Chapter Sixty-One – How to Make Diamond Bleed

Bricen scowled as he marched down the castle hallway. Adjusting his collar, he felt a bead of sweat trickle down his neck. His throat had become raw after spending the last few hours communicating with international representatives, each calling on behalf of their respective world leader.

He quickened his pace until he came upon a small room. The brick walls surrounding it were sturdy, and the only passage was a massive door that stretched up towards the ceiling with bolted frames lined vertically. The only source of light illuminating the room was thin rays of moonlight peering through glazed windows overlooking the courtyard.

After he sealed the door shut and scuttled forward, he waited for Kardas to address him.

The light hit Kardas's back, shrouding the rest of him in shadow. His silhouette crept along the walls until his body convulsed, almost bringing him to his knees. A sharp hiss was followed by sluggish breaths which echoed throughout the small chamber. In the darkness, his head lowered, the motion causing his hair to hang over one side of his face, with a few strands fluttering to the floor. Like a wounded animal searching for respite, Kardas's body heaved before his movements slowed to a crawl.

Bricen titled his head. ''Is this a bad time?''

Slowly rising, Kardas remained hidden fro Bricen's sight. ''Who was it?''

It was then that Bricen realised he was still wearing an ear-piece. He removed the small sphere, shaking it between his fingertips to watch the water inside splash, filling him with slight amusement. ''Countess Yogini of Slaihoya. She hoped it would be possible to speak with Kiros regarding the shipment of spices and other culinary goods before the next season. I passed on my deepest apologies to her that His Majesty was busy addressing internal matters. I don't believe she was convinced.''

''Slaihoya is too far north,'' Kardas noted. ''They couldn't have been the ones who sent the scout ship.''

''That's the third airship this week that's come to the Kingdom border.''

''It went over the border. It was hovering over the Kingdom outskirts.'' Kardas said. He saw Bricen's posture stiffen and the colour drain from his face. Carrying a slight limp with him, Kardas walked over to a small table out of Bricen's line of sight. ''It doesn't matter. We continue with our search. Kiros and his daughter cannot hide forever.''

''They don't have to hide forever,'' Bricen said, his voice laced with dread. ''They only have to hide long enough for the world leaders to become suspicious. Our window of opportunity is dwindling.''

''I am aware,'' Kardas replied sternly.

Bricen lifted his hand and clenched it into a fist. ''I have longed for this Kingdom to be in the hands of someone more deserving and capable. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to lead it to glory.''

The room went silent. Even the wind outside couldn't find the strength to speak.

Bricen stared at Kardas, lowering his fist and dragging his foot back as if he was about to run for the door. ''If I may be so bold...perhaps, if we find ourselves under threat of attack, we may want to consider a tactical retreat-,''

''That is unacceptable!'' Kardas replied, his booming voice making Bricen flinch.

Although he was still masked in darkness, when Kardas twisted his body slightly, Bricen could see the faint outline of his left cheekbone, bulged out to reveal a grisly gash.

Leaning on the table for support, Kardas sighed. ''All that matters to me is that the Arsalan bloodline pays for the suffering they've caused. I am this close to honouring the memory of my fallen brothers and sisters. I will not run.''

Bricen gulped and looked elsewhere. ''I must admit, even as far back as when Niru ruled, I did not dwell on the politics of Knights.''

''Niru had us believe we were fighting for a bright future. We knew there would be casualties, but we accepted it so that we could reach that bright future. Any moment could have been our last. We lived for those memories.''

Kardas's voice trembled. His hand rested on something sitting on the table, hidden in the shadows making it impossible for Bricen to see what he was reaching for.

''Niru sought after more than just a Kingdom,'' Kardas continued. ''He wanted the world. To do that, he turned us into weapons. His weapons. You need soldiers to fight a war, so you create a war to find soldiers. After a while, we became broken. We became numb. We became nothing more than weapons. We couldn't bond or love, or even mourn those we lost.''''

Bricen gazed out of the window. ''Power is the true currency of this world.''

Kardas dragged whatever he was holding on the table closer to him. The sound of it scraping the wooden surface stabbed at Bricen's ears. ''Whatever the cost, I vowed to extinguish that power from the Arsalan bloodline.''

Glancing at the table, Bricen could see Kardas reaching for a large steel container. Without knowledge of its contents, Bricen was still imposed by it. Half the size of a regular man and wrapped in chains, the weight of it could be seen by the table legs creaking and bending. One swift pull from Kardas and the chains were ripped off. He reached inside and a metal clang reverberated off the walls.

Bricen watched as Kardas revealed to him a black-bladed longsword. The two-handed hilt, guarded by a small netted shield, fit snugly in Kardas's mighty grip.

Staring at the blade intensely for a moment, Bricen's eyes widened. ''May I?'' he asked, reaching out before Kardas replied.

Stepping back into the shadows, Kardas extended his arm. The sword was passed to Bricen and almost buckled under the weight instantly. Unable to hoist it high enough, Bricen resorted to pressing the tip onto the ground and lowered himself to properly admire the craftsmanship. With hardly any effort or weight, the tip sliced through the stone beneath his feet.

''This metal...'' he gasped. ''How did you acquire this?''

''There are those in Sorasama who do not hold the Arsalan family in high regard,'' Kardas answered.

''I know where it comes from,'' Bricen snapped, so overwhelmed by the sword's beauty he forgot who he was speaking with. ''Briseurdium is what holds the sky continent together. It is used to forge Pryor armour and weaponry for the Paladins. The metal is so rare, it is fragmented and merged with other materials...''

He felt compelled to trace his finger over the blade. His skin touched the blunt side of the metal. A cold sting surged up his whole hand, forcing him to draw his hand back. Too shocked to cry out in pain, he stared down at his hand, watching the blood pour from the cut on his finger.

''This blade is pure...'' he said, admiring the bloody mark. ''The strongest metal in existence. It can cut through any material, any structure...'' he looked towards Kardas. ''Even diamond.''

Kardas snatched the sword, knocking Bricen back in the process. Silently, he retreated into the shadows and returned the sword to its resting spot on the table. His fingers lingered on it.

Dusting himself, Bricen stood up. ''I'm to understand that it's only a precaution should Kuval stand in your way again?''

''Kuval will see the truth. I have faith in him.''

''And if he doesn't see the truth?''

Kardas sealed the container and placed it under his arm, carrying it with him as he walked to the door, stepping around the rays of light shining through the window. ''As I said...'' he paused. ''Whatever the cost.''

Bricen stood rooted before Kardas. Against his better judgement, his eyes drifted downwards. He wanted to take one last look at the container holding the sword, but instead, his eyes were to Kardas's knuckles. Bloody, with flesh peeling off his hand and fingers, there was metal were bone should have been.

It could have been a trick from the light, but Bricen wasn't sure as Kardas departed before any questions could be asked.

A/N: Hello guys, girls and everyone else. I hope that you enjoyed this new chapter. So, Kardas has a weapon that could prove fatal to both Ailith and Kuval...what could that mean for the future? There's only one way to find out. I hope that you enjoy the upcoming chapters. Don't be afraid to comment and let me know your thoughts. Thank you all and take care.