by Harlon Banks
"Kayda!" Jonath suddenly called her name making the girl snap out of the episode she were having and look into his eyes. The amnesic shaking his head at her quietly before speaking again. "You don't have to continue, I won't push you to help me. You make a good point about it." He assured. The woman keeping her eyes fixated on him for a few more seconds before she forced a smile, relieved he didn't plan to push the subject. Safety became a huge priority for her ever since that incident. Though...
"Hey, can I ask you a really big favor?" Kayda asked in a hushed voice. Jonath tilting his head again at her and shortly afterwards nodding in silent agreement. Their eyes meeting once again and Kayda opening her mouth to form words only to hesitate, and then muster up the courage to say it. She didn't think he'd actually do it even without her asking but still felt the need to get it off her chest.
"Don't tell anyone about my scar, especially Melissa... I don't want her bullying me more than she already does." She lowered her head when Melissa was mentioned. Jonath scowling a bit at that name too considering how that girl harasses the both of them. Taking a deep breath and waving a hand dismissively at her. She didn't have to worry about him doing that. Though this did remind him that at some point in the future he had to make Melissa leave her alone.
"Don't worry, I'll keep this completely between us. Never liked going around telling people's business anyway." He snorted pushing off the counter and walking around to her side, heading to go sit on the couch. Smiling slightly at him in relief she spun around on the bar chair and picked herself from it. Although, she didn't know why she stood up afterwards. The awkwardness of her actions throwing her off a moment as she wondered what to do next since Jonath didn't seem to have any other plans now. Getting comfortable on the couch and reaching for the remote off the coffee table in front of him, Jonath turned on the TV. A show about animals that live in the forests of Kynerva on and the young man looking over at Kayda.
"You want to just chill and watch television or something then to kill time? I didn't plan on doing anything else the rest of the day so if you want to just lounge with me you can. Thinking about it I doubt my old man is gonna be back any time soon." He shrugged looking back to the large flat-screen and putting his feet on the table. Kayda blinked, unsure how to respond and slightly growing embarrassed by the offer to stay... alone with him... in his apartment... likely having to sit close to him on the couch too. This growing thought on the circumstances causing her to cover her face and try to play it off as she were wiping her hair from it.
"I um, sure..." She merely replied without thinking. It was a better offer than her wandering around outside for the rest of the day. Though she could have probably met back up with the Astral Twins if she wanted, best to leave them alone for now though. Calming her nerves and assuring herself this was just a simple offer of hospitality, Kayda pushed away her thoughts and walked over to sit with Jonath on the couch. Leaving some space between them out of respect. Her sitting style polar opposite of his with her arms and legs crossed and posture straight while his was slouched and nonchalant. Both of them watching the tv with mild interest that made time pass by faster than they expected. It was nice.
Meanwhile...
"Second time we've met, huh Crimson?" Blade smirked tauntingly. Melissa looking between the two with her arms behind her casually enjoying the interaction with an amused look. Kelgard staring Blade in the eyes with a non-amused gaze and apathetic posture.
"I'm here to see Gray." He said in a tone that implied it was a statement and not a request. Who was Gray?
Into the Gray
The Challenger Chapter Fifty-Five: Into the Gray
"Gray?" Blade repeated with a risen brow and a snort, steel hued eyes staring into crimson red. "You walk up to these gates without so much as a hey and just immediately talk to me like you're in charge around here? You still haven't changed a bit." He now was chuckling a bit at how insurmountable of a vibe Kelgard was trying to exert on him. Hand on hip while the other casually gripped the bars of the gate that separated the two. The man's cool and carefree visage shifting into one of a more serious, yet still laid back aesthetic. His voice lowering slightly and his head moving a bit closer to the gate to look into the other Nightborn's eyes.
"I'm sorry to say but that attitude doesn't quiet get anything done with me, in case you forgot. I'm going to have to politely ask you show a tad less... jackass tendency and a bit more friendliness." He then backed away from the gate with arms casually raised up in expectancy. Kelgard simply looking at him with his typical apathetic gaze while Melissa continued to steal glances at both from her off to the side place. She seemed to be enjoying the tension between the two more than she should be. Tilting head upwards slightly, his gaze locked on the black-haired Nightborn in waiting, Blade tried his greeting again. Halfway expecting Kelgard to act right this time yet all the same expecting him to continue acting all high and mighty.
"Long time no see, huh Crimson?"
Kelgard broke eye contact and simply reached for the gate bars to let himself in only for Blade to grab the gate as well and keep it shut. The aloof Nightborn turning red gaze towards the pale, lightly scarred hand keeping the gate closed without showing any signs of agitation. Blade now brandishing a more serious, no-nonsense look in his own grey hues now. This was getting old fast, he needed to make something clear sooner than he thought.
"I don't know if you're trying to impress the sexy lady tailing you or if you actually believe you're going to get what you want by having a stick up your ass today Kelgard, but allow me to reel you back a bit into how things are going to go down here." Blade' words were blunt and direct, no fear at all in his tone, stare or body language. Melissa noting this man was the second person so far to not take Kelgard's attitude in kind. The first having been Delaren back at Blackwater.
"You don't run shit here and you damn sure as hell aren't going to get the impression you're some badass boss either. Not with me, friend." His fingers still tightly gripping the black bars for as long as Kelgard refused to move his hand from them. Melissa moving her arms behind her head and looking thoroughly impressed by the dominance battle going on in front of her now. Even more enthusiastic about hanging around especially since Blade called her sexy; fishing for compliments was always a nice hobby to have. Kelgard and Blade clashing eyes again with their glares. The former now having one slightly more expressive with the growing lack of patience while the latter continued to show he didn't give a damn about the man's attitude. One of them were gonna have to give, Blade be damned if it were him.
"I'm not going to tell you again, I'm here to see Gray. Move out of my way." Kelgard calmly said, though the vibe he emanated through his honed stare and nonchalant visage quite clearly emanated he was getting annoyed.
"That sounds like a personal problem to me. I don't give a shit what you came here to do, act like you have some home training you fucking mongrel before I beat it into you." Blade said back calm and foreboding. Melissa widening her eyes now at what he said, glancing over to Kelgard who narrowed his eyes ever so slightly at the threat. A small sneer following as he couldn't believe what he just heard.
"Beat it into me, huh? Open the gate; I'm all for seeing you try." He said and soon his vaguely humored sneer vanished back into an aloof gaze. Blade merely snickered, an all too familiar smile of expectation etching across his pale features when he moved to unlock the gate finally. His eyes locked onto the man he was about to beat some sense into and have a hell of a fun time doing it.
"I can't express how much I was hoping you'd say that. This is going to be fun."
Blade started sliding the gate open from between him and Kelgard while Melissa took several steps back from them both without words. Blade popping his neck and taking his first step towards an awaiting Kelgard whom now had his hands hidden away in his pockets and a unintimidated posture about him. Just waiting for Blade to make a move all the same.
They were really about to get violent...
> "Neither of you better throw a single blow or I'll have both of you locked up." A woman's voice pierced the tension in the air as Blade suddenly stopped in his tracks and lost all enthusiasm. His face now brandishing a grimace and growling annoyed to himself while Kelgard didn't react at all, simply glancing over the shoulder at the new arrival coming down the steps. Melissa blinking also surprised (and kind of feeling cucked) by the new arrival approaching them both. Pouting something under her breath now while eye rolling heavily, arms crossed over her chest in disappointment.
"Every time something gets good it's always something to come fucking ruin it. Ugh!" The Ylrah thought to herself with a heavy sigh of exasperation. Soft glowing cerulean colored eye gazing upon the woman to get a look of her.
This new stranger that approached was of average height (shorter than Melissa) and with athletic and toned proportions. Her hair was ebony black with a light purple tint to its edges and styled in a heavily messy bob cut of sorts. Choppy bangs sweeping over her forehead and framing her angular and attractive featured fair-skinned face, ending slightly past her chin and bouncing with every step. Her eyes were of a beautiful shade of violet coloration that seemed to ripple like water every few steps and her the way she carried herself hinted higher standing than Blade within the ranks of the Group, even if it maybe wasn't so. Wearing an all black get up consisting of a black tank top under an overlying, unzipped hoodie, leggings under short shorts and calf high, open toed shoes with neon purple soles. Her eyes looking rather unamused by the spectacle she were seeing as she blew a bubble of pink gum from her mouth that soon popped and was brought back for chewing.
"You're Kelgard right?" The new girl asked casually walking up to the gate and pulling a slender hand from her pocket to push Blade behind her without looking at him. The grey-haired Nightborn looking more than annoyed momentarily before it quickly turned into a deadpan of defeat. Now just scratching his scalp and sighing heavily while Kelgard turned his ruby gaze to the shorter woman.
"Who are you?" He asked dryly, now completely ignoring the existence of Blade behind her. Not that Blade cared either way, for he seemed to have forgotten about the violent encounter to come just as quickly as Kelgard did. Shelving her gum in cheek to respond clearly, the young woman's violet colored gaze looked up to meet his own out of respect. Respect Blade should have shown earlier.
"My name is Nayomi, I came around the Group after you left not too long before. You're here to see Gray right? The boss told us about your situation and wanted us to be nice." Near the end of her sentence she shot Blade a disapproving look that lasted less than a second. Blade shrugging nonchalantly and rubbing the back of his head in lackadaisical demeanor.
"I don't respect people who don't give it. Simple as that. Besides you ain't met him till now while I had the unfortunate luck of dealing with the bastard a while back durin-"
"That's irrelevant now, Blade. We are in the present, not the past." Nayomi rudely cut him off before chewing her gum again and swallowing it. Her eyes now glancing over to Melissa standing off to the side still completely fine with just watching and listening. "She your girlfriend? She's pretty."
Melissa snorted abruptly, finding that assumption immediately hilarious although she kept her reaction tame this time. Merely running a hand through the bangs that obscured a good part of her face and replying with a slightly forced smile and a cocky tone.
"Nah, so far he doesn't really seem to be my type so I'm just tagging along for entertainment. Thanks by the way, you're pretty too yourself." She responded surprisingly with a compliment of her own. Seemed though Melissa was cocky and confident, she wasn't completely narcissistic. She gave credit when it was due. "Your eyes ripple like water every now and again, is that messing with your vision or something? Never seen anything like that before among Nightborn."
Nayomi shook her head not at all bothered by the question.
"I was going to ask about your left eye too and its glow, beat me to it. The answer to your question though is not at all, it's a byproduct of my powers. I'll tell you about it later sometime if you're interested." She gave a friendly wink at the girl before looking back to Kelgard with a more collected expression again. "I guess we should get you inside to go see Gray then before you get too annoyed waiting, huh?"
"Yeah, you should." The Blood King said bluntly. "I don't have all day to sit around and talk."
"Aren't you just a badass loner?" Melissa sneered at the man, hands on her hips before looking back to Nayomi and Blade. "While he goes and meets this Gray guy can I hang around and check out the Group? I wouldn't mind signing up for a place in here in the future if it holds my interest well enough." She asked not really all that interested in whatever Kelgard wanted with this Gray character. Nayomi shooting her another look and nodding accordingly before gesturing with her head behind her towards the courtyard.
"Yeah sure no problem, I can give you a tour of the place if you want? You're from Blackwater like Kelgard aren't you? We've gotten a lot of recruits from there over the past few years."
"All the more reason for me to take a gander around the place then." Melissa chuckled stepping forward to enter the Group grounds. Nayomi pivoting off her foot to lead the way around for the girl while shooting Blade a quick glance. The two staring at each other for a moment in silence until Blade sucked his teeth in irritation at her mute glare.
"What? If you thinking I'm going to waste any more time on this guy you can relax. He ain't even worth me kicking his ass now. I got other shit to do anyway." He assured before shooting Kelgard a glance to show he had no problem saying it right in front of him, then moving to collect his wrapped in cloth great sword from the staircase. Kelgard not even bothering to look at Blade and simply stepping into the courtyard to make his way into the building now. Nayomi and Melissa could be heard getting accustomed with each other and already engaging in casual talk as Nayomi began gesturing around the place and giving exposition to Melissa. Blade after having effortlessly heaved his great sword over his right shoulder with one hand, held it across said shoulder and turned to head off somewhere into the city. Briefly brushing past Kelgard as he did so and two nearly bumping into each other as they walked past without making eye contact.
"Watch your back when you deal with me this time around; I don't forgive twice." Blade said low and cold when he passed the man. Kelgard stopping in his tracks momentarily with unmoving eyes and features as Blade continued on his way. Continuing on up the stairs seconds later and ignoring the threat as usual. What did Blade mean by that? What happened in the past between him and Kelgard?
Upon entering the building Kelgard was met with a simple lobby area. A large half circle desk straight ahead with nobody behind it. A simple alert button on top of it and papers of all shapes and sizes littering the desk top as well as pinned to billboards behind it on the wall. A door located nearby as well behind said desk and a small safe on the floor against the wall. The floor was granite and polished, the walls stone and sheened over with displays of weapons, pictures of mercenaries and awards all around. Two larger doors, one on opposite sides of the desks exterior, stood tall and closed. These doors crafted of polished hardwood and having crests brandished on them that looked like full moons with an axe and great sword crossed over them.
Stepping forward Kelgard headed to the desk right as a young man stepped out from the small door behind the desk as if on cue to greet him. This man of older stature with a slouch in his gait and weary appearance. Light blue eyes and clean-cut, bleached blonde hair atop milky toned skin and wearing simple overalls of black and white. His voice surprisingly upbeat despite how tired and weary he looked. Moving to the desk top to tidy up the papers while simultaneously greeting Kelgard with professionalism.
"Greeting and welcome to the UC Mercenary Group - Where for the right price we can get any job done. How may I help you?" He asked smiling warmly and eager to help. Kelgard softening his normally hard and uncaring gaze to something more respectful and re
served as he cleared his throat of the crisp air he breathed.
"I'm here to see someone you have in custody, his name is Gray."
"Oh!" The man suddenly exclaimed while pushing some papers into a cabinet under the desk. "You must be Kelgard! Welcome back to the Group! I don't think we've ever met, I'm Gary." He held out his wrinkly hand to the young man. Kelgard glancing at the gesture a moment, then quietly extending out his own hand to briefly shake it before he put it back in his pocket. Now merely waiting for Gary to honor his request. He didn't really have time to be nice too long, he only had a day and his patience was already beginning to wear thin.
"Right this way! I'll lead you to him. I must say it's strange how he's been cooped up in here ever since your leaving due to circumstances I won't say aloud out of respect. He's gotten along pretty well with most of us." Gary explained as he led the way through the door on the right of Kelgard. The two traversing the Group halls now.
Five minutes later...
