throat and exhaled dryly. The atmosphere growing a tad bit darker.

  As he said those words, Jonath's stomach churned ever so slightly and his eyes widened subtly. The eye contact between the two sharpening as Wren stared with a stern and dead serious look in his eyes while leaning ever so slightly forward to Jonath and elaborating.

  "Tell me what really happened down in that city..." He said with a sly smile. "I know she tried to kill you."

  Jonath went silent... Of course this man knew... Why'd Jonath ever believe he could deceive him?

  No Rest for the Weary

  The Challenger Chapter Twenty-Four: No Rest for the Weary

  "I know she tried to kill you."

  Wren's statement packed a serious punch, Jonath left mute. How did he even know that? Did Liariana tell him? No... If she was going to tell him it would make no sense for Dal to have said she heard her say he had died by snakes. The fact Wren asked to hear the real story only further solidified this deduction, Liariana didn't tell him the truth at all... So why did he know about i-

  Jonath suddenly figured it out...

  "That wire bird..." Jonath muttered with a scoff of disbelief at himself for not thinking about the possibility till now. Wren smirking and chuckling as arms raised nonchalantly in a shrug. He was a teacher after all who had sent some kids (compared to his own age) on a dangerous trip into some uncharted ruins; it'd be stupid to believe he didn't actually care what happened to his 'employees' among other things.

  "Did you really think I'd just assume you'd bring the artifact back once you'd seen it and the ruins on good fortune? Trust is not so easily gained, regardless of what rewards may have been offered to entice you to return it." Wren paused momentarily and scooped the palm sized class cube into his bony pale right hand and brought it up to eye level. Dull eyes examining it closely as he spoke, periodically looking at the amnesic as well.

  "You could have taken one look at this treasure and believed it would fetch a far greater price being sold on the black market or maybe just wanted to keep it for yourself and unravel why I want it. I could have offered you the world yet if you believed this object was worth more to the right buyer or its secrets enticed you more than my riches you'd have abandoned my offer and stolen it for yourself; I had to watch you someway somehow no matter what and the bird was my way of doing so. Tell me I'm wrong?" The old man chuckled proudly to himself as he rotated his hand and the cube raised up to hover over his sky facing palm. Jonath snorting to himself, hands moving back into his pockets as he didn't say anything in response initially, but after a few seconds asked a simple yet important question.

  "Did you see it all?" He asked low and to the point. "Did you see everything from the moment we left to the moment Liariana came back?" His voice sounded very calm if not a bit forced, the anxiety of wondering if Wren saw the transformation he had undergone when fighting her made him a bit fidgety.

  "No." Wren handwaved his concern with a glassy tone, eyes still looking at the cube floating over his grasp. "The bird could not send any visuals, being hidden away in the Yelkath's pocket and all. Sound however, was easily broadcasted to me from which I listened ever so intrigued from the comfort of my study." He gestured his other hand around the cozy and eery aesthetic around the two. "From the bandits to your battle within the cathedral I heard everything Liariana did. I even heard that vixen kill the very man she had been told to steal the treasure for... It truly was entertaining." He paused again with a sneer now looking at Jonath. The amnesic keeping his unmoved and calm stare at the Group Master.

  "At any rate..." Wren set the cube down again on the dark wooden table, coughing as he spoke. "I will not delve deeper into the topic; I just wanted to see if I could make your heart skip a beat because I'm a bit of a joker haha. What you two did outside the walls to each other is not my place to judge, for it is no man's land beyond the gates. The land of the savages as I like to call it." He snickered standing with an audible creak of the bones in his frail figure. A crooked pointer finger cocked towards the direction of a small black chest atop a table off in the corner to the right of him that made Jonath's gaze follow it.

  "Your reward is in that chest over there; I do believe you'll like it quite well. It may not look as extravagant as I promised before you left well, because I was exaggerating anyway back then. A little white stretch of the truth I guess. Do rest easy though as the compensation is sufficient nonetheless." He yawned tiredly as he walked back around the table before resting palms on the wood and hovering his head over the large b
lack book he were reading prior. Jonath narrowing his eyes at the chest momentarily and then to Wren, then at the cube. A few passing moments of silence permeated the dry and warm air... Contemplating just how far he should attempt to pry information out of this man.

  "What is the cube for anyway? What was that underground city too?" He asked. "Think I deserve to know why I went through all of this trouble to get that for you along with the reward over there in that chest. Considering I nearly died multiple times..." He thumbed over to said chest while awaiting a response. Wren didn't do anything or say anything at first, his eyes glued to the text across the weathered pages of the black book he were reading. This dragged on for almost a minute, Jonath scoffing irritated and about to repeat his question with a more commanding tone. As he opened his mouth though as if waiting for that moment, Wren cut him off before a single sound could leave his lips.

  "The cube is part of something I've researched since I were but a child with utmost interest." The old man said quietly, the pause that followed a bit heavier than any prior. "That is all I will tell you for now; if you show promise in the future I may perhaps be inclined to tell you more about the intentions of my studies." He said a bit more dismissive. Jonath furrowing a brow but not even surprised his question was answered with yet another cryptic response. Turning to walk over to claim his reward out the chest he didn't say anything else about the cube or the answer, he'd be wasting his time if he did. Wren said nothing either, continuing to read while Jonath stopped before the black medium-sized chest and pulled his hands out his pockets to reach up and open it. Hesitating a moment as both thumbs hovered over the golden release mechanism in the center of the container and he tilted his head in thought.