#bit rusty

“What?” Silas’ tone was low as he pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose. The slap to his face still stung and he wondered how and when Chione could pack a punch… or slap.

“I’ll say it one more time.” Silas Sr said, turning to face his son. His eyes narrowed upon seeing the hand mark. “Our family will be hosting a banquet and the Eirwen household is invited specifically. Your mother wished for you to have this.”

Silas Sr took the box from his desk and walked towards his son. The box was of a red velvet fabric with black and gold dragon metal carvings. “Use this,”

“What?” Silas asked, looking up at his father, cutting him off. 

“It’s your mother’s engagement ring, the one I’d given her at your age.”

“What do you,” Silas couldn’t finish his sentence when his father opened the box. Inside was the rose gold band with a red stone in the centre of smaller diamonds that circled the stone. Along the band were other small diamonds that split off into two before reconnecting making the band whole. Silas knew of this ring, he’d seen it growing up. 

His mother always wore it proudly as it was the Kane family heirloom. A staple in jewellery to showcase their wealth and power. A piece of jewellery that now mocked him of a future he couldn’t have with the one he loved most. 

“No,” Silas muttered, closing the box. 

“The banquet will be held in three days, I hope you’ll have something written. Make sure it’s from the heart and what your intentions are, Beau Eirwen will want to know. Chione is his only daughter and you are my only son, but you two have a history…”

“Father, I said no,” Silas spoke louder, cutting his father off from saying any more. He looked up to his father and quietly shook his head. 

“Why not?” Silas Sr asked, narrowing his gaze again. 

“I’ve done something, I did something stupid.” Silas shook his head, lowering his head. “I hurt her.” He whispered. 

“What did you do?” His father asked, his tone low and menacing. 

Silas watched as his father's hand gripped around the box tightly, but careful enough not to break the metal pieces. His father repeated his question while lifting his son's chin with one finger. 

“She thought I was cheating,” Silas started but was cut off. 

“Did you?”

“No!” Silas quickly answered, shaking his head. 

“Then why does she think you cheated and left you with this mark on your face?” The older Elezen used that same finger to tap the bruise forming on his son’s cheek. 

“I was playing a stupid game with my friends and I said some things to make it more believable.” Silas tilted his head away, avoiding his father’s gaze. “She wasn’t meant to hear, but she heard everything.” His voice was low and apologetic. 

“Apologise to her, now. Head to the Eirwen estate and get on your knees if you must.” Silas Sr said with absolute certainty before turning to make his way towards his desk. 

“No! Did you not hear me? She thinks I cheated on her, she wants nothing to do with me!” Silas yelled following his father. 

“That is why I told you to apologise, make things right with Chione or get out. I will not have my son ruin our family name because he couldn’t keep it in his pants.”

Silas gazed up at his father with disbelief followed by a scoff. His words were like venom and once again his father was turning his back on him. 

“I will not apologise. If you wish to throw me out into the cold winter air then so be it.”

Silas Sr turned towards his son and gripped his arm tight. “If you will not go willingly, I will make you go.” His eyes filled with anger. 

Silas knew of one way to get his father off him. He still held the box in his hand, but his attention was on him and his arm. He quickly took the box from his father and tossed it behind him, shattering the delicate metal wings, neck and tail of the dragon. 

On reflex, Silas Sr raised his arm and balled his fist then crashed it into Silas’ left cheek. “Get out. Don’t return until you’ve made things right with the Eirwen girl.” His voice trembled with anger and sadness. 

Silas got up to his feet, his nose and lip bloody from the punch. “That will never happen.”

“Then I disown you, you are no son of mine. The Kane family disowns you, Silas. Leave or I will have you escorted out.” Silas Sr said coldly. 

Silas quickly left his father's office, tears in his eyes when he stopped at the top of the stairs. There stood a portrait of him and his parents. His mother, Aliette was ecstatic to finally have an updated portrait. The last time they’d had one done was when he was just a baby, barely able to form his first word. And now he was standing there with his family at 16 years old, just a bit shorter than his father and taller than his mother. 

“Young master Silas,” Carlyle called out, grasping his attention. “Your father… you know he means well. Don’t take what he said to heart. He only wants you to secure a future. He…”

Silas lifted his hand to silently cut him off. He continued to gaze up at the portrait when he pulled a flip knife from his belt. 

“Young master, don’t do anything you will regret later,” Carlyle spoke and watched as Silas moved towards the portrait. 

He stabbed the bottom of the canvas where he stood and heard the steward gasp. “Young master!” Carlyle said a little too loud just as the patriarch was exiting his office. 

“What’s the meani-” Silas Sr’s voice echoed out. “SILAS! STOP!” He yelled running to his son.

But the moment his father pulled him away, Silas had already cut the bottom of the canvas and continued to rip the canvas even as his father pulled him away. 

Silas dropped the knife and canvas. He was successfully removed from the portrait with his eyes filled with tears. Servants and guards who heard the commotion only saw the damaged portrait and the young master descending the stairs. 

With tears in his eyes and a broken heart, Silas left the Kane estate with the clothes on his back and never returned. 

He shook his head, landing on the ground besides them as they opened the door. They saw Sdeing, Steel’s father on the other side of the door. The image overlapped with his own father who they last saw in the Temple of Trials.“Wonder Wall!” He shouted, calling forth a shield for his friends. It would at least protect them from the full impact of Sdeing’s hammer. Instead, he was struck with an odd sense of unease. Looking at them, they all fiercely attacked Sdeing, only evading his attacks when need be. His shield protected them from time to time but that wasn’t what they needed. What they needed was more power.“Chung, don’t just stand there! Be careful!” Elsword shouted at him as he ran to his side. Chung snapped out of his thoughts, “Right!”The battle against Sdeing was short-lived but it still didn’t give them too much trouble. Chung thought of how he wanted to protect his friends, to protect the innocent, but would that be enough?He looked up at the backs of his friends who grew farther as they walked their own ways in the village. He already had enough power using his Destroyer, maybe something more?-

The thoughts of a stronger weapon went in the back of Chung’s mind as they entered Elysion. There was no time to think about to master a weapon. Even if he suffered. Even if the weight of the destroyer grew heavy in his hands and his guardian stone grew dimmer with the weight of his resolve weakening, he paid it no mind. Even like this, he still had to try his best to protect his friends. Even if he was falling behind, even if he had to work harder and taste the tears of frustration each time they returned to the town after a day’s battle.“Chung.” Chung lifted his head to watch Elesis sit down beside him.“Elesis, is there something wrong?” He asked, his voice breathy. Elesis looked at the distance.

“The others has been worried, you know. You’ve been growing more and more exhausted after each and every battle.” Chung looked away to the side, ashamed that his friends would have to worry about him in addition to what they needed to do.

“I’m sorry, I… I’m just trying to sort some thoughts out.” Elesis was silent for a few seconds before she stood up.

“I won’t pry,” she said, “but know that we’re here for you no matter what Chung. No matter what.”

“I know.” Chung whispered, tears prickling in his eyes. He heard her footsteps as she left him.

He took a deep, shaky breath. What was wrong with him? He couldn’t just let this get to him. Although he did say to himself, he didn’t move from his place for a good hour and when he had to leave, the weight still remained.

-

“Where am I…? Is anyone there?!” Chung muttered to himself as he looked around. A white figure emerged in front of him and for a moment he saw himself. Chung steadied the Destroyer as the specter spoke.“Don’t go another step, Seiker.”Chung’s grip on his weapon tightened, “This is… my voice! How can…?”

The specter’s voice continued, feeding continuously to his mind as it charged at him. 

“What are you doing here? You need to save your father.” The weight of the specter’s own weapon was heavy against his own.

“You should understand that they don’t need you anymore.” It continued.

“Compared to them, you’re weak. You’re slow.” Chung flinched, as the specter pushed forward against his own.

“What use do they have of you?”

Chung gritted his teeth, pushing back, “They’re my friends!” 

“I will not abandon them!” He continued. The guardian stone glowed bright, compared to the dim light that it held the past few months. “It’s true that I felt like I was holding them back and I know that! They all want to finish the battles as soon as possible. I can’t fault them for that!”

“I just…” Chung took a heavy breath, his hands shaking from effort. “I just need to protect them better. If they’re fast, then I just need to be fast. If I’m weak, then I just need to get stronger. I can’t give up. I can’t give up now!”The guardian stone glowed bright, almost blinding as Chung shut his eyes and took the chance to leap back,firing a cannon ball blindly. Except his grip fumbled, he thought, as the cannon was lighter than it was. He still felt the pressure against his hand. It’s just… weaker.As the light died down, what he saw in his hands was a sleeker version of his destroyer, alongside with what looked like two guns slotted to the sides of the cannon.“Guns? What?” Chung looked closer, taking one of the guns to his hands. Right in time as the specter stood up, charging against him once more. In a rush of panic, Chung held out the gun and fired. The specter dissipated.

It felt like using the Destroyer, just smaller and more…lighter. No… He took the other gun and slotted his cannon at his back. The guns fit perfectly in his hands, like it was made for him.He fired once more, testing various ways to how he could attack. It was perfect. The bullets were made of magic, just like with the Destroyer. It bounced off the wall and Chung thought how it could catch some of their more intelligent enemies off-guard. A smile tugged at her lips as he looked at the guns in his hands. Did the guardian stone modify his Destroyer?

He shook his head. No matter what it is, he still had to practice this. He took off his cannon. His cannon was lighter and, testing the cannonball shots, it had more ammo…

“No,” he muttered to himself. “There are more cannonballs and there are guns but overall, the impact is weaker. I can’t use my normal attacks like this.”

The cannon felt too…feeble in his hands. It felt like it could break if he slammed it on the ground too hard like he did before. He put it on his back once again and held the guns in his hands.

It wouldn’t hurt if he practiced a bit more…right?

-

Time passed and his Freiturnier shifted alongside the change in his weapons. It became smoother, as if accentuating the speed as to which he started to move in battle. It was more black than white now. He still had to mix up his own attacks but slowly, it started to lean to using his guns.

He still protected his friends, even if they were surprised by the change in his attack style in such a crucial time. Add and Eve, in particular, were interested in the guardian stone but even he couldn’t provide a clear answer. Rather than protect them in the frontlines of battle, he shifted back in the shadows, shooting the enemies with frightening accuracy that even he couldn’t explain whenever it got too close. In the end, it’s like nothing changed. Rather than him protecting his friends from every attack, well, rather than him taking the attack, it’s more of preventing the attack.

He looked at the chrysalis before him, its tentacles jabbing at the ground. His mind didn’t waver anymore at the thoughts of the past where he could take all the attacks of their enemies, no, all it focused on was knowing where to hit and when to hit it.

Chung wouldn’t have it any other way.

As another light blinded them after the Chrysalis’s defeat, he stood face to face with the specter that had changed everything. It seemed to smile at him.

“It seems you’ve already found your answer but that’s not enough. You must release your true potential!”

If he was any younger, he would’ve wondered what he’d think if he knew that he’d turn out like this but he wasn’t.

“You’re right.” His resolve shone through the guardian stone but Chung only had eyes in the specter before him. “I can’t stop here!”

Rather than use his destroyer, he used the Silver Shooters, as he had grown to call it, to show that he won’t let himself be beat here. The wind blew, making his and the specter’s hair flow in sync. A testament to their shared past.

“Go. You know what to do.” The specter continued before vanishing with the light.