#kyriuskeeper

Prepare to die

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Over a week went by since he started to spar with the one they called Blood Rose, his master’s son in law.  Day by day he got re-acquainted with the skills he had been  so adamant to tap into. The training he received while being ordered around, while being nothing but a shell of a man, while being nothing more than a slave, and a killer. He panted, pulling back, after having blocked one more of the redhead’s attack. 

“Is that all you got!” Killian smirked and held on to his sword while supervised by his teacher who watched from the veranda with a grin across his lips.  Allen chuckled, leaving it to his own pupil to get cocky over these last couple of sparring sessions. 

“Keep Pushing Wrightstone” Rose replied before he took back his stance. The redhead appreciated this training session, and thanked his father in law for them; it had helped him in getting better at controlling his powers after he nearly poisoned his own wife. He still resented that, especially since she stayed away from him for a while after that. He sighed and crossed his katar in front of his face before launching back, it had been a great way to unwind and let out his frustrations, he appreciated the squire for that.

The sound of steel on steel could be heard as one attack was blocked and the other blow came into contact with the another. They were almost evenly matched.

“He’s gotten better” Allen heard the voice of his lovely eldest daughter come into the veranda as she leaned in on the stone railing, a baby dragon by her side,  hovering over next to her as her hand patted the creature's snout.  “Glad you think so I was thinking maybe he could retake the Chivalry quest by the end of the week” 

Saya stood straight , her long straight sky blue hair, brought up in a ponytail sway as she did. “Do you think it is a good idea? He isn't bad. As I remember last time he breezed through the practice exam… it was his heart that betrayed him” Saya commented and  Allen chuckled. 

“You were just as big of a trouble maker as he was,  safe me odin you’re still a troublemaker, thank the gods, for that Boyfriend of yours that keeps you in check” Allen retorted and Saya huffed annoyed at the comment.

“Unlike him I knew what it meant to be a Knight, even if I had my own resentments and quirks. He didn’t… also the man couldn't lie to the examiner and say he wanted to protect the party?” She swayed her hips to the side and her father almost hit the back of her head. What type of daughter did he have? “Also, Holy’s outside. She asked if I could asked Rose to come meet her, so if you don’t mind releasing my sister’s ball and chain for a minute” Saya once again patted the dragon on his side as she turn on her heel “ Thanks dad bye~” she mused leaving a confuse Allen on the veranda alone. 

He sighed and  motioned for them to finish  their sparring session before he motioned for Rose to go meet his daughter, not without teasing him about a grandchild before he left, which granted a chuckle from the dark skinned male. 

“Keep laughing and I’ll find that reason of yours and tell her about your cowardice,” Allen teased, and Killian almost but stopped talking. Especially since he had a hunch his reason was closer than he thought .  “Good luck with that '' The man replied before picking up his sword and putting it away, he was determined to stay as far as he could from her,  at least until he could call himself worthy. He was sweaty and sore from all the exercise and training. Allen just looked him over with arms crossed.

“What do you think about going with me to the knight guild, and taking your chivalry test” The blonde spoke his amethyst eyes tracing as his pupil stop in a halt and put his sword away with a shaking motion, he didn’t turn back to see his master he only stared at the sword in front of him and the memory of his first chivalry quest flooded his mind.

“Do you really think I’m ready?” He all but mumbled his words still facing the swords. All he heard was Allen “mhm” and he turned to see his teacher, the determination in his amethyst eyes told him he believed  he could,  that he was ready, that he could do anything he put his mind to.

“ Alright.. Let's do it”

That day he walked  back to the room he decided to rent  in Prontera, while he was training he wasn’t working or even accepting a simple request from the adventurers guild, but he had saved enough money over the course of the years that allowed him this much. He went by the market and got some of his rations for the day before he passed by a jewelry shop. A single piece caught his attention, he’d seen it before. He approached the  vendor before he saw the single earring on the table,  it was a single stud with a long silver chain and at the end, a shimmering clear scale. 

“Excuse me” the merchant turned to see him and almost dismissed him, his ragged appearance, likely putting him off. He sighed, he outta listened to Lily and at least get his haircut. “Sir Is that an Ice Scale?” The merchant's ears perked up, not everyone was able to recognize the good he displayed. 

“Why yes, it is, are you interested?” the merchant asked this time. Killian couldn’t keep his eyes off it as he nodded “ how much?” he asked and the merchant gave him a price twice as much as the reward he’d gotten from the warlock for hunting it. He thought about it for a minute before he even  made a decision. What were the chances this was the same scale? 

“Fine” he brought out the satchel and paid for the thing, the merchant wrapped it carefully and he took it back to his room. The room he rented was in the second level of the a building close to the market, it was but a Rectangular space, a full size bed at the end of the room by the window, and small coffee table in front of it, a bathroom to the right of the entrance and a small kitchen that serve his purpose, an island that separated the kitchen from the area where he slept and two bar stools.  The window at the end was more like a sliding door that allowed him access to a small balcony. 

He took out some seeds from the bag he brought with him to refill the bird seeder outside, before sitting on the bed  and looking at the earring he’d just bought, he agreed he’d take the chivalry test later that week, two days from the current day.  He stared at the silver earring and the shimmering scale in his hand. 

He continue to tab his foot on the floor, he was getting restless at this point, it’ve been a week since he’d make up his mind, and he could feel his resolve slipping, he didn’t think it would be this hard to meet her,  she’s been coming to find him for the better half of last week and now, now she was nowhere to be found. He  brushed his hair back, finally getting on his feet, he’d been doing that every so often, he kept sitting down and standing back up, now he was pacing. 

 “Keep on doing that you’ll make a hole in the floor” Vera quipped. The picture of calm, as she was cleaning the glasses behind the counter 

“I don’t.. I don’t get it..” 

Vera shrugged “ Told you she was tired, maybe she’s done chasing after your flaky behind” 

He glared at Vera, his silver eyes narrowing in a mixture of annoyance and impatience, suddenly he stopped as if realizing something “ you! Vera, you got her information from the request, tell me where she lives” He came so close to the counter his face was almost inches from her. 

“ don’t be ridiculous Wright,  you’ll be borderline stalking her if you do that” she pushed him away with a finger on his forehead, and he groaned before letting his head down on the counter.

 “I don’t want to do that”. 

Vera laughed loudly, she’d had the best couple weeks so far since the male came back from his mission and she found out he was with the blonde. 

The familiar chime of the guilds door opening  came up and his eyes darted to the door the familiar figure stand at the threshold, her ash blonde hair swept to her side on a braid, and at that moment, the moment her sweet honey scent, filled the room, the moment the light radiated from her mere presence, at that moment all the courage he’d gathered, the determination, it all left his body as his knees buckled at the sight of her, and his body, his body moved almost immediately, not to where she was but, behind the counter, again

“ Seriously!!!” Vera yelped, seen as the man rushed inside the back room this time around. He was sure, Vera was fed up with him and may have just drag him out of there, but as much as he thought he’d had the courage to face her, he realize at that moment, maybe he was not.

“ What happened to : I’m talking to her?!” she complained from the other side of the door and he only replied with a grunt.  Though Vera could do nothing but halt when she heard the man’s voice from the other side. 

“Vera!” Kyrius’s  voice was soft as she spoke not cheery as often “I’m guessing I’m out of luck today too huh?” she smiled sadly, and  Vera said nothing, though without her noticing she looked over her shoulder at the door that stood behind her.  Behind it laid the man she was looking for. How she wished she could just drag him out of the backroom and present it to the blonde like some kind of trophy and just collect the reward she offered. 

“ Sorry pretty thing, he’s not here” from the other side of the door he lowered his face as he listened to the conversation, aching, asking himself why was he such a coward? but at the same time reminding himself, this cowardness, was just one of the reason why he didn’t deserve her.

 “ is alright Vera, I didn’t come with the intention to find him anyway.  I know you can’t take the payment for the request,  but can you at least give him this?” Kyrius brought up a coin purse, it was hefty, Vera knew as it made a thud sound as soon as it hit the counter. 

“ It’s not the wages for the job.. Is the reward for the quest.. I didn’t do a thing, to be honest, I was actually more of a burden than anything. If it wasn’t for him, I would’ve been dead.. So please, can you at least take this on his behalf,  give it to him whenever he … whenever he comes by” 

Kyrius smiled but the counter keeper could see deep within her eyes, how disappointed she was, how sad even. The blonde didn’t look like the type of women who’d  just take a man to bed for fun, beside she’d tried to reach out, she tried to find that stupid man, and to Vera that meant there was something there, and  gosh why couldn't she just tell the woman, and why couldn’t she just dragged the man out, she smile back, all she could do.

I am 20 chapter in and almost done with this story so i can update more often and  breaking it down into parts makes it so much easier  too 

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Kyrius woke up to the sound of the rustling public outside her window. She groaned and moved her body to cover her face with the pillow, thinking something was missing. Warmth, and comfort, that sense of security that enveloped her the night before. The scent of spearmint and mossy fields no longer lingered in the bed “Killian?” she called out sleepily as her eyes finally fluttered open and she found there was no one.  

“Killian?” she called out again and looked around the room hoping to find any resemblance of the man. She bit her lips, as her emotions started to bubble up inside her, she forced herself to take a breath before she got out of bed and wrapped a rope around herself. She could not let herself buy into the idea that he was Gone. She reached the front desk and found Cecilia getting ready to do a shift change. 

“Ms Kyrius!” Cecilia noticed as she came into view. The red head frowned, noticing how Kyrius looked around frantically “Cecilia.. Hi.. did you see Killia– I mean the mercenary, have you seen him?” The expression on Kyrius' face as she asked her was nothing less than hurt and despair, the warlock did care for the man. Cecilia was right. “Ms. Kyrius…” Cecilia whispered “ Mr Wright… he left this morning…”

Kyrius’s heart sumped down into her stomach at the words, after what he said to her, after what happened the night before. I love you. She could still hear him clearly in her head, could still feel her chest tighten in delight at those simple words. She breathed and  turned on her hill, back into her room. She let her back, rest against the door as she pressed on her chest and breathed. 

Because that was all she could do,  all she knew to do,  all that could keep the tears that creeped up her eyes from falling down her cheeks. Her lip trembled and she gasped, a sob caught in her throat. “I’m an Idiot'' . A light shone right up her face and she looked over at the small table by the bed, a case. Kyrius approach and a note sat atop it

“I’m sorry”  Was all that was written. She sobbed at the note but the small casing caught her eyes, inside a small but shiny scale lay on a silk pillow. She sank to her knees. Everything he did, he showed her he cared, he watched over her, he went back for her satchel, he opened up to her, he said he Loved her. Her belongings were all untouched. At first glance you could see he took nothing from her, he didn’t rob her, some part of him must've been truthful. But he did rob her,  he did take something, and that was something she could not easily replace. A piece of her heart.

Kyrius finally pulled herself together and left the inn. She had to hold in another sob when Cecilia handed her the bill for one room fully paid, and explained yet again how he refused to use his own room because he was  too worried about her well-being.

It was the middle of the night when she finally arrived on Izlude. It was quite funny to her, how the trip back to her hometown was shorter than the one to Rachel. She attributed it to the weather.  Though  her home was in Prontera, not Izlude.  She sighed  looking up at the dark night sky, it was too late to make the trip  back home, and the Kafra teleport service was bound to make her queasy with the lack of mana she currently had. 

Luckily it was her hometown, and her parents were still living here. She knocks on the door, and a mature woman with red eyes and violet colored hair opens the door. “Kyrius” she halted in surprise, “ It’s late, what are you doing here?”. Kyrius sighed as she was invited inside “hey mom, I just came back from Rachel, and I need to go to the mercenaries guild tomorrow so I figure I’d just stay the night instead of making two trips” 

Lily, her mother, looked her over and carefully took in the state in which her daughter currently stood. Her crimson eyes sensing something wrong “ You’re lacking a considerable amount of mana dear.. Are you okay?” she asked,  as always her mother was perceptive, not to mention a Sorceress appointed to the royal family, she was good, better than most with magic, so if Kyrius mana was a mist, she oughta know. Kyriusn nodded  in response 

“ It's embarrassing,  but sadly I had a little bit of an episode, and the creature I went after was more powerful than I expected so.. Here I am” 

 “ Kyrius Aurelia Keeper! what were you thinking?!” Lily scolded and Kyrius shivered.  Her mother sterned tone was something to fear even as an adult. 

“I took a mercenary with me mom” She argued without thinking, her shoulder almost immediately slumping at the thought of him. 

“A mercenary ?” A male voice came from the frame of the staircase, his violet eyes placed on the blonde and his own ash blonde hair swept to the side, Kyrius looked in that direction. 

“Hello dad” she greeted with a smile.

Allen, her father reciprocate the gesture before he went over to her side and ruffled her hair slightly “ What is this about a mercenary honey bee?” That was his nickname for her.  Just as he called her mother Flower and her sister who was an Archbishop, Angel, her big sister though; she was bluebell for some reason, Kyrius lowered her gaze, speaking of Saya. 

“Right dad,  I asked Saya but she was busy, and recommended I go there, but the mercenary I hired..” she paused biting back her own sentiment “ He left without payment so, I was going to the guild in the morning to pay what I owe” Allen looked concerned his chin resting on his knuckles, as he looked his daughter from top to bottom, assessing a little more than what his wife had commented on before.

 “ That’s quite strange…” he responded,  and Kyrius’s ears perked up curiously  

“ You see honey bee,  the Mercenaries take payment in advance. Their contract allows them to flee if things get dire or they sense their life may be in danger, which is why they do it in advance.” he explained looking over at his beautiful daughter, he didn't have favorites, but Kyrius was the spitting image of him, minus her eyes, so knowing that she was that gorgeous only inflated his own masculine ego. 

“ unless… “ he paused and grinned “Maybe you were just so stunning the mercenary completely forgot about the contract” he let out a loud laugh.  

Farewells are never easy 

Kyrius felt a warm gentle touch on her cheek, her eyes fluttered opening slightly. She couldn’t remember when she had fallen asleep, but as her brown eyes finally were open the darkness soon enveloped her, she almost jumped back in fear before noticing the small fire lit by her side.

 “Hush is fine..” His voice came from above. 

She was no longer on his lap, his satchel to her side served as a rest for her heads a pillow. He kneel in front of her, no doubt noticing her body language and how she almost jumped a in fear. His finger gracing her cheek, that's what she felt before. She whimpered wanting to lean into his touch, but sat up straight before her body moved on her own. She craved safety, security, and right now, he was the only source of security she had. He was surprise noticing how she jumped at him, and held on to his chest. He would’ve thought she was doing better by now. He patted her head instinctively, in an attempt to soothe her trembling demeanor  

“We have to go now” he whisper, and she looked up at him, her brown eyes widen in a question  

“I can’t tell  whether it is day or night, and you’re probably too scared to even try. So we have to find a way out in the surface before we could head back to Rachel” as he spoke he let go of her, she reached out and he took her hand on his, interlacing his finger with hers, he thank the gods, Odin  freya, whomever was out there, That they were under a  dimmed light or she would've seen the red burning through his tan skin. “It’s fine” he whispered, he come to realize, just how scare she was, and how somehow, his small gestured made her see him as a safe haven, at least for now.

He picked the little they have left, pausing for a moment as he contemplated the items he kept on his satchel, he put them all away and kneel in front of the warlock “ alright jump on” she looked at him surprise, was he serious when he said he’d carried her? She shook her head, embarrassment flushing up her cheek 

“ I couldn’t ask you to… I- I can walk” she replied to his suggestion to which he countered. 

“You can’t.. And even if you tried you'll just make it worse on yourself, now … either I give you a piggyback ride , or I’ll have to carry you a different way” he blush at how that sound, not looking at her. 

How embarrassing would it be if he were to parade himself around Rachel carrying the woman on his arms bridal style. ”o - okay” Her arms wrapped around his shoulder as she went up his back and his arms move to support her weigh, she was lighter than he thought. He grabbed a piece of wood and wrapped it’s tips around with a torn up piece of his cloak,  making a torch. “I’m going to put the fire out now..”  he felt the grip she had on his body tighten at the thought. “You can close your eyes until I find an exit to the surface.. Shouldn't  be long, so feel free to cling to me if you need to”. He blushed again, as she smiled, her eyes closing, and resting her  head on his broad back. It felt warm,  her heart a flutter, her breath catch as she bit her lips, she thought to herself;  he is warm.