Chapter Text
Finral was lost.
Maybe it had been days already, but in these tunnels where no light found its way… They really didn’t know.
“I think we’ve been through here before,” Alecdora Sandler said. “Are you sure you can lead us?”
“Of course,” Finral answered. “Of course I can.” He tried to hide his nervousness, but he was pretty sure it shone right through anyway.
He, Alecdora, and Hamon Caseus were investigating this strange dungeon a resident of a nearby town had found. They figured a treasure might be found inside.
Finral inhaled. “Let’s go on ahead, anyway.”
The other two nodded.
A few minutes passed.
And another few minutes.
But they were still in the same old, stone-brick tunnel.
“The captain might be worrying about us,” Hamon said. He pulled out his pack of food and grabbed a doughnut. “I’m hungry again. Are you?”
Both Finral and Alecdora refused.
Alecdora sighed. “We should contact Captain Vangeance at this point.”
“Right.” Pulling out the magic tool, Finral thought of what to tell Captain Vangeance. He watched as the projection never formed, only flickered. Then it vanished. “It… isn’t working.”
The tool was just in his bag, as usual—and it no longer worked.
Finral didn’t want to be stuck here for longer. He was terrified.
Hamon patted his shoulder. “Don’t be afraid.” He noticed how much Finral was sobbing from fear.
“I’m fine,” he said. “Totally fine.”
Someone else replied: “And yet you come here, humans.”
Before he could even ask who it was, a beam of light blasted Finral aside.
♣
“Stop!”
That memory again: Finral, having just transported his rampaging brother straight into the arms of the guards.
It was the afternoon of the Magic Knights Entrance Exam, a week ago, and everyone was watching. In front of all of the squad captains, all of the aspiring Magic Knights in the audience.
When the time came for the one-on-one battles, Langris happened to be paired with a commoner with weak magic—and there was nothing Finral’s brother loved more than to prove himself better.
What nobody expected was the onslaught of Spatial Magic slashes. Langris was strong and so easily could slice a man to pieces.
And so, Finral had no choice but to intervene. He stepped through his portal into the arena and sent his brother away. Even though Langris hated him, being so much stronger than him, Finral was still his older brother.
“You’ve done too much,” Finral said, voice still shaking. “Is this what a Magic Knight is supposed to do? Needlessly attack people?” Guilt snaked up his body, but he stood his ground anyway.
His brother broke the restraints put on him by the guards. A strange, purple light emanated from him. Something was off.
Yet, Finral continued. “I understand you love the duty, but if it’s at the cost of innocents…” He turned to the young commoner, who was now surrounded by healing mages. “You can’t just… Do that.
“Magic Knights are supposed to protect people. You should use your power for good. And as your brother, I will have to make you learn that.”
He could’ve sworn that for a second, the skies were gray and strange magic came flowing from Langris. Finral thought he was wrong—his brother simply frowned, no purple aura in sight, and the guards took hold of him again.
Over in his chair, Captain Vangeance smiled. He must've recognized what Finral had done. And for that, he was right. Finral Roulacase became the first vice-captain of the Golden Dusk squad. Ever.
He heard his brother had made it into Black Stallion, the other new squad. Finral would gladly celebrate… If he could.
And being unconscious in a dungeon meant that he couldn’t.
♣
If Langris was the one sent here, he’d gladly kick this mastermind’s ass.
The dungeon, built of stone and almost completely underground, consisted of tunnels and tunnels, a whole maze of them. Some had Trap Magic lining the walls, most didn’t. Either way, he, and Yami too, made quick work of destroying them.
Whoever must’ve built this place was both a genius and a pain in the neck. The same stone, on the same level going on for what felt like centuries… Eugh.
Conveniently, a loud crash —almost like the one back in the Black Stallion headquarters—sounded. It came from their two ‘o-clock, a right turn ahead of them.
“Back me up,” Yami ordered.
The crash’s source was now a small crater, going from wall to wall of the tunnel.
Scattered around it, lay Alecdora Sandler, Hamon Caseus, and Finral Roulacase.
If Finral just had the same strong magic Langris did, perhaps he would’ve prevented the attack. But no.
Yami glanced around, before jumping ahead into the crater. “No sign of an enemy, but keep your guard up.”
The crater’s rim had a light sizzle to it, as if the sun itself had just burned through. Or perhaps it was Light Magic. After all, it looked just like the window Morgen had blasted through.
And Yami came to the same conclusion. She stood over Hamon, small in comparison to him. “They appear to have been blinded. It could only be Light Magic.”
Then she turned around and slashed at a henchman. The mastermind’s henchman. They fell to the ground, limp.
Langris turned around, met by another one.
“More Magic Knights, more fun.” The henchman sent Fire Magic towards him.
With Spatial Magic, Langris made the fire vanish. Another blaze, another swift motion of his to make the fire disappear.
“Never cross me again,” he said, before bringing his arm down. Part of the henchman’s torso disappeared, cleanly cutting him in half. It was a rather disgusting sight, but the blood was the cost of Langris protecting the others.
He regrouped with Yami, who cut three mages down and hit another with her hilt. The two shielded Alecdora and Hamon—but Finral lay meters away, on the wall of the crater.
One more henchman appeared. He jumped into the crater, let the hood of his large white cloak fall to reveal his face. He was much taller than either of them, and physically seemed much stronger.
“Perfect,” he said.
Before Langris or Yami could move, their opponent lifted Finral off the ground by the neck. The Golden Dusk cape floated dully.
“Don’t do anything to him!” Yami yelled.
“Oh, I won't.” The man positioned his other hand, glowing with Fire Magic. It was right next to Finral’s cheek. “If you just stay put and follow my orders, that is.”
If either of them did anything against him, Finral would be dead.
Yami took a deep breath and turned to Langris, whispering: “What shall we do? Your brother has to come back alive.”
Langris couldn’t take his eyes off of his brother’s face. “It’d be a… noble sacrifice of him.”
“No way.” Her voice was suddenly loaded with emotion. A sort of anger at that idea. “He’ll sacrifice whenever he wants to. Not when he’s unconscious. ”
Was Finral ever anything more than just a throwaway son, useless to House Vaude? Somehow, the weakness that made him inferior led to him becoming Golden Dusk’s vice captain. He was too kind.
Or was Langris too cruel?
It shouldn’t be. If he attacked someone, that henchman-in-half for example, it would be because he had to. He had no choice but to get rid of them. So why had Finral—that weakling of a brother—been awarded for stopping Langris?
You should use your power for good. And as your brother, I will have to make you learn that.
He’d only caught those last few words. Somehow, the ones Finral said before that blurred away, and it felt as though someone else took over.
Langris raised his arm, but Yami smacked it with the flat of her blade. The pain burned through like fire, and the sharp edge barely missed him.
“Do not attack,” she said, in a warning tone. “He is your brother. ”
The henchman holding Finral laughed. “Well, I see you two have quite the conflict going on. But I suppose…”
A giant root crashed through the ceiling, winding itself around the man. William Vangeance’s magic.
The root retracted, and the captain himself landed through the resulting hole. He let his root throw the henchman to the side, then knelt next to Finral.
“Vangeance!” Yami called.
“I’ve come just in time,” the masked man said.
♣
Vangeance fixed his mask as the dawn came, golden. Langris wondered why he’d named the squad Golden Dusk instead.
Spatial Magic users from the Wizard King came, bringing healers to Alecdora and Hamon. Finral would have to be taken to the capital and its doctor, since he sustained too many injuries. Yami figured the Light Magic hit him directly.
Langris wondered if his brother deserved such a thing, thought about Yami’s disgust to his idea. That part of his forearm still ached.
“You should’ve let me get to that man,” he grumbled.
The two began their walk back to the headquarters.
Yami looked back to normal. “No.” She again walked ahead, never looking at him. And she never spoke the rest of the way there.
There was no point if Langris just stood around, choosing the weak option of staying still. He had to do something, show those henchmen who he was. Otherwise, what good of a man was he? But he did nothing anyway.
He vowed to forget today’s mistake, even if Yami smacked him a thousand more times. The base’s facade was anew, the vice captain awaiting them in front.